THE FARMER'S MAGAZliNE. 



291 



ever, uro trying tlio Loicestor cross with groat suc- 

 cess, ami they aio j;oiiig- to very good men for wliat 

 they want. This was the only creditable class of sheep ia 

 the yard. Mr. Owen's two-shear ram — the gold 

 medal sheep — a very level animal, of capital quality, 

 is by one of Mr. Pawlett's flock. Ilis second prize, 

 only a little deficient in the scrag, was bred by Mr. 

 Torr. Then, Mr. Roberts' good-looking shearlings 

 came respectively from the Messrs. Cresswell and 

 Marris, and so tracing on to Holme Pierrepont. The 

 first prize shearling ewes were in the same position at 

 Chester — bought there by Mr. Roberts of Colonel Inge, 

 and sold again on the ground at Derry, The second 

 prize ewes were only depreciated by the introduction of 

 a fifth sheep, that was palpably no match for the other 

 four. Despite, however, a weak place and section or 

 so, the show of Leicester sheep aflbrded a very good 

 notion of what the breed is. 



Not so the Southdowns. If there are not better 

 than " came to Derry city," no wonder they do not 

 make their way in Ireland. There was hardly any 

 competition. Mr. Beale Browne had it quite as much 

 to himself with his Cotswolds — very useful animals. 

 To show the sort of opposition encountered, there were 

 eight rams entered in the shearling class; six the pro- 

 perty of Mr. Browne, and two of Dr. Roche — the 

 Doctor's being wofully inferior. The Cheviots and 

 Blackfaces were few in number, and not remarkable 

 in quality ; and we may dismiss the other Down sheep 

 as summarily. If they are to tell in Ireland, they 

 must be better represented. 



Here, in England, we separate our pigs into large and 

 small divisions — a distinction sometimes without a dif- 

 ference. In Ireland they draw the line of demarcation 

 much more clearly, and draft them out into blacks and 

 whites. No matter what be his size, if a pig is black, 

 against the blacks he must go— a very facile process un- 

 doubtedly for the stewards, but one that greatly increases 

 the labours of the judges. Mr. Wilkinson, moreover, 

 thinking that size had a certain priority, entered his 

 first prize Salisbury boar in the first aged class he came 

 to. But, alas! his colour was white-with-blue-spots, 

 and although he was the best of the lot, the judges 

 could not give him the prize and medal, as they would 

 have done, and were only permitted to specially com- 

 mend him. As it was, the first prize went to what was 

 called an '* Essex" pig — a black, but clearly crossed 

 with something larger than the Fisher Hobbs 

 variety. The run in Ireland, however, is still on the 

 Berkshire, and one of the judges confirmed our own 

 opinion, in considering they have now some better than 

 we have at home. Amongst the white, Mr. Wilkinson 

 showed two Yorkshire sows of immense length and size, 

 one of which had a second prize at Chester. For pre- 

 ference, though, we should have taken the smaller 

 Cumberland pigs, two wonderfully good specimens of 

 which were found in the aged boars. It must have been 

 a nice point between Lord Lurgan and the stranger ; 

 but his lordship's was only in fair working condition, 

 while Mr. Wilkinson's was far too fat— a common fault 

 with him ; and in poorer condition the second prize 



would have betrayed u certain slackness of loin, which 

 (juite warranted the award going as it did. By no means 

 a large show, this was a very favourable display of 

 what Irish bacon is coming to. There waa hardly a 

 bad pig presented to his Excellency. 



Captain Croker, the late secretary to the society, has 

 quite a Yorkshireman's — and it may bo an Irishman's — 

 taste for hog's-flesh and horseflesh. He acted, as he often 

 has before, as one of the judges of pigs; and it is 

 mainly through his exertions that the show of horses 

 has evinced so marked an advancement. At 

 Waterford he got together the strongest show 

 of thorough-bred stallions we ever saw, and 

 yet the first ever brought under the sanction of the So- 

 ciety. But unfortunately the judges and their medical 

 adviser could not agree; and what in the first instance 

 looked like a very proper decision, was spoilt by what, 

 we are still afraid, was undue interference. By no 

 means discouraged, the Captain issued this well- 

 considered prologue to the Londonderry Meeting : 

 "The decisions of the judges in the special prize class, 

 Waterford Show, have caused a good deal of dissension, 

 and, I regret to add, dissatisfaction throughout Ireland. 

 I have been endeavouring to set matters to rights for 

 the future guidance of the judges of horses at our 

 shows. With this view I have placed myself in com- 

 munication with my brothei'-secretaries of England and 

 Scotland, receiving from them such suggestions as they 

 thought fit to make. I have also consulted many large 

 breeders of horses in this country, and some of our best 

 veterinarians. With all before me, I have arrived at 

 the conclusion that no agricultural society ought to 

 give a prize to any animal which had a constitutional 

 ailment. I have ascertained, beyond all doubt, that 

 the number of unsound horses, and especially roarers, 

 has increased to a frightful extent. Two and three-year- 

 old colts — confirmed roarers — are now constantly met 

 with at our fairs, and on tracing their pedigree they are 

 proved to be the produce of unsound sires— generally 

 cast-ofis from England. As a national society, we are 

 bound to check this great evil by every means in our 

 power. Formerly, in this country, a roarer was hardly 

 ever to be met with. Our council has named a com- 

 mittee of eleven gentlemen to revise our premium-sheet 

 for the coming year. This committee will meet on 

 Thursday next, when I purpose to submit the following 

 rules, which are partly taken from the Royal Society 

 of England and the Yorkshire Society :— The judges 

 are especially instructed not to award a prize to any 

 unsound horse— lameness or other injury produced by 

 accidental causes not to be considered unsoundness; 

 but, in all cases, horses having constitutional unsound- 

 ness must at once be rejected. A veterinary surgeon 

 will be in the show-yard, but not in direct attendance 

 on the judges, in order that whenever any doubt should 

 arise as to the existence of disease in those animals which 

 they may consider worthy of a prize or commendation, 

 the veterinary surg-eon may be called upon to give his 

 opinion thereon. I hope to be able to continue the 

 large prizes we gave in the special prize class, Water- 

 ford Show, but I have experienced a sad check by the 



