45^ 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



ford Fair " proper" did not really Ijegin till Saturday, 

 a better state of things was hoped for. But the Fair 

 itself was duller still. Everybody and everything was 

 " down " and whole droves of cattle having been 

 treated 'to a sight of the city were straightway sent 

 home again ; or on to Islington, where hundreds of 

 them stood out the Monday's market, still unsold. 



The show of the Herefordshire Agricultural Society 

 was as clearly not up to the excellence of last year. 

 Perhaps in no one class of cattle was it so good. The 

 best section, as it always will be the most interesting, 

 was the first on the list — that for a bull, cow, and their 

 calf in one entry. Two famous Herefords fought their 

 battle o'er again, the first and second, in fact, of the 

 Canterbury Show. Their positions, however, were 

 now reversed, and Mr. Williams went first with Sir 

 Colin, and Mr, Edwards second with Leominster. The 

 judges generally commended the whole class, as they 

 did the next of yearling bulls : but this was not up to 

 the standard of last year, even with Mr. Perry, of 

 Cholstrey, to again lead off. There was not that " con- 

 stitution" about the young ones ^,80 remarkable on the 

 last time of showing, although immense pains are taken 

 to " make up" the rough, curly coat that told so much 

 for Mr. Shirley's steer. You see the herdsman care- 

 fully brushing the hair the wrong way ; or a yet more 

 knowing old hand continually at work with a damp 

 cloth. Indeed, like the stable-boy who was instructed 

 that when he had nothing else to do he should drop 

 down on his knees and hand-rub his horses' legs, the 

 Hereford cowman would seem to fill up his leisure in 

 dishevelling the love locks of his beauties. The best 

 young bull was said to be on the outside of the Show- 

 yard, where he was sold for 150 guineas to go to Aus- 

 tralia. His breeder was recently disqualified from ever 

 again exhibiting at the meetings of his own county, 

 or the National Society and hence his animals 

 not being in the lists. He brought, though, up to 

 the edge of the precipice four young bulls, and one 

 especially excellent steer, which was bought with the 

 object of being fed up for the Christmas shows. The 

 query is, whether such an animal will be suffered to 

 enter at the Smithfield Club; that is, will the certifi- 

 cate of his breeder be received? In justice, not so 

 much to the offender as to those who may deal with 

 him, the sooner this point is settled the better. Four 

 steers shown by Mr. Pitt, of Chadnor, were amongst 

 the best things in the show, and Mr. Tudge's fat cow, 

 " Victoria," the very pride of the yard. There has 

 seldom been a handsomer Hereford — compact, perhaps 

 almost small, with a sweet head, and a kind " cow" 

 look about her, one cannot but regret the sad neces- 

 sity that sends her to the shambles. She has 

 not fed quite even; but still with a noticeable 

 dip in the back, she should beat Lady Emily's 

 leviathan of last year. There was only one milch 

 cow, and the lots of breeding cows or heifers reduced to 

 three would on no showing equal the telling numbers 

 that in 'fifty-nine ran out the entry. We have already 

 dwelt upon the merits of Sii" Benjamin as the best bull 

 of the yard, while Mr. Coleman bespoke his seconder 

 of Mr. Tudge, for the Wobura Herd, and at a price 

 that would read like a " bargain. " White-faced 

 short-wools, a few dubious Cotswolds, and some useful 

 wethers from Mr, Roberts' flock, made up a sheep 

 show altogether below what it should be. Our own 

 notion is that the Society should shine in Hereford 

 cattle and Shropshire sheep. How is it such men as 

 Mr. Green, Mr. H. Smith, and others, cannot be 

 brought to support it in this wise? Sir Velters 

 Cornewall, and we speak with due caution here, sent 

 some really clever fat pigs, and won his own prize with 

 them. What we still object to is what would seem to 



be the common pig of the county, and of which Lady 

 Emily Foley sent an admirable illustration to the 

 meeting — with its long hungry head and razor back, 

 there should be a fine instead of a prize for breeding 

 such brutes. 



The horses were better this year. There were some 

 very good cart mares, and a creditable entry of young 

 hunters ; Sir Velters, as one of the Masters of the 

 Herefordshire, finishing first with two well-grown colts, 

 that will be none the worse for not having been " over- 

 done" so far. A Stone Plover horse took the premium, 

 and a more stylish son of Pitsford followed him. 

 We must let the prize list tell out the rest of the 

 story. It has its weak places that may surely be 

 strengthened ; while the many sales of this season 

 have told no doubt against the Hereford himself. 



In future the Show of the Society is to be held on 

 the Tuesday preceding the Great Fair, and the Fair 

 itself on the third Wednesday in October. This alter- 

 ation promises to be an improvement on the invariable 

 " twentieth " of precedent. Nothing, for instance, 

 could have come much more inconveniently than the 

 meeting days of this occasion, driven ^s they were al- 

 most into " next week." 



HEREFORDSHIRE AGRICULTURAL 



SOCIETY. 



PRIZE LIST. 



CATTLE. 

 Judges.— Richard Farr, Wormealey Grange, Hereford. 

 A. T. James, MonniDgton Court, Hereford. 

 Bull, Cow, and Offspring. 

 First prize of £20, J. Williams, St. Mary's Kingdaud, 

 Leominster (Sir Colin, Highlaas, aud Flower of Keut). 



Second of £10, T. Edwards, Wintercott, Leominster 

 (Leominster, Prettymaid, and calf.) 



Third of £5, J. Wigmore, Weston, Ross (Forester, cow, 

 and calf). 



The class generally commended. 

 Bulla calved on or after tlie 1st of July, 1859. 

 First Prize of £15, W. Perry, Cholstrey, Leominster 

 (Wellington). 



Second of 7 gs., W. Perry, Cholstrey, Leominster (Chelms- 

 ford). 



Third of 3^- gs , T. Roberts, Ivington Bury, Leominster 

 (Lord Warwick). 



The class generally commended. 

 Bulla calved on or after the Ist of July, 1853. 

 First Prize of 5 gs., W. Perry (Cowarne). 

 Second of £3, T. Rea, Westonbury, Pembridge (Sir 

 Richard). 



Highly commended. — R. Hill, Golding, Salop (Port). 

 Commended. — W. Vaugham, Cholstrey (Sir Oliver 2nd). 



Bulls calved previous to the Ist of July, 1858. 



First prize of 5 gs., T. Rea, Westonbury (Sir Benjamin). 



Second of £3, W. Tudge, Ashford, Ludlow (Carbonel). 



To the tenant-farmer for the beit lot of beasts, bred by 



himself. 



The prize of 5 gs., William Tudge (245 acres,) 4 steers. 



Pairs of Heifers, calved on or after Ist July, 1859. 

 First prize of 5 gs., W. Perry. 



Second, of £3, Rev. Archer Clive, Whitfield, Hereford, 

 (Dora and Duchess), 



Highly commended. — T. Rea, Westonbury. 



Pairs of Heifers, calved on or after 1st of July, 1858. 

 First prize of 5 gs., P. Turner, The Leeo, Pembridge (Ruby 

 and Comely). 



Second, of £3, T. Edwards, Wintercott (Red Rose and 

 Violet). 



Pairs of Steers, calved on or after 1st of July, 1859. 

 First prize of 5 gs., J. Moukbouse, The Stowe, Hereford. 

 Second, of £3, Henry R. Evans, jun,, Swanstone Court, 

 Leominster. 



Pairs of Steers, calved on or after Ist July, 1858. 

 First prize of 5 gs., G. Pitt, Chadnor Court, DUwyn. 



