12 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



NORFOLK AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION 



MEETING AT NORWICH. 



The most direct proof of the Agricultural Societies 

 of this era having attained that object for which they 

 were established is afforded in the return of the anni- 

 versary meetings. These continue, almost without ex- 

 ception, to improve in their character. They are now 

 always better and better. The entries are larger, and 

 yet the stock is more generally good. The admission 

 receipts, again, are announced to be greater than was 

 ever known before. In fact, the influence of the Asso- 

 ciation is telling in all ways. New men are brought 

 out, and older hands reap their reward in herds and 

 flocks of recognized excellence. The public are uo 

 longer wont to deride such exhibitions, but rather to 

 feel how home a question their succe.-^s must be to us 

 all. Quality and quantity advance with equal steps 

 under such auspices, and town and country combine to 

 do honour to the occasion. 



As in Essex last week, and in Dorsetshire the 

 week before, the show of the Norfolk Association was 

 still pronounced to be progressive. Not, however, that 

 it improves at all points. There may be more animals, 

 and there a'-c, no doubt, many better tiian usual. But 

 these are yet in the names of a comparatively few ex 

 hibitors, and Lord Leicester, Lord Sondes, and Lord 

 Walsingham continue to have the best of it. This 

 illustrious trio, moreover, would seem to have come to 

 some accidental arrangement to divide the chief honours 

 of the meetings. Lord Leicester excels in Devons, 

 Lord Sondes in the polled cattle, and Lord Walsingham 

 in Southdown sheep. And so they ring the changes, 

 from Norwich to Swaffham and from Swaffham to 

 Norwich, while the famous Norfolk farmers, the 

 Hudsons, the Overmans, the Aylmers, and others 

 make but feeble stand against so formidable an alli- 

 ance, well content with an occasional commendation, 

 or, happily, a second-best. The prize-list of 'sixty 

 tells the customary kind of story, and by this test 

 makes the County better known for landlords than 

 even for tenants. 



Not but that the general improvement of the stock 

 of the district is clearly observable. Nearly all the 

 most fashionable breeds are now being fairly tried here. 

 There are distinct classes for Shorthorns ; the agricul- 

 tural horses number many of the best Suffolks; and 

 well-selected long-wools vie in excellence witli the 

 longer naturalized Downs. A judicious extension of 

 privilege has let in certain friends and neighbours, and 

 what the Society proper cannot do for itself, Mr. Bar- 

 thropp, Mr. Crisp, Mr. Badham, and Captain Barlow 

 with their horses, Mr. Sexton with his sheep, and Lady 

 Pigot with her cattle, may ably stand answerable for. 

 In fact, the Norfolk show, as now constituted, owes no 

 little of its pre-eminence to such collateral aid, while 

 the most favourable of results must surely follow from 

 the adoption of such a course. Let us look to the first 

 instance we have offered. A few years since and 

 there was hardly a cart-horse of any acknowledged 

 breed in the county. Nowhere, considering the 

 high system of cultivation employed, were the plough 

 teams made up of rougher pairs. But the Suffolk 

 element has been gradually introduced ; and, as 

 a consequence, never before were there so many 

 good draught lioii.er, -seen nt a Norfolk Meeting. i\Ir. 

 Barthropp sent Hercules, Mr. Crjap Marquis, and 

 Mr. Badham his mare Matohctf,'and (hev bnfkrd Hie-p 



well-known ones with some equally good entries in the 

 younger divisions. As some proof of how superior 

 these horses were, Mr. Henry Overman's stiillion, 

 that has previously taken a prize on every occas'on 

 of his being exhibited, was not even noticed by the 

 judges. The point of preference was entirely between 

 Mr. Crisp and Mr. Barthropp, and it was decided in 

 favour of clearly the best looking, but by far the worse, 

 actioned ofthetwo. Marquisisaverycompact, powerful, 

 cheerful lookmg nag; whi'st Hercules, with more size, 

 is a little high on the leg and slight in the thighs. But 

 he is a wonderfully catching horse when moving, espe- 

 cially when put to a smart trot, whereas the Marquis 

 went very fumbly and foot-sore. Mr. Pratt's third- 

 jjrize horse is a sou of Hercules, who was sold by Mr. 

 Barthrojjp during the day to go into Nottinghamshire. 

 The Butleigh Abbey first-prize three-year-old was the 

 second special-prize of his age at Warwick. Like the 

 Cretingham young one in the next division, he is a 

 horse of a good-sounding tvearing colour, while his 

 second was a light yellow chesnut, and even in more 

 important respects "no ways" up to the form of his 

 stable companion. Mr. Barthropp further emphasized 

 the strength of his stud with two remarkably fine 

 roomy fillies, one by Hercules and the other by the 

 Rarified Hero. They were, cither, of excellent quality 

 and very handsome to look on, despite a badly broken 

 knee, which the authorities, however, were too good 

 judges to take much notice of. Mr. Badham backed 

 these with his beautiful mare, and Lady Pigot with the 

 bay Suffolk and her Emperor foal that we queried at 

 Dorchester. 



If the Suffolks are coming on here, the famous Nor- 

 folk trotting horses are most assuredly going out. 

 There was scarcely one of that useful, wearing, strong, 

 and stout stamp, the world was once so familiar with, 

 to be seen on the Show-ground. They have been 

 clearly crossed into something bigger, if not better. 

 The hackney and hunter classes were hardly to be dis- 

 tinguished. In fact, there were some much more 

 "likely" hunters amongst the hackneys than were to 

 be found in their own proper ranks. The latter made 

 up a very middling lot of four, with in reality not a 

 prize nag amongst them ; but it will be seen both the 

 premiums Avere awarded. Tiie fifteen hackneys were 

 far better ; not that we imagine the Judges cared much 

 to define what a hack meant, but simply went to pick 

 out the best-looking ones brought before tham. Many of 

 these had a direct strain from the thorough-bred horse in 

 them ; and the first prize mare had a sneaking cross- 

 country look about her that argued as much or more for 

 the field than the road. She was sold twice over before 

 night, and the first time for a hundred. Mr. John Over- 

 man's two entries also went at a hundred each. Still, 

 notwithstanding the increasing call for his services, the 

 thorough-bred stallion came in no great numerical force. 

 Revenge, Flagellator, and Strathern comprising the 

 entry. The first of these — Captain Barlow's handsome 

 horse — was far too fat, and his big carcase caused him 

 to look a little light-timbered. Many yet preferred 

 him to the prize, a four year old, that when he drops 

 to his leg and furnishes a bit more, is sure to be better 

 liked. He is finely topped, hns a good flat leg, and 

 the walk of a race-horse. A long way the beat sped- 

 meii rf n hackney wns to lie found in '•lhcno\tdc- 



