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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



sorts of sheep. Is it worth while preserving so ua- 

 gracious a distinction ? Is not a Cotswold or a South- 

 down now as much to be maintained as a Leicester ? 

 The mixed Downs, or " Downs," simply as their 

 breeders write them, were in great force, with the 

 Hampshires naturally here in a majority over the 

 Shropshires. Mr. Holland was, indeed, the only ex- 

 hibitor of the latter, sending two rams and the prize 

 pen of ewes. In a most encouraging entry of pure 

 Southdowns, with plenty of competition, the judges 

 perhaps unconsciously evinced their partiality, as 

 County -Down breeders, for the more " useful" sheep. 

 There was nothing struck us as showing more clearly 

 the pure Down character than Sir Robert Throck- 

 morton's rams ; but they were not noticed, while his 

 equally handsome ewes were more fortunate. Still) 

 Mr. Harding is deservedly famous for his Down 

 flock, from which he sent no less than fourteen rams, 

 and Mr, G. J. Wood five. The prize list will show 

 with how much success. With the exception of the Cots- 

 wolds, all the sheep classes were fur more than gene- 

 rally good, and a reliable landmark of both the 

 Society's and the district's advance. 



By tlie report of the Council, as read at the General 

 Meeting on Thursday, " A great increase is observable 

 in the implement department. At Barnstaple the num- 

 ber of stands was 104, being an advance on all pre- 

 ceding meetings. At Dorchester there are no less than 

 135 stands, demanding an enlargement of the society's 

 shedding to the extent of 1,000 foot-run. There are 

 29 exhibitors of machinery in motion, as against 18 last 

 year ; and the requests for uncovered ground have 

 been in like proportion." Indeed there were very few 

 firms not represented here. Those who go against the 

 prize system made it, of course, a point to be present; 

 and all the other leading makers not averse to open 

 competition were in yet greater numerical force. They 

 were well backed by local men, or rather by those 

 living within the limits of the West of England Society's 

 range. There are very many rising houses included in 

 such a circuit that would be all the better for the op- 

 portunity and impetus of a little wholesome rivalry. 

 Surely, at any rate, the Council should more directly 

 encourage the introduction of new inventions. Let 

 them admit, as they do, that they decline " the awful 

 responsibility" of assuming to offer an opinion on 

 works of established position — they might still, and as 

 wo cbould imagine without offence to any one, have a 

 staff of judges to report and reward useful or even pro- 

 mising novelties. Is it quite fair, is it politic or ad- 

 vantageous to suffer the coming genius to wait in the 

 cool shade of " established" success ? Is it good that the 

 visitor should have no guide or instruction to what 

 we are all still craving after, " the something 

 new"? Take, for instance, the case of the Chairman 

 himself. Lord Rivers, who is about to bring out 

 an implement of his own design. But Lord Rivers 

 speaks far too well on this and other topics for us to 

 attempt to speak for him. At the dinner, then, he said : 

 " What changes in agriculture had they witnessed ! 

 The day had now almost arrived when it might be a 



question how far the use of the plough might be aban- 

 doned. The society had lived to see the birth and 

 growth of root crops. It had lived to see every kind 

 of artificial manure being advertised as infallible. 

 (Laughter.) It had lived to see steam applied to 

 agriculture. It had lived to see sheep killed a year 

 old, which would formerly have been allowed to come 

 of age (laughter) ; and though last not least, and he 

 said it without the slightest wish of provoking any 

 political or party feeling, or causing any discord or 

 difference, it had lived to seethe prosperity of agricul- 

 ture riding triumphantly over the desponding views 

 which were at one time entertained. He thought this 

 society had borne its full share in this improvement. 

 Mr. Sillifant just now had said that he was a practical 

 agriculturist, and therefore hewould be expected to say 

 a few words on that subject. Without criticising what 

 he had seen in the show, he lamented the absence of 

 what they really wanted : he had never seen an im- 

 plement which had effectually and thoroughly culti- 

 vated the land. He had read ' Talpa' on the culture of 

 a clay farm, and there the implement was fully de- 

 scribed. The book had been published, and yet no 

 ingenious iiiiplement-maker had as yet introduced 

 such an implement; what ho wanted was something 

 that would do the work, he was going to say, of the 

 rabbit. (No, no.) Well, he did not mean of a live 

 rabbit. (A voice : A mole.) Well, they wanted that 

 done which was effected by the rabbit, or, if they pleased 

 the mole — such an implement which would diminish 

 the cost of labour. At present they wei'c ploughing, 

 ci'oss-ploughing, harrowing, rolling, scarifying, and he 

 did not know what, but he believed he had an imple- 

 ment in his head which he hoped, when brought out, 

 would produce a satisfactory result. Mr, Samuelson 

 would be the manufacturer, but he (Lord Rivers) might 

 say he was the father, though it would appear in Mr, 

 Samuelson's name, and he believed this implement would 

 supersede fifty of the present unsatisfactory operations. 

 If prizes had not been abolished he should be most 

 happy to give one for an implement that would 

 satisfy the requirements mentioned, and at the same 

 time, he would say he thought it was a mistake 

 on the part of the society to do away with thej)rizes. 

 It was a mere matter of opinion with him, and perhaps 

 that opinion was not deeply matured, but still he 

 thought that it wns a mistake on the part of a large and 

 important society not to distribute prizes among the 

 implement makers. (Hear, hear.) The public had a 

 right, or if that was too strong a term, they ought 

 to receive from that society the best proof that could 

 be given that the implement was a really good one. 

 Persons came to the yard and could judge for them- 

 selves, as to the best cow, sheep, or pig ; but they had 

 not the same means as that society possessed of deciding 

 upon the merits of the implements. He would say a few 

 words on one other subject : he maintained that it was 

 — he would not say stupid, for the matter was a vexata 

 qucestio — he did not see the use of bringing breeding 

 stock in a state in which they could not breed. What 

 litter of pigs could they expect from a sow that was 



