THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



189 



ful heifers. There is no question but " the Rose" was the 

 best animal in the yard, and Mr. Doughis supported her 

 with two more very worthy of lier and of liini. In- 

 deed, the wiiole show of cows and heifers made ample 

 amends for any falling-off amongst the male animals. 

 They had, at least a majority of them, all the great 

 points of a shorthorn — symmetry, quality, and good 

 pedigrees. We should be afraid to price " The Hose 

 of Athelstano ;" but Mr. Douglas is asking a thousand 

 guineas for her two-year-old brother, " Sir James the 

 Rose," and there is little doubt but his customers will 

 bid up to him. 



It is impossible, this week at least, to enter on 

 any analysis of this or the " other classes." The latter 

 brought but very short entries. Tlioy included some 

 rather coarse Devons, a few Angus and Ayrshires, and 

 a stronger lot of Kerrys. But even the KeiTys are said 

 to be getting scarce in their own country, and, if you 

 want a good pure-bred one now, the chances are you 

 will have to go to Bantry for him. The fact is, there 

 is not enough of the handsome little Kerry for the days 

 we live in. The "Extra" Tenant- Farmer Classes 

 were, as usual, a complete failure. A man whose rental 

 is limited to a hundred a year is not likely to have 

 much stock he would care about sending into a show- 

 yard. The retention of these premiums on the list is 

 but doubtful policy. 



The show of Leicester rams of all ages was very good, 

 and " the best sheep in the yard", was amongst them. 

 The Cotswolds, too,are on the increase, with Mr. Beale 

 Browne still the only importer. The success of this 

 gentleman, the prizes he takes and the prices he makes, 

 might induce others to follow him ; but his ewes are 

 truly wonderful. The entry of Southdowns and 

 Cheviots was again limited, and with Mr. Roberts and 

 the Marquis of Conyngham as the best men. Mr. 

 Roberts' sheep are either directly imported or bred 

 from Mr. Henry Overman's flock; and though Lord 

 Conyngham unfortunately meets with but little oppo- 

 sition, his Cheviots would be worthy of distinction any 

 where. His lordship for the second year in succession 

 took all the prizes in this section. 



There was a very excellent exhibition of pigs, mostly 

 of three well-known varieties. Those were the Berk- 

 shire, always shown to advantage in Ireland ; the 

 great Yorkshii'e white pig ; and tiiO smaller Cumber- 

 land of the same colour. Again it is pleasing to 

 notice how readily our Irish friends have disowned 

 their long-snouted "familiar," so associated with 

 Erin's cottages and homesteads. 



A Suffolk stallion, bred by Mr. Kersey, of Farmin- 

 ston, Suffolk, and sold for three hundred, took the 

 first prize for cart-horses. He was liked none the 

 worse here for being a little darker in colour than 

 what the fancy runs on. A Clydesdale horse took the 

 second, and the entry was made up of all sorts and 

 sizes. Three of the young stallions " of any breed for 

 agricultural purposes " were got by race-horses out of 

 hall-bred miires, two by Great Heart and one by Safe- 

 guard ! With square tails, blood heads, and clean 

 legs, they looked a deal more like answering to the 

 cheer of a huntsman than starting for another bout at 

 the " Gee-whut !" of a ploughman. 



But, if at best your Irishman has only a faint idea 

 of a cart-horse, he has a tolerably good notion of him 

 " for other purposes," Year after year have we had to 

 ponder on this, and to wonder why there were no pre- 

 miums for hunter stallions and riding horses. At 

 Waterford, mainly as we believe through the exertions 

 of the Secretary, Captain Croker, a series of special 

 premiums wire offered with this object. At no cost to 

 the Society, fifty pounds and a gold medal was to be 

 given to "the best weight-carrying thoi'ouah-bred 



stallion ;" thirty and a silver medal to the second best ; 

 with twenty and a bronze medal to the third. There were 

 similar premiums for hunting marcs. This was the first 

 year of the experiment, and it resulted in the best show 

 ofthorough-bred horses we ever saw brought together on 

 such an occasion. Let us name a few of the tlnrty en- 

 tered: Stotforth,TheKnightofGwynne,Thistle-whipper, 

 War Hawk, Heapy, Glentilt, Barbarian, Lord George, 

 Red Hart, Great Heart, Chit Chat, Dey of Algiers, 

 Kilmoyler, and Cattonite. We have only to regret the 

 award will not tell equally well. The judges, all 

 Englishmen, gave in their original decree, pronouncing 

 Red Hart entitled to the first premium. Knight of 

 Gwynne to the second, and Barbarian to the third. 

 Then, however, the veterinary surgeon, Mr. Farrell, 

 steps in, and at once annuls this. He declares Red 

 Hart and Knight of Gwynne to be unsound, the former 

 from ringbone, and the latter as a roarer. The judges 

 have to go over their work again, when they place the 

 Dey of Algiers first. Barbarian second, and another of 

 Lord Waterford's horses third. It is almost needless 

 to say that popular opinion went almost entirely with 

 the first award, and none were more dissatisfied than 

 the judges themselves. In evidence of this we may 

 cite the following note or protest which they handed in 

 previous to leaving Waterford : — 



" Weight-carrying Hunters and Mares : The Judges 

 beg to state they have had much difficulty in deciding 

 in these two classes ; as the best horses have been pro- 

 nounced unsoimd by the veterinary surgeon, and so ex- 

 cluded from taking any of the prizes. — Signed Charles 

 Garfit, on behalf of the Judges." 



Lord Besborough and Mr. Gregory, who were at the 

 meeting, testified that Red Hart's " ring-bone" was the 

 result of an accident in running, when he put his foot 

 in a hole and broke down. A very serious question is 

 raised by this proceeding, that tho national societies 

 cannot too soon bring to a hearing and an adjustment-— 

 Did not the veterinary surgeon exceed the duties re- 

 quired of him ? Is every stallion to bo pronounced to 

 be — hereditary — unsound, that has broken down, or 

 turned roarer ? And if so, how many sovmd horses 

 have we amongst us? The same sort of thing our 

 readers may remember as having occurred at the Louth 

 show. Wo repeat, the sooner the point is entertained 

 the better; as we know of nothing so likely to inter- 

 fere with one of the most interesting and improving 

 features in the meetings of agricultural societies. 



We leave to our own special correspondent the duty of 

 dealing with the implement department of the Waterford 

 show. It was well supported by many of our English 

 manufacturers. The Waterford Meeting went well all 

 ways but one, and that exception was the dinner. It was 

 but badly done to begin with — turtle and the best of 

 everything for the Lord-Lieutenant and his party, and 

 very short-commons for the "&c., &c.," as the reporters 

 say. Then one gentleman came to make a noise, and would 

 make it ; and half the people went away before it was 

 half over, not very highly delighted with their evening's 

 amusement. Lord Waterford made a very good chair- 

 man ; and Lord Carlisle delivered an elaborate, though 

 not a telling, speech on agricultural statistics. With 

 all due deference, we take these dry figures and facts to 

 be a little out of his Excellency's line— if not, indeed, 

 altogether too tedious for such an occasion. 



TRIAL OF IMPLEMENTS. 



After the usual inspection of the implements, and the 

 selection by the judges of those designed for trial, it 

 was arranged to take the ploughs first. Six were finally 

 selected and sent to the trial field at Kilbany. They 

 wore exhibited respectively by Messrs. A, and T. Fry, 



