THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



57 



Mr. Child's heifer has a very good and compact frame, 

 and Lord Leaconfield's cow is a good type of a Sussex 

 cow. Why is this breed perpetuated ? They are 

 capable of improvement by judicious crossing, no 

 doubt J they are certainly not so good in general cha- 

 racteristics as either Herefords or Shorthorns, nor, we 

 imagine, so profitable. The Norfolk and Suffolk classes 

 are poorly represented. They consist of only four 

 animals, all, however, fair of the kind. We think this 

 breed might give place to abetter, as did the Norfolk 

 breed of sheep. 



The Long-horned classes have only four entries from 

 three exhibitors. We have seen better specimens of 

 the breed. These, however, are creditable animals. 

 The Scotch horned steers or oxen do not show largely, 

 only ten animals being exhibited ; but they are of a 

 very superior order. Viscount Boyne's 4 yrs. 5 months 

 old West Highlander is a splendid " Scot," having a 

 deep, heavily-loaded frame of very superior quality. 

 Mr. B. Troughton's is very nearly equal to him. Lord 

 Middleton's is a good Scotch ox. There was only one 

 lieifer, a fair, useful animal enough. The Scotch Polled 

 classes were in rather better representation. Mr. 

 M'Combie takes the first prize with a remarkably large 

 and excellent " Polled Scot." He took the first 

 prize at Birmingham, and the gold medal at Aberdeen 

 — a character good enough. Mr. Jas. Stuart's is a 

 superior animal — a good type of the breed. The Polled 

 Heifer class was small in number, but select and good. 

 Earl Darnley showed the only Irish animal in the 

 yard, for which he was awarded the first prize in the 

 heifer class. The Welsh breeds are in good character, 

 but few ; Colonel Pennant's is a capital runt, as are 

 Mr. Bennett's steers and heifers. The Cross-breeds 

 are well-contested classes, and possess some highly use- 

 ful animals in them. The Extra-stock classes are 

 closely contested, and, as usual, we find some exceed- 

 ingly good animals here. Earl Howe's heifer we 

 have already named. The Marquis of Exeter shows 

 a very deep-framed ox upon short legs. 

 SHEEP. 

 These classes are unusually full, and the specimens 

 of their respective breeds are as good as usual. The 

 annexed table will show their increase. In the sheep 

 classes we find the numbers of sheep in pens to stand 

 respectively : 



1856. 1857. 1858. 

 Leicestera and long-wools . 40 35 37 



Short-wools 38 62 60 



Cros3-breed3 18 32 32 



96 129 129 



1859. 

 Leicesters and long-woolg .... 66 in pens of three 



Extra stock 21 siugle 



Cross-breeds 48 in pens of three 



Extra stock 10 single 



Short-wools 114 in pens 



Extra stock 30 



The Long-wools 

 excess, consisting 



289 

 so called are in the greatest 

 of 87 specimens of these breeds, 

 which here include Leicester's, Cotswolds, Kents, 

 Lincoln?, &c. — any breed, in fact, not being 

 Short-wools. We cannot enumerate the many 

 prize-worthy animals exhibited, but must pass ra- 

 pidly on. Mr. Jordan's prize Leicesters are hand- 

 some, large, excessively fat, and in good form, with 

 a good quantity of fine wool. Mr. Newman's lot 

 are smaller, and the wool is a straight staple ; they 

 have nice frames. Mr. Bradshaw's are in exceedingly 

 good type, as large Leicesters their quality excellent. 

 Sir W. de Brook's lot are inore like Long- wools than 



Leicesters. Mr. Armstrong's improved Leicesters 

 show speckled faces, loose in quality, and long straight 

 wool ; no improvement. Mr. Twitchell'snew Leicesters 

 are large in character, with a straight staple. Mr. 

 Foljambe's, in the next class, do in reality show as 

 true Leicesters in form and character ; tiiey are very 

 pretty, and of most superior quality. The lot of Lord 

 Berncrs' are much larger, of great length, and not firm 

 mutton. Mr. Bourt's lot are of good size, fair frames, 

 but defective legs of mutton. Mr. Bradshaw's lot are 

 very good, and of larger size. In the next class 

 the Leicesters are shut out; but it is not well 

 filled. Mr. Davis' lot are good ; they have very com- 

 pact frames, broad and full, with good looks. Mr. 

 Tombs' lot are very useful, and have good skins. Mr. 

 Mills' lot do not match in skin, and the thighs are 

 defective. In the extra-stock class, Mr. Jordan shows 

 a very good and heavy long-woolled wether sheep, his 

 frame long, proportionate, and full, with a good fleece. 

 This class is well filled with good animals. In the 

 extra ewe class Mr. Jordan again exhibits a most 

 admirable ewe, with broad back and rump. Lord 

 Berners also shows a useful ewe, and very pretty. 



The cross-bred classes are capitally filled, and with 

 admirable specimens of the various crosses. Mr. George 

 Hines takes first prize in these classes for his Down and 

 Leicester cross; they are large, and have beautiful 

 backs and fine full frames. Mr. G. Wallis shows some 

 exceedingly largo frames ; they appear to be de- 

 cidedly more Cotswold than Down. Mr. Hobbs' lot 

 are very useful sheep. Mr. Walbey's lot, Down and 

 Leicesters, do not shine as a cross — long and leguy. 

 Mr. Twitchell's again are very good ; they are called 

 Oxfordshire Downs ; and Mr. C. Howard's Oxfordshire 

 Downs are of very good character. Mr. John Over- 

 man's are Southdown and Leicesters; these are splendid 

 sheep, capital plaits, backs, and rumps. Mr. Tombs' 

 lot we could not make out ; they are said to be from 

 half-bred Down and Cotswold ewes. We cannot 

 make out all these crosses ; some may be good, but 

 others, we are persuaded, are not so. Crossing breeds 

 requires correct judgment. Mr. Hine is again success- 

 ful in the 34 chisses, light weights. Mr. Overman's 

 lot were exceedingly good, but, we presume, too heavy. 

 The Extra-stock Cross-breed Class. — Mr. Wallis 

 shows a good Cotswold and Oxford Down ewe (Silver 

 Medal). Several other good animals are shown. The 

 sorts vary much : 1st, Cotswold and Hampshire Down; 

 2nd, Cotswold and Oxfordshire Down ; 3rd, the same ; 

 4th, Cross-bred ; 6th, Oxfordshire Down (this has a 

 broad fine frame) ; 6th, the same; 7th, Down and Lei- 

 cester; 8th and 9th, the same ; 10th, Southdown and 

 Leicester; 11th, Southdown and Cotswold. This 

 constitutes the extra cross-bred classes. We name 

 these crosses to show our readers what our breeders are 

 attempting. It is remarkable what splendid speci- 

 mens they produce, particularly to the unpractised 

 eye. We hope great things from their endeavours; 

 but the exhibition of this year does not satisfy us — 

 brought up too, as they are, to such admirable 

 perfection by the shepherd's shears and " Row- 

 land's Macassar" — or rather, wax and hog's lard. 

 It is shameful thus to impose upon the unwary. 



We now come to the short-woolled breeds. These are 

 always an important department of the show, and this 

 year they will be found to be greatly in excess of former 

 years, amounting to no less than 144 individual spe- 

 cimens of the many subdivisions into which short- 

 woolled sheep are now divided. We have pure downs, 

 Sussex downs, Oxfordshire downs, Hampshire downs, 

 improved Hampshire downs, Shropshire Downs, West 

 Country downs : seven differing varieties capable of 

 competition in the three first classes — Nos. 35, 36, and 



