52 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



the result was similar in 1851 •, but it did not follow 

 because a man had bred a good animal one year or two 

 years in succession, lie cuaki always do so. lie assured 

 fchera he had found the greatest difficulty in breeding any- 

 thing like a perfect animal ; and an animal must certainly 

 be as nearly perfect as possible to give anyone a chance of 

 carrying oif a prize (Hear, hear). When he wanted a 

 cross, he meant fresh blood, he generally had recourse to 

 the large short-horned sales; and when he saw an animal 

 that he liked, he did not mind bidding a high price for him 

 (Hear, hear). Thus, some time ago he bought two very 

 nice bull-calves at the sale of Lord Ducie's, each of which 

 weighed about 420 lbs., neither being then more than six 

 months old, and the result was very satisfactory. One of 

 them gained a prize of 1,000 francs at Paris, and he after- 

 wards sold it to a gentleman for 200 guineas. He agreed 

 with Col. Towne'ley, that in breeding the great object 

 should be to bring a good male and a good female together. 

 It was an entire mistake to suppose that provided the male 

 were good, it was comparativel}' unimportant what, the 

 female was (Hear, hear). Some diiference of opinion 

 existed as to what was most desirable in the case of short- 

 horned cattle : he agreed with the late Mr. Bates that it 

 Avas most desirable to have animals with nice soft hair, and 

 thin — not too thin — soft, supple skins. He was convinced 

 that such animals were the most easily fed, and would 

 thrive the best. He had adhered to the principle of 

 crossing the herd followed by the late Mr. Bates ; and he 

 was told that the farmers in his neighbourhood found that 

 the cattle descended from his bulla fetched higher prices in 

 the market than those which were not so well bred. He 

 again returned thanks on behalf of the unsuccessful can- 

 didates, and repeated that he did not intend to cease ex- 

 hibiting because he had not this year obtained the prize 

 (cheers). 



Mr. Druce, jun., also returned thanks, and said he hoped 

 that next year he should be successful (Hear, hear). 



Mr. Wilson, on rising to propose the next toast, observed 

 that he could not say with their excellent friend Vice-Chaucellor 

 Kindersley that he was entirely unacquainted with agriculture ; 

 for although it might be long before he appeared as a competitor, 

 his position was happily that of a learner. As regarded the 

 learned judge, he might safely declare that all present would 

 be glad to meet him there on future occasions, and that they 

 would much rather meet him there as often as he could come 

 than only once in the Court of Chancery (laughter). The 

 toast which he had to propose was, " The Judges." They 

 would, he was sure, all agree with him that those gentlemen 

 occupied a very proud position ; and unless the greatest con- 

 fidence were reposed in them, it would be impossible for them 

 to discharge their duties satisfactorily (Hear, hear). 



Before the toast was drunk, the Chairman expressed a 

 hope that the judges might be induced to make some practical 

 remarks in reference to the breeding and fattening of animals. 



The toast having been drunk with proper spirit, 



Mr. Buckley replied on behalf of the judges. 



The Chairman then proposed "The Stewards," and in 

 doing so repeated the invitation which he had just given to the 

 judges. 



Mr. Hole briefly acknowledged the compliment. 



Song by Miss J. Wells — " Bid me discourse." 



The next toast was, " The Father of the Club, Mr. Wol- 

 stead." 



The Chairman then proposed " The Butchers." He ob- 

 served that the Club now offered a premium to the butcher 



who was the largest purchaser at the show ; and said the 

 tenant farmers of England would be glad to see among them 

 some representatives of a class' who were their beat customers, 

 on an occasion like that. The noble lord coupled the toast 

 with the name of Mr. Jeffrey, the winner of the Butcher's 

 Medal last year. 



The toast having been duly responded to, 



Mr. Sawtell, cattle salesman, said, on behalf of Mr. Jef- 

 frey, who was a particular friend of his, he begged to return 

 thanks for the toast. At the same time he would take the 

 liberty of calling his lordship's attention to the very serious 

 injury which was being inflicted on butchers through the exer- 

 cise of the power vested in the magistrates of doing away with 

 private slaughter-houses. It would be of no use for such 

 beautiful animals to be brought to London if they had to go 

 to a common slaughter-house to be killed (Hear, hear). Tlie 

 abolition of the private slaughter-houses would impose on 

 butchers an extra expense of £483,000 a year ; and he would 

 leave it to his lordship to judge whether that burden must not 

 ultimately rest on the consumer. He concluded by handing 

 to the Chairman, and several gentlemen near him, a printed 

 statement with regard to the loss which the change he com- 

 plained of would throw upon the trade. 



The Chairman said, by the rules of the Club they were 

 precluded from discussing any subject that was likely to come 

 before Parliament ; but this he would say, that if there were 

 any measure which injuriously affected the interests of the 

 butchers of the metropolis, and therefore the tenant farmers of 

 England, it would be his duty and his earnest desire to give 

 his best attention to it where he could attend to it with pro- 

 priety (cheers). 



Irish ballad by Mr. Genge — " O, it's time I should talk to 

 your mother." 



Mr. Western, M.P., said he had been called upon to pro- 

 pose a toast, and he supposed the reason was that he hap- 

 pened to have a name which was formerly somewhat distin- 

 guished in the agricultural world, and belonged to a county 

 which was rather celebrated for agricultural improvements. 

 The toast was, " The health of the labouring classes ;" and 

 he was quite sure that in a meeting of British farmers it would 

 meet with a cordial reponse (cheers). The farmers throughout 

 the country now felt the necessity of endeavouring to diffuse 

 intelligence and sor.nd morality among the labouring popula- 

 tion ; and this not less for their own sake than for the sake of 

 the labourers (Hear, hear). As the Vice-Chairman had al- 

 luded to the subject of recruiting, he would observe that now 

 that such brilliant prospects were held out to recruits, it must 

 be quite unnecessary to cripple the number of agricultural 

 labourers required for the cultivation of the soil (Hear, hear). 

 Having, as a member of the House of Commons, been sum- 

 moned to London to consider the Bank Act of 1844, he re- 

 joiced to find, as one result of his arrival in town, that this 

 country had a large surplus in the Bank of England ; and he 

 hoped it would continue to increase. He would give, " The 

 Agricultural Labourers." 



The toast was received with much cordiality. 



Madrigal, by all the singers — " Down in a flowery Vale." 



The Chairman said, in parting with those whom he saw 

 before him, he could not help saying how grateful he was for 

 the kind support which he had received that evening ; and he 

 'elt that he should not be doing his duty if he retired without 

 giving a sentiment which was always given on similar occa- 

 sions by the late Lord Spencer, namely, " Sorry to part, but 

 happy to meet again" (cheers). 



The company separated at about half-past 10. 



METROPOLITAN CATTLE MARKET. 

 THE GREAT CHRISTMAS CATTLE MARKET. 



Monday, Dec. 14.— Notwithstanding that the con- 

 sumption of food has unquestionably fallen off, owing to 

 the late panic in the commercial world ; and although 

 the pi ices of fat stock have, consequently, shown a ten- 

 dency to give way, we never recollect a period during 

 which so much general interest has been shown in refer- 



ence to our fat stock shows as was the case here this 

 morning. At an early hour the market was thronged 

 with visitors from nearly all parts of the United King- 

 dom, as well as from the continent, to inspect and ad- 

 mire perhaps the finest collection of animals ever shown 

 in this or any other market in the world. As the day 



