THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



321 



Creator— that they should not couple with tlie inferior of 

 their race, and thus perpetuate weakness of constitution, in- 

 ability to breed, and, worse than all, inability to feed the 

 population of this large country. Gentlemen, I am proud 

 to see my friend Mr. Hugh Aylmer here. See what he has 

 done! His sheep will notproduce a race of pigmies. Again, 

 the flock of my friend Mr. Clarke, from Lincolnshire, will 

 not produce a race of pigmies. Seeing that the Southdown 

 sheep must be increased to produce food for the population 

 we have, I am sure Mr. Aylmer or Mr. Clarke does not re- 

 quire me as an apologist for the steps they have taken. I 

 say exactly what they say; for we have chatted these matters 

 over occasionally, and find our ideas assimilate. Gentlemen, 

 I have persevered as long as mj' health permitted me to do 

 so, and now I must retire. I am grateful for your attention 

 and attendance here. You have paid me one of the highest 

 compliments a man can receive from his brother-farmers ; 

 and I cannot express my feelings better than by saying 

 may God bless you all (loud cheers). 



Mr. Jonas Webb proposed the health of the Chairman, 

 than whom, he observed, it would be difficult to find a 

 better specimen of a British agriculturist (cheers). 



The Chairman returned thanks. Farming had been to 

 him for many years a great and most interesting amuse- 

 ment ; in fact, it had almost ceased to be an amusement, 

 and had become a business, with which the more he had to 

 do, the more deeply interested he felt. Farming comprised 

 several operations, one of which was growing bread for the 

 countrj'. Another operation was growing meat ; and those 

 gentlemen who felt the importance of growing that useful 

 addition to bread, called meat— without which bread would 

 be an exceedingly dry business (laughter) — would no doubt 

 take it in good part when he commended them especially to 

 care and attention in breeding the different animals which 

 they might keep upon their farms. The present occasion 

 afforded a very good specimen of the results of careful 

 breeding. They could now see size, constitution, and 

 quality — strength to rear a lamb, and quality to make an 

 early shearling : and now that farmers were obliged to 

 take low profits, it was necessary that they should have 

 quick returns. Having made these few observations, he 

 begged to propose the health of the father of the profitable 

 Southdown — a man than whom no one knew better how to 

 put two animals together to produce a profitable third — a 

 man who had drawn his materials from the Sussex downs, 

 and brought them into the East of England— a man who had 

 shown that he could breed sheep of good weight with supe- 

 rior quality — a man who had not only a Cambridgeshire, 

 but a European reputation. He referred to Mr. Jonas 

 Webb (cheers), whose rams had been extensively employed 

 in producing the sheep they had seen during the morning, 

 than which he had never seen a lot brought forward in 

 better marketable condition. 



Mr. Webb responded, and expressed his hope that Mr 

 Overman's animals might meet with such a sale as their 

 character and general quality and quantity combined de- 

 served. It would not be his (Mr. Webb's) fault if some of 

 them did not realize tolerable prices (laughter and ap- 

 plause). 



The CliAiRMAN gave the health of Mr. Strafford, the 

 auctioneer; and 



Mr. Strafford, in replying, invited the company to 

 proceed to business. 



The heated atmosphere of the tent was accordingly ex- 



changed as quickly as possible for the open air, and a goodly 

 cluster was soon formed round the sale-ring. Mr. Strafford, 

 in commencing business, said, their worthy chairman (Mr. 

 Ilamond) had taken the ground from under him, and the 

 excellent remarks made on the suljject of the flock left him 

 but little to say about it. The stock spoke for themselves; 

 and the brilliant company which he now saw before him 

 satisfied him that their merits were fully appreciated. It 

 was not often that such a flock was collected ; in fact, it was 

 the work of a life-time, and not a word in the remarks 

 made by their excellent president had been over-stated. 

 Mr. Overman was well known, and required no eulogiums. 

 The flock, as the company were aware, had been bred by 

 him for the last 40 years, and previously to that was a 

 flock selected by his father in the county of Sussix, since 

 crossed by rams from Mr. Webb's, Mr. Lugar's, and the 

 best of his own breed. The sheep were to be sold without 

 reserve, as Mr. Overman was desirous of retiring from 

 the breeding of Southdowns. The company had now be 

 fore them the experience of that gentleman's life, and he 

 (Mr. Strafford) hoped it would be sufficiently appreciated 

 to give him the fullest satisfaction, and that they woitld be 

 all gratified with the day's proceedings, which would be 

 conducted by the glass. This was the fairest way of sell- 

 ing, if they would only bid quickly. They would bid 

 for the ewes at per head, while the rams would come 

 singly, or as ram lambs ; and he trusted that they would 

 do justice to Mr. Overman, and reward him for his 

 exertions. 



The biddings then commenced. The first class called into 

 the ring were the shearling ewes, which were sold as fol- 

 lows : — 



Lot. 

 1. Five shearling ewes 



Guineas. 



FOUR'TOOTHED EWES. 



22. 



Five four-toothed ewea 

 (which won the first 



