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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



bred stallions, from which the judges discreetly refused 

 to name the best. The horse supposed to have most 

 favour with them was disqualified from a bad sand- 

 crack and other ugly blemishes. But the Society 

 quickly "righted" again when it came to the cart- 

 horses. Nowhere out of Suffolk could we have mus- 

 tered such an entry of that useful breed. It is very evi- 

 dent their Essex neighbours have been long laying the 

 foundation for a good supply. There were grand stal- 

 lions, mares as worthy of them, and capital working 

 " pairs " — all to be seen in the names of Essex men. A 

 county man, moreover, would tell you seriously they 

 really had the best sorts, but there was no mistake about 

 the open prize going to Mr. Badham. His horse made 

 some sensation at Ipswich last year, where he took the 

 first prize as a three-year-old, and then finished a very 

 close second amongst the aged horses. He is a rare 

 sample of the Suffolks — big, weighty, and compact ; has 

 a kinder head than many of them, and with a little more 

 below the knee, might travel some distance to meet his 

 conqueror. As it is, he does not appear to have tra- 

 velled far for anything. He was shown very fat, and a 

 story was going about, that he took his pail of milk a 

 day ! This is worse than the tourists in Yorkshire who 

 could get no cream for breakfast, because a famous bull 

 had put up for the night at the same hotel. 



There were but few draught-horses of other breeds, 

 and these stood no chance with the chesnuts. We 

 cannot point out some of the latter so clearly as 

 we could have wished, but must refer to the prize list 

 to distinguish the best, where so many were good. The 

 mares and fillies were generally commendable, and one 

 of the judges assured us he had seldom seen better pairs 

 of plough horses. We can only speak in the same 

 general terms ; for there was no catalogue to guide one, 

 or to refresh the memory by that peculiar niark nearly 

 every one of us gives to a number that pleases him. 

 Without you walked right up to a horse's or beast's 

 head, you knew nothing as to how he came there. Now, 

 an agricultural show of stock without a catalogue is a 

 meeting minus half its effect and influence. Above 

 all, it is an especial injustice to exhibitors. How 

 the committee could refuse the issue of one is 

 more than we can understand. It was in reality 

 lying ready at their hands for use; for on the same 

 afternoon, between two and three o'clock, or just as the 

 people were leaving the ground for the town, a supple- 

 ment to the Essex Herald was published, in which were 

 given the entries in full ! It might not have been quite 

 perfect, but it would have been a vast deal better than 

 no catalogue at all. Many of the animals, horses es- 

 pecially, were often taken out of their standings ; and 

 of course, with simply numbers to their heads and 

 nothing to refer to, it was quite impossible to make out 

 what they were. Fortunately the men in charge showed 

 more consideration for the public ; and thus infor- 

 mation was not quite denied one. 



Utterly rudderless then, we land at last at the top of 

 the field, amidst sheep, pigs, and poultry. The sheep 

 were the weak place of the show. The Southdowns, of 

 which Ihey were chiefly composed, lacked substance— 



"too finely bred" again — the common complaint just 

 now. Mr. Sexton's Cotswold was by far the best entry 

 here. But the pigs were very grand. Mr. Fisher Hobbs 

 brought "the improved Essex" back to all their 

 pristine force and repute. They were, indeed, very 

 taking to look at, and at the same time of more size 

 than some people are ready to allow them. The second 

 prize boar was a perfect picture of a pretty pig — a 

 better head and fore- quarter were never seen. The first 

 prize, however, had a little more length, and so the 

 judges eventually drew a line between the two. But it 

 was a very nice distinction. There were a few white 

 pigs and one or two good Berkshires, but the call was 

 all with the Essex. We never remember a better show 

 of them. 



Having finished their labours here, one of the Judges 

 of sheep and pigs was summoned to assist in the imple- 

 ment awards — confined to one general prize. A friend 

 in the other field will tell of this warm day's work. 



If the men of Essex are known more for one thing 

 than another, it is for their public dinners. During 

 the Free-trade fights they were especially famous in 

 this line ; and every now-and-then they still break out 

 again. There were, then, plenty of committee-men 

 with some experience in such a department ; and, 

 accordingly, the new Society's dinner ended in this 

 wise — It reminded one of IMr. Pickwick, who, travel- 

 ling a little further down the Eastern Counties, 

 " ordered a bottle of the worst possible port-wine at 

 the highest possible price, for the good of the house." 

 Six shillings was asked and had for a scanty 

 supply of cold meat and cloudy beer. Nothing be- 

 yond this — not even was "attendance included;" for 

 there was none, save when you caught a man by main 

 force, and insisted on his bringing a bottle of wiue, for 

 love, money, or old acquaintance. It is said the 

 Society would only guarantee for seventy dining, instead 

 of some two or three hundred. It is, though, palpably 

 absurd to assume that so small a party would support 

 the opening day of a new Society like this. Still, if 

 it be true, it certainly affords some excuse for the 

 short supply of loaves and fishes. Sis shillings, how- 

 ever, without wine is clearly too high a charge. At the 

 West of England the other day a far more liberal feast 

 was served at four shillings a-head. Mr. Du Cane, who 

 presided, made a smart, able chairman, and spoke more 

 to the point than some who succeeded him. Even the 

 most agricultural of his followers dwelt a little too 

 much on complacent generalities. The meeting was, 

 indeed, chiefly remarkable for the welcome given to 

 certain speakers — Mejor Beresford and the Rev. Mr. 

 Co.v coming in for perfect ovations. In the matter of 

 "cheers" and thumping tables the men of Essex are, 

 when it suits them, very enthusiasts. 



THE IMPLEMENT DEPARTMENT. 

 The exhibition of implements surpassed in extent 

 and v.duc the anticipations of the Society's most san- 

 guine friends. Messrs. Coleman, who received the 

 first prize for the best general collection of imple- 

 ments, had no less than one hundred and thirteen 

 articles on their stand, including various forms and sizes 



