68 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



37 of the exhibition. The classes are for fat wether 

 sheep of any short- woollerl breed, 1 year old (under 

 22 months), without restrictions as to feeding pens 

 of three. In the first of these classes Mr. Rigden's 

 beautiful wethers take the first prize and gold medal, 

 certainly one of the handsomest and most complete 

 pens of pure downs ever exhibited. They are of good 

 size, have very handsome head and countenances, 

 truly symmetrical In frame, fine broad level backs and 

 fat, capital docks and legs of mutton, broad chines, 

 full breasts and plaits, rather short full necks, but well 

 set to shoulder, ribs and hips well together. In fact 

 they are a lot as compact in frame and as complete in 

 form and beauty as can well be desired — perfect models 

 of pure downs and of the very best quality of mutton ; 

 with wool in good quantity and fine quality. The second 

 prize was awarded to the Duke of Richmond, for a pen 

 of very handsome and beautifully-formed sheep ; tiiey 

 are quite in character with all we recollect of the 

 Duke's flock — the same lengthy frame, of superior con- 

 tour ; the very same calm, placid, but lively-looking 

 countenances; the graceful, lenutby, but full neck; 

 the wide, cylindrical frame of perfect symmetry; 

 the fine height and lightness of ofial; the like 

 firm and flexible touch, denoting exceeding good 

 quality of meat; the wide level backs, good rumps 

 and loins — -detracting poss'ibly a little from their 

 shoulders and girth ; the wool exceedingly fine and 

 good in textui'e. The third prize was awarded to 

 the Earl of Leicester. These possess good looks 

 beautiful frames, and are very compact and beautifully 

 got up, and the wool denotes a good fleece and ex- 

 cellent (piality of mutton. Lord Walsingham's lot are 

 also good; they have large and well thrown ont 

 frames, but are not quite so tine and symmetrical as the 

 above ; they are much heavier, both , in frame and fleece, 

 with both of very superior quality. Tiiey struck us as 

 standing rather low : their great breadth might drown 

 the height to our view ; in weight and substance we 

 thought they exceeded the others in the class. The 

 Earl of Chichester shewed a pen of great beauty 

 and excellent proportions. This is a first-rate 

 class. 



In class 3G, each sheep not to exceed 200 lbs. in live 

 weight, the first prize goes also to Mr, Rigden, for a pen 

 the fac-simile of those named above. The second, to the 

 Earl of Leicester, with the same contour of frame and 

 beauty as those just named. The Duke of Richmond's 

 is a splendid lot, biit too heavy for competition. The 

 well-known old shepherd confessed he could not get 

 one " down to the weight." The Earl of Chichester's 

 were likewise too heavy, they were quite in character 

 with those already instanced. Lord Walsingham's lot 

 are exceedingly good, but not quite compact enough 

 for the first place ; still they are a very profitable pen. 

 Mr. Scott Hayward's are very handsome, but rather 

 too small. There are several other lots worth very 

 honourable mention. 



In th?^7 th class, for fat wether sheep of any short- 

 woolled breed 2 years old (above 22 and under 34 

 months), without restrictions as to feeding in pens of 

 three, the Duke of Richmond takes the first 

 prize. These possess the same elongated frames, 

 but very good and compact, not too long — it is 

 their character of frame. They have exceedingly good 

 backs, good chines, loins, rumps, and legs of mutton, 

 heavy in weight, excellent in quality, and thorough- 

 bred in look. Sir R. G. Throckmorton takes a second 

 prize with a very complete lot of good Sus.sex Downs. 

 Lord Walsingham takes the third prize with a lot of 

 more frame and substance and capital fleeces. Mr. 

 John Overman shows a very useful lot, not so handsome 

 as the Duke's; but they have deeper and heavier 



frames, but not so long. The Earl of Radnor's lot 

 possess great length, depth, and substance. 



The next classes are those of fat wether sheep of 

 any short-woolled breed (not South Downs), one 

 year old (under 22 months), without restrictions as 

 to feeding. Mr. Canning takes the first prize with a 

 very fine pen of Hampshire Down sheep : they are 

 very large, well- formed, and excellent in quality, and 

 of tremendous size for their age. So are Mr. W. 

 King's, which tal<e the second prize : their chines are 

 of amazing breadth, and altogether a good form, with 

 much wool : they are called West-country Downs. 

 Mr. Stephen King takes the third prize with a pen of 

 the same breed : they have uncommonly broad backs, 

 long frames; their heads and necks, like others of the 

 breed, are by no means handsome. Mr. Holland's 

 Shropshires show well, but not in perfect form ; a little 

 more depth of chest and fulness of fore-quarter is wanted 

 here, as in all the breed. This is the only lot shown of 

 Shropshires, which rather detracts from the boasted 

 excellence of the breed. Why not show in greater num- 

 bers, and prove their position. In the extra stock 

 short-woolled wether and ewe classes the Duke of Rich- 

 mond takes the silver medal in the wether class, with 

 a prettily-formed sheep, rather defective in the shoulder, 

 this being too low. Mr. Kent's wether has a good frame, 

 and shows well. Mr. W. King shows a fine sheep, a 

 West-country Down. The Earl. of Radnor and Mr. 

 Scott Hay ward also show nice Downs. In the ewe class 

 Lord Walsingham takes the medal with a very superior 

 one : she has a long well-formed frame, a beautiful fat 

 back, and level; fine plaits; her thighs and underneath 

 jjart good. Mr. Rigden has a beautiful ewe with a 

 deep, broad and well-formed frame. Mr. Scott Hay- 

 ward again in this class enters a ewe of much beauty 

 and excellent quality. Sir R. G. Throckmorton's ewe 

 is very pretty, and in good form. 



In taking our leave of these short-woolled classes we 

 cannot, in justice to the public, omit to notice the 

 extraordinary and unblushing way in which very many 

 of them are shorn into shape according to the taste of 

 the exhibitor or his shepherd. Some of them are so 

 cleverly done as even to deceive the very judges them- 

 selves. For our part, we should discard every ani- 

 mal that was unfairly shorn into form. We are aware 

 what a poor exhibition we should have left ; but it is a 

 positive insult to a good judge to show him a sheep so 

 distorted. He has to examine him very accurately to 

 detect all his faults, covered as they are in some parts 

 by several inches' length of wool, and it is a regular 

 Barnum imposition upon the ca=ual visitor and the 

 general public, who cannot afford time for close in- 

 spection. We would insist upon the animals being 

 shown as naturally as possible. What an extraordinary 

 deterioration would manifest itself in many of the short- 

 wools, and not a little in the long- wools ! As it now is, 

 every pen appears as nearly perfect in form as may be, 

 and it is only on close examination that judges can 

 detect the rank imposition practised. It is now merely 

 animals that are so wofully bad in the heads, necks, and 

 legs, that cannot be brought up to the standard of 

 excellence in appearance which all seek after and so 

 few find. 



PIGS. 



In the pig classes, we find in pens of three j 

 1856. 1857. 1858, 1859. 



Fens. Pens. Fens. Fens. 



38 54 57 33 



(or 99 Bpeciraens.) 



Extra 18 pens, i. e., 51 specimens. 



These classes are well filled, and certainly do not de- 

 note any declension in the breed of pigs. We still see the 

 s me names over the different pens, with here and 



