292 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



uufortuuato selectiou of the Doy of Algiers as the ic 

 cipicnt of the first thereat. The veterinary is strictly 

 enjoined to oti'er no opinion whatever as to the merits 

 of the horses, unless specially required to do so by the 

 judi^^es." 



But Captain Croker has done even more than this. On 

 his retirement frona office he has left a parting present 

 to the Society, in the shape of a pair of claret jugs, for 

 the owner of the best thorough-bred stallion. These 

 are exquisitely modelled in silver, from gold and agate 

 vases brought to this country from Pompeii by the late 

 Lord Lorton. There is only one disagreeable condition 

 attached to their presentation. So handsome do they 

 look, and so useful will they be for friends to drink the 

 winner's health in, that we hardly know how a man 

 will ever make up his mind to part with them again. 

 However, it is another challenge plate ; and if Mr. 

 Fowler has not another Caledon ready for next season, 

 we are afraid the claret cup will not be brewed any 

 longer in Lancashire. It will bo a difficult thing, more- 

 over, to find another Caledon ; for he is the finest 

 horse there has been seen in a show-yard for many a 

 day. The most extraordinary thing is, that, being so 

 near, he was not shown at Chester ; the more so as he 

 has already taken some twenty prizes in that district. 

 He could not have failed of being first there. He is a 

 remarkably fine handsome horse, standing sixteen hands 

 high, with great power and liberty, as active as a pony, 

 and as strong as a house. It is seldom a better-topped 

 horse has been seen ; and, indeed, had he been quite as 

 true below, he would bo worth any money. As it is, 

 there were sundry offers to retain him in Ireland — after 

 all, his native country. Caledon was bi-ed by Lord 

 Caledon's farrier, and is by a well-known horse, 

 Simoom, out of Fortress. He was never trained, but 

 presented by his noble namesake, when a yearling, to 

 Mr. Thompson, a Yorkshire gentleman, on whose de- 

 cease ho passed into Mv. Fowler's hands. Curiously 

 enough, the second prize horse was quite worthy of 

 him; certainly with a more blood-like look, and as 

 neat as a picture. He had, however, neither the size 

 nor the power of the other, although got by a big 

 coarse horse. But he is by far the best-looking 

 Cotherstone we have met with. Here, however, the 

 interest ceased. Of the ten or twelve others entered, 

 about half of them were not sent, and the judges signi- 

 ficantly refused to award the third prize. There was 

 the delicate Windisgratz, scarcely thickened a bit since 

 taken out of work ; the slack-limbed De Ruyter ; and 

 two or three terribly coarse animals, the owner of one of 

 which fired up tremendously when he was assured such 

 a horse could not be thorough-bred. Still Caledon and 

 Steppingstone made quite a show of it themselves ; 

 and rarely has there been so good a first and second. 



If it were not for the Clydesdales we do not know 

 what notion an Irishman would ever get of a cart-horse. 

 The first entry here was a queer-coloured cob-sized 

 thing, that it would be almost impossible to suppose any 

 man would dare to breed from. Then there was a 

 leggy half-bred skewbald, so flashy a coloured gentle- 

 m«in, that we wonder how such men as Mr. Nainby, or 



his brother-worship Wethcrell, could ever have resisted 

 him. Thirdly or fourthly, there was a bad cross be- 

 tween a Cleveland and a Suffolk ; and then there was " a 

 Cleveland or carriage stallion" {sic), but certainly not 

 a cart-horse. The class, however, was saved by one of 

 the best Clydesdales ever known in Ireland, shown by 

 Lord Dufferin, who has had him now for two seasons. 

 He is a very compact powerful horse, good behind as 

 well as before, and really a treat to look at. The 

 two other Clyde stuUions were both superior ; but 

 the draught mares and fillies were not of so high a 

 character. The Clydesdale had the best of it here again ; 

 while we saw amongst them what we never did before, a 

 chestnut Clydesdale. Is this orthodox ? or would not 

 a black Suffolk be as correct ? Our idea of the Clyde 

 colour has been bay, brown, or grey. 



A small and very indifferent poultry show, with some 

 good firkins of butter, and other specimens of produce, 

 flanked the more important business of the scene. 



When we say that two guineas a night was asked for 

 a bed, those who were not present may imagine how 

 many were. But then there was a grand banquet and a 

 grand ball, as well as a grand cattle show : and as the 

 Lord- Lieutenant would, it was known, be there, fair 

 ladies and fine gentlemen crowded in accordingly. The 

 reception Lord Eglinton met with, at this dinner, would 

 go far to argue that the most impolitic thing a govern- 

 ment could do would be to abolish the office of Lord- 

 Lieutenant. But our present representative in Ireland 

 is unusually popular, and, it would appear, deservedly 

 so. His Excellency delivered a very good address, 

 conceived in the best taste, and even making the facts 

 and figures tell. There were some other suggestive and 

 earnest speakers ; but, altogether, the thing is not well 

 managed. A party of six or seven hundred people did 

 not sit down till past seven, and did not break up before 

 midnight. There are few better friends to the Society 

 than Lord Clancarty, the now President ; but he has one 

 almost fatal drawback for the office. His Lordship had 

 not a toast to give, or even a suggestion to offer, but he 

 made it the occasion for a long speech ; whereas, con- 

 sidering the length to which his list ran, he could hardly 

 have been too short, sharp, or decisive. We confess 

 to not sitting it out ; but some of the guests were getting 

 very noisy when we left, and fairly lost their tempers, 

 .we hear, before it was over. There is no greater mistake 

 than wearying out an audience, while nothing looks 

 worse than to see a chairman grad'oally deserted by his 

 company. 



PRIZE-LIST. 



SHORTHORN BULLS. 



JuBGKS.— T. Crofton, Holywell, N.B. 

 W. Torr, Aylesbv, Lincoln. 

 H. Wataoii, Kemor, N.B. 

 Bulls calved osi or after the Ist of January, 1B58, and pre. 

 yionsto the 1st of January, 1856, 15/., William Tod, Elphin- 

 stone Tower, Tranent (Young Heir-at-Lavr). Second best, 5/., 

 Sir F. W. Heygate, Bart , Bsllarena (Orpheus). 



Bulls calvfd in the year 18,56, 15/, John M'Gildowny, Ciare 

 Park, Ballycastle (Stockwell the Second). Second best, 5/., 

 Jaffray Barcroft, Kilboggett, Cabinteely (The Beau of Kilbog- 

 get). Commended, Thomas Gather (Napoleon) 



