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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE 



A VISIT TO THE SMITHFIELD CLUB FAT CATTLE SHOW 



Sir, The season has again come round at which the 



agricultural gatherings are directed to the Smithfield 

 Club Cattle Show in Baker-street ; and a cab being scarce, 

 and an omnibus generally non est inventus yesterday, on 

 account of the dense fog, I groped my way thither by 

 the " marrowbone stage," as they say — the only resource 

 left to me ; a dangerous alternative for old bones like 

 mine to be reduced to. I arrived, however, safe and 

 sound, and was pleased to find that the discomforts of 

 the weather had not prevented the public from turning 

 out on the occasion, but that the attendance was as 

 numerous as ever ; a plain proof that, unlike our neigh- 

 bours the Parisians, the Londoners take a deep interest 

 in these exhibitions. 



Any Englishman, indeed, who has the real welfare of 

 his country at heart, and is more fond of the solid in 

 national glory than of the superjickil, may well feel 

 proud of the magnificent display of animals exhibited 

 this year. I saw also many foreign gentlemen there, but 

 did not recognize so many as I could have wished. The 

 subject of agriculture is viewed in a different light on the 

 continent from what it is with us. Even in France, where 

 powerful efforts have been made by the government to 

 drill the higher class of the landed interest into a liking to 

 it, the success hitherto has been very partial and weak. 

 Nor will it be possible to eifect any great and important 

 change in this respect whilst the subdivision of the land 

 into minute portions continues. This is the great bane 

 of agriculture, not only because small occupiers, such 

 as the overwhelming majority of French farmers con- 

 sists of, have neither the skill, the disposition, nor the 

 capital to carry out improvements, but because the very 

 circumstance of the land being in the hands of such a 

 class of cultivators excites disgust of rural affairs 

 amongst those classes which in England are the chief 

 supporters of agricultural institutions. This, however' 

 is a digression for which 1 must apologize. 



I have termed the display of animals a magnificent 

 one, and such it certainly is. I think the show of cat- 

 tle far superior to that of last year, and I'll tell you 

 why ; simply because the graziers have taken the hints 

 that have been given them from time to time, and have 

 attended more to symmetry and compactness of form 

 in the selection of their cattle, than to that excessive 

 obesity which has characterized the former exhibition, 

 and which led a tallow-chandler to remark, _ia an ex- 

 cusable pun, "It was much more advantageous to the 

 lights than to the liver." 



The show of Devons is an admirable one : they are 

 perhaps smaller this year, generally speaking, than last ; 

 but in this respect the standing toast of the late Earl of 

 Leicester, "small in size but great in value," has 

 been adopted by the graziers. Some of this breed show 

 a perfection of symmetry never exceeded. Amongst 

 these I noticed No. 6, which received the first prize in 

 class 1, and No. 11 in class 2, which I think was more 

 entitled to the first prize of .£25 than that of £10, 

 which it received. Mr. Heath has certainly been very 

 successful this year, and has contributed some excellent 

 types of other breeds as well as of the Devons, 



The heifers and cows of this latter breed were admira- 

 ble. Nos. 23 and 24 were everything that can be de- 

 sired in point of symmetry and compactness. The lat- 

 ter number, which took the first prize, is certainly the 

 most finished, but I question whether No. 23 would 

 not equal, if not excel it at the same age. No. 30 also 

 is a complete animal, and does equal credit to the 

 breeder and the grazier. 



Amongst the Herefords and Shorthorns I noticed 

 some first-rate auimals, but cannot stop to particularize 

 all of them. I found I had put a mark to several 

 which had not received the special approbation of the 

 Judges, amongst which were No. 72, remarkable for the 

 degree of finish it has attained at the " tender age" of 

 two years and eleven months ; No. 80, which does not 

 appear to have even been " commended" ; and No. 173, 

 an extra shorthorn heifer, which I think is as compact 

 an animal as any in the show, although not specially 

 noticed. The other breeds possess less interest with 

 me, but there are some very fine cattle amongst them, 

 particularly the " Sussex breed." Are these a dis- 

 tinctive race of cattle, or a mixed brerd adopted by the 

 Sussex farmers at some by-gone period? Their his- 

 tory is worth inquiring into, and if any of your Sussex 

 correspondents can throw light upon it, their doing so 

 will confer a favour on the public generally, everything 

 connected with such a subject being interesting and im- 

 portant to the agriculturist. 



I was surprised to see so few Galloway or Aberdeen 

 Scots, and should regret to find that that breed is less in 

 favour than formerly. They have stood the test of time 

 in ray native county, and have always proved the most 

 profitable of any cattle for either winter or summer 

 grazing ; whilst no beef is superior to theirs on the 

 table. With the Irish breed we can very well dispense j 

 their long horns and pugnacious tempers rendering 

 them dangerous to other cattle, either in the pasture- 

 field or the yard. The Highland Scots are equally ob- 

 jectionable on the same account, and never ought to be 

 put with other cattle. Small as they are, they will 

 drive a shorthorn of giant size, compared with them- 

 selves, out of any yard. 



Upon passing cursorily through the sheep-pens the 

 first time, it struck me that that department was less 

 satisfactory than it was last year. A second and closer 

 inspection convinced me that this is the case only with 

 the Southdowns, which certainly are neither so nume- 

 rous nor so generally meritorious as they were last year. 

 Two or three of the breeders, however, of that race 

 have maintained their standing ; and amongst them are 

 Mr. Rigden and Lord Walsingham. I do not think the 

 Judges have done the latter noble breeder justice in 

 awarding him only the second prize for No. 267 (Class 

 37), for I certainly consider them a superior pen of 

 sheep to No. 269, which obtained it ; and I know that 

 this opinion was shared by others. The Duke of Rich- 

 mond has some excellent pens of Southdowns, and car- 

 ried off a full complement of the honours of the Show. 

 Some of the Hampshire and West Country Downs 

 are remarkably handsome sheep. Amongijt these I 

 particularly noticed 274, 279, and 280, as possessing 

 extraordinary merits, although neither of them obtained 

 a prize, and only one of them (280) was even com- 

 mended. 



Of the long-woolled breeds there are some excellent 

 specimens. No. 181 is what the French would call 

 " magnifique," and well deserved the distinction of the 

 first prize and silver medal. Lord Berners' jnire 

 Leicester (No. 191) very properly won a " golden 

 opinion" in addition to the £^20 prize. Mr. Over- 

 man's half-bred town and Leicesters were an excellent 

 type of that breed. I regretted not seeing the name of 

 his relative, Mr. Henry Overman, of Weasenham, 

 amongst the exhibitors this year. 



My remarks on the "swinish multitude" must he 

 brief. In one word, they come fully up to the mark of 



