THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



209 



sonic figure of £170) for " Cattle boil adapted to 

 Dairy Purposes," of which we have two classes for 

 bulls, one for pairs of cows, one for pairs of heifers, and 

 one for pairs of yearling heifers. And it is a matter of 

 great importance to sec whether breeds or crosses pro- 

 fitable as feeders can also be good milkers ; or whether 

 we must, for dairy purposes, develope the udder and 

 milk-vein at the sacrifice of fattening properties. The 

 answer to the question is, tliat the Shorthorns, and 

 some good ones too, have come in for most of tlicse 

 prizes. In the class of "pairs of cows" are some 

 especially fine animals, both Mr. Stratton's and Mr. 

 Ambler's having wonderfully great capicity of frame, 

 and every appearance of being good milkers. 



WELSH BREEDS. 



The likeness between the Wtlsh and Scotch Highland 

 cattle is generally very marked ; but there are within 

 the Principality several distinct groups which owe their 

 peculiar features partly to diversities of toil and 

 climate, and partly to intermixture with neigh- 

 bouring breeds. The Pembrokes may be taken as the 

 type of the mountain breeds, possessing many qualities 

 which fit them for the peculiarities of their native dis- 

 trict. They are hardy, thrive in a humid climate and 

 on scanty herbage, are excellent milkers, making ad- 

 mirable cottagers' cows ; their lean flesh is excellent, 

 having the fat and lean well mixed, and the internal fat 

 large in proportion to the weight of the carcass. Their 

 prevailing and most esteemed colour is black, with 

 deep orange on those parts that are naked. The 

 Anglesea cattle are heavier and coarser than the Pem- 

 brokes ; and those of the Merioneth and the higher 

 districts are smaller and inferior in every respect. In 

 the lower and more fertile parts of Wales, heavier 

 cattle, such as Herefords and Shorthorns, are kept. 

 But there is an indigenous breed, the Glamorgans, 

 chiefly found in the county from which they are named, 

 which, though inferior to these in size and grazing 

 quality, excels them for the dairy. Some Ayrshires 

 and Galloway sorts have been introduced, though find- 

 ing little favour. 



Col. Pennant's young prize bull is a very long and 

 large animal, but with too little springing of rib to be 

 a model. His "best bull of any age" is a very good 

 one indeed; long, level, deep throuL;h the chest, and 

 forming beautiful flesh ; and Sir R. Bulkeley'sis only 

 inferior in form, while having uncommonly nice 

 quality. The breeding heifers are also exceedingly 

 meritorious and valuable. 



HORSES. 



To have a look at the horses there assembled, was the 

 only tie which drew us to Chester. We had no time to 

 adopt the children's habit, and save the daintiest piece 

 of preserve to the last, but drove out to Eaton as soon 

 as "Tuesday's dinner was over, to pay our respects to 

 Touchstone. The old horse is now rising twenty-eight, 

 but he has served seventeen mares this year, and refused 

 more than twice that number. They do not like to put 

 a mare above fourteen to him, but Fair Helen and 

 Roweoa, who have so long been his faithful Billah and 

 Zilpah, are both above that age. The former was, we 

 believe, rather difficult to stint this year. We never 

 saw the old horse look gayer, with quite a holiday coat 

 on him, and, in fact, far fresher than he was ten months 

 ago. His liberty with his hind legs as he walks is that 

 of a three-year-old, and tells of that determined style in 

 which he was wont to go, when Scott sent him fairly out 

 in a Cup race. His high hind quarters, which have 

 come down intact through Orlando and Teddington, 

 please us most, and they show still more in consequence 

 of the slight droop which Father Time has inflicted on 



his back. Backbiter goes on well; and if he has not 

 all the substance we care to see, when a glimpse of 

 Touchstone has quickened our criticism, he has a won- 

 derfully nice barrel, and a gentlemanly style about him 

 altogether. The Westminster fyrmers are said to have 

 some very nice things by him. Wiien an enthusiast of 

 our piirty, who stood reverentially with his hat off, all 

 the time he was in the loose-box, had duly gathered 

 some of Touchstone's hairs for a locket, we sallied out 

 under the drizzling rain, into the breeding paddocks. 

 In tho first. Handsome Doe, the property of Sir Thomas 

 Lennard, wms the most noticeable object, along with a 

 capital Touchstone foal. The next contained Ghuznee, 

 Attack, Captious, and Ann Page ; but they are all 

 solitary this season. The three former are by Touch- 

 stone, to whom Ghuznee has had seven fillies and four 

 colts, besides being three times barren to his stint, or 

 casting her foal. This season she slipped her foal at 

 seven months to King Tom, to whom the whole four 

 have been stinted. As Ghuznee and Touchstone's ages 

 would nearly make up half a-century, their banns are 

 dissolve I. Their bona fide last was Engineer, who died 

 in Mr. Parker's hands very early in the day, and the 

 one since that is supposed to be Backbiter's. One 

 more glance at the shorthorn with the immense " house- 

 maid's knee," which is occasionally reduced by making 

 a seton, and stuffing the aperture with bacon, and back 

 we went to have a look at ten hunters out of the twenty- 

 five, which Lord Grosvenor has purchased for the 

 Cheshire. 



The lights were just beginning to gleam from the 

 windows of the Hall, and the hares were skipping out 

 by scores to feed, when we once more sought the city. 

 We pulled our macintosh up to our ears, as the rain 

 pelted down on us through the leaves, and thought, as 

 the night drew on, and at last fairly hid the white- 

 tented Roodee, that we did not envy the judges, who had 

 to be in that racing " slop-basin" at six next morning. 



To get through the 216 (who all showed except a dozen 

 or so) was no May game for the judges, considering 

 that they have not only to look at each through a 

 microscope, while the public, who review their judgments 

 in Banco, employ a telescope ; but to see the paces of 

 such 88 have the sliglitest pretensions. We cannot 

 help saying, however, that half the pleasure of the 

 show is lost on the first day, by the non-announce- 

 ment of what have won the prizes. Surely nothing 

 could be easier than to have different-coloured rosettes 

 for the first, the second, the highly-commended, and 

 commended. By the exercise of a little common 

 management, they might all be affixed to the successful 

 numbers by three o'clock, and thus visitors would not 

 have to trust to mere report, and be spared the annoy- 

 ance they now feel at paying double the Thursday's 

 price, and having half their pleasure taken from them. 

 But to proceed : 



Class I, for " Agricultural Horses, foaled before 

 January 1st, 1856," was not a very strong one, 

 either in numbers or stamp. Twenty- eight were shown, 

 and of these only six were Suffolks. Small as this pro- 

 portion was, they won the first prize and the two 

 H. c.'s. One of the c.'s went to a Manchester horse, the 

 other to the Clydesdale "Sir Walter Scott," and the 

 five Cheshire champions were nowhere, Last year no 

 less than eight got mentions. "Royal George," the 

 winner of the class 2 prize at Salisbury, was not shown ; 

 neither was " Young Inkermann," who came second to 

 " Matchless" in this class. The winner " Emperor " 

 is by "Newcastle Captain," since sold by Mr. 

 Barthropp to the Rev, Mr. Beevor, of Cowbridge, Gla- 

 morganshire, who has done not a little to improve the 

 cart-horses of his district. This silver-haired chesuut 

 stands at least sixteen-three, and he has such quality for 



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