THF. FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



203 



class animals certainly, but not of the precise order 

 shown at Salisbury. We never saw so many animals of 

 such great merit before, and the difficulty in the adju- 

 dication must have been great. So far as we could 

 judge, the largest, handsomest, firmest, and best pro- 

 portioned animals took the lead. We noticed sheep we 

 thought lai'ger, some certainly higher, and of colossal 

 proportions ; but on closer scrutiny a neck was wrong, 

 or a back was high or hooped, or again not level, or a 

 beautiful top and scant underneath parts, or the wool 

 objectionable. There was something or other which de- 

 tracted from his perfectionable qualities. Taking the 

 classes together, we think the judges performed their 

 hard task creditably. In Class I. there were no less than 

 44 large and beautiful animals for their inspection, any 

 individual specimen being qualified for a prize. No. 

 619, Mr. W. Lane's shearling, was a splendid fel- 

 low for his age, 16 months, and girth 5 feet 1^ inches : 

 he is a noble-looking animal, of exceedingly fine form and 

 mould : his head is well formed, with long face and ears, 

 and kind beautiful look, his neck full and well set to 

 head, breast large and fully out, capital fore-quarters, 

 deep through the chest, with back and loins of first 

 order and firmness of thick flesh, plaits well thrown out, 

 and ribs admirably springing, causing a good full frame ; 

 his rump, twist, and thighs very good, but his flank is 

 not heavy, and his purse is bare ; wool of fine quality 

 and large in quantity — 1st prize of £2b. No. 

 622 is also the property of Mr. W. Lane, and 

 possesses much of the admirable outline and character of 

 No. 619, but his back is not so well covered, chine not 

 so good, and has a shorter and less rump ; but the gene- 

 ral proportions are admirable, and he is of a greater 

 length, and his girth exceeds the other, being 5 feet 3 

 inches, which for a shearling is very great. In the same 

 class at York the girth of the prize shearlings was 6 feet 

 1 inch. We thought he very properly carried off the 

 second prize of £15. No. 628, Mr. Porleus' 

 sheep, is highly commended, and formed, we un- 

 derstood, what is called the reserved sheep*, i. e. 

 third in the class. He is not so large as some 

 others, but possesses a fine fat back and firm mut- 

 ton, capital plaits and chest, long in frame, very hand- 

 some, but does not stand high : wool all right. His 

 consistency and firmness of mutton would vie with the 

 Southdowns ; his girtti 4 feet 11^ inches. We 

 will just run through the class, remarking as we 

 pass along. Mr. Lewen Arnold, of Tormarton, exhibited 

 four highly useful sheep, but were not long in compe- 

 tition with others we presume, as their proportions were 

 below the average before us. Mr. Edw. Handy shewed 

 three ia this class, one of which was obliged to be re- 

 moved, owing to injuries received in transit to the show. 

 He appeared, as he lay, a very fine animal, and we were 

 assured by Mr. H. that he was the best of his three. 

 Mr. T. B. Brown exhibited four very superior animals. 

 No. 603 receiving a commendation. He is long in 

 frame, with an exceedingly good top throughout, and 

 his head is fashionable and well set to a fair neck ; his 

 wool is a broad set staple, and heavy ; his girth is good, 

 attaining full 5 feet. Mr. Thomas Little showed 

 one, and Mr. John King Tombs five, in this class. 

 Our only remark in passing was that, though 

 highly useful, we could make no especial notice 

 beyond commending the head of No. 609. Mr. 

 Fletcher exhibited three, one of which, No. 610, 

 received a high commendation. His girth equalled the 

 second-prize sheep, i.e., 5 feet 3 inches; his whole 

 frame and excellent proportions highly pleased us — 

 he is a noble animal in his class. Mr. W. Hewer 



* The reserved sheep is named in every class to take rank, 

 Bhonld either of the prize animals be disqualified. 



brought forward four splendid sheep, No. 61^ 

 receiving a commendation. Had his neck been some- 

 what shorter and thicker, and back less rounding, 

 he would have stood very higfc in his class; as it is, he 

 is a capital animal. No. 613 we greatly admired— 

 capital shoulders and chine, thick in frame, and deep 

 throughout. Of Mr. Lane's two prize sheep we have 

 already spoken, but the remaining three deserve our 

 special praise for their extraordinary beauty and 

 uniform proportions, great and good in every re- 

 sprct, and of the genuine character of his flock. 

 Mr. John Lane showed four useful sheep, but we have 

 no especial mark in their favour in our note-book. Mr. 

 T. Porter's other sheep deserve favourable mention, but 

 do not equal his 628. Mr. W. Game exhibited five, 

 No. 634 receiving a high commendation. He has ex- 

 cellent plaits ; is a truly well-formed sheep, with a level 

 fat back, fair rump, and good chest; his girth fair, 4 

 feet 10^ inches ; his flank is light, and thighs not good ; 

 wool fair, and of good quality. His whole lot showed 

 well, stand high, and possess good looks and majestic 

 frames, quite in keeping with his well-esteemed flock, 

 Mr. W. Smith's are useful sheep, but our note-book 

 does not take any especial entry. Mr. E. Ruck stands 

 with us in the same position ; but both are worthy of 

 favourable mention. Why the whole class did not re- 

 ceive a general and high commendation we cannot divine 

 — we never saw it surpassed. 



In Class ^\., Rams of any other Age, we would speak in 

 still higher terms ; such a lot of beautiful sheep of such 

 enormous proportions were surely never seen together 

 before, at any one time. Their size and grandeur of ap- 

 pearance astonished every beholder ; they are the giants 

 of Oins aries, or domestic sheep, and no mistake. We 

 should like a series of experiments to be instituted, to 

 satisfy the public mind as to what class of sheep are most 

 profitable to breed for the benefit of the community. If 

 such immense animals as we saw in tae last class, and 

 such wondrous ones as we see in this, can be bred and 

 fed to this weight of mutton and wool in so short a time 

 at a moderate expense, it ought to meet with every en- 

 couragement, and John Bull may rest assured his people 

 will not lack good mutton. This is the food of the 

 common people more especially, and we require a large 

 supply of it. Which, then, is the best and surest way 

 to get it ? Are these sheep good breeders ? Do they 

 consume enormous quantities of food to bring them to a 

 marketable state ? We want to promote the breed best 

 adapted for public service — which is it .' In this class 

 Mr. E. Handy takes the first prize with No. G39. He 

 is not so majestic or handsome as some others, but he 

 has all the qualifications of a good animal of the highest 

 class. His good proportions are general ; and take him 

 where you will, and criticise every point, you find 

 him correct. To begin with him, he is 5 feet 9 inches 

 in girth, and 4 feet in length. His head is 

 good, but not fiue, nor does his looks quite 

 please us ; but such a head to such a neck 

 is often seen. The breadth takes from its length, 

 and the shoulders fit so compactly to it that it 

 gives him a common appearance, while in fact the pro- 

 portions are of colossal dimensions ; his ears are possibly 

 a little too short ; take his neck vein and breast, what 

 can be better.-' then his chine and plaits, how full, re- 

 gular, and even ! take the depth through him at his 

 chest, it is unequalled in the yard ; continue along his 

 back, it is firm in flesh and deeply covered ; his ribs stand 

 out well, and loin and hips all right, and ensuring a true 

 form in flank and lesk ; then his rump is exceedingly 

 good, nothing preposterous, but broad, well-formed, and 

 heavy, his thighs and flanks well loaded, his wool heavy, 

 and if he has a fault, it is in his ofFal ; his legs are coarse 

 and unsightly, but his extraordinary weight would give 



