THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



361 



WAYLAND AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION, 



The first meeting of this newly constituted society, which 

 embraces one of the best districts of the county of Norftlk, 

 was held on Wednesday in the snug but rather dull town of 

 Watton. The exhibition of stock, roots, &c., took place in a 

 field belonging to Mr. W. Massey ; and when it is stated that 

 there were upwards of 300 entries, it will be seen that the 

 establishment of the association has been well received by the 

 agriculturists of the neighbourhood. Some fine cart stallions 

 were exhibited by Mr. T. Matthews, sen., and Mr. John Tin- 

 gey ; and the cart mares, colts, and fillies were altogether cre- 

 ditable. An appropriate prize was offered by the Kev. W. H. 

 Hicks, in the shape of a silver medal, foi the best hackney 

 mare or gelding for saddle or harness purposes, and eleven 

 competitors appeared in the field. This is a gratifying cir- 

 cumstance, as it shows that some attention is again being di- 

 rected to the breeding of Norfolk hackneys, which formerly 

 enjoyed a deservedly high reputation, but have rather lost 

 ground of late years. A mare six years old, exhibited by Mr. 

 George Jacobs, was highly commended. In the cattle depart- 

 ment attention was attracted to a fine short-horn bull bred by 

 the Marquis of Exeter, and exhibited by Mr. Wyrley Birch. 

 This handsome animal received a prize. There were only two 

 polled bulls entered, and they did not excite much notice. 

 Mr. T. Matthews, sen., and Mr. J. AUday, exhibited some fine 

 fat beasts ; and there were also some good home-bred cows and 

 heifers. There was a fair competition for the sheep prizes ; 

 and amongst the animals deserving notice were a fine ram 

 shown by Mr. J. Sewell, some shearling ewes exhibited by 

 Mr. Brampton Gurdon, M.P. (bred by Mr. J. Aylmer), some 

 fat shearlings entered by the Hon. B. N. O. De Grey, and 

 some lambs penned by Mr. T. Barton. The lambs were all 

 commended by the judges. The roots presented a fair outside 

 show, but the application of the dissecting-knife showed some 

 interior defects in many of them — a hoUowuess or hardness 

 in the centre, which is supposed to have r;sulted from an un- 

 equal distribution of moisture. There were scarcely any im- 

 plements on the ground. 



The judges of horses, cattle, &c., were Mr. John Clayden, 

 Littlebury, Saffron Walden, Essex ; Mr. John Fuller, Beach- 

 amwell, SwaTham, Norfolk ; and Mr. E. Farre Sporle, Swaff- 

 ham, Norfolk. It would have been difficult to have made 

 a better selection ; and the same remark applies to the 

 judges in the roots class, Mr. H. B. Caldwell, Hillborough, 

 Brandon, Norfolk; and Mr. T. Matthews, jun., Watton, 

 Norfolk. 



The following are the awards : — 

 HORSES. 



For the best cart stallion, above 3 years old, silver medal, 

 Mr. Thomas Matthews, sen. 



For the best cart mare of any age, silver medal, Mr. John 

 Tingey. 



For the best cart colt or filly, not exceeding 3 years old, 

 silver medal, Richard Dewing, Esq. 



For the best cart foal, the silver medal, Mr. Thomas Mat- 

 thews, sen. 



CATTLE. 



For the best horned bull of any age, the silver medal, Mr. 

 Wyrley Birch. 



For the best polled bull of any age, the silver medal, Mr. 

 Charles Hartt. 



For the best horned cow of any age, in calf or in milk, the 

 silver medal, Mr. John Allday. 



For the best polled cow of any age, in calf or in milk, the 

 silver medal, Mr. Richard Salmon. 



For the best horned (in calf) heifer, the silver medal, Mr. 

 Thomas Matthews, sen. 



For the best polled (in calf) heifer, the silver medal, Mr. 

 Richard Salmon. 



For the best fat beast of any age, the silver medal, Mr. 

 Thomas Matthews, sen. 



SHEEP. 



For the best shearling ram, bred, hired, or brought, by 

 the exhibiter, to be used in his own flock during the season, 

 the silver medal, Mr, Morris Cooper* 



For the best ram of any age, bred, hired, or brought by the 

 exhibiter, to be used in his own flock during the season, the 

 silver medal, Mr. John Sewell. 



For the best five shearling ewes for breeding purposes, the 

 silver medal, Mr. B. Gurdon, M.P. 



For tlie best five ewes of any age for breeding purposes, 

 the silver medal, Mr. John Sewell. 



For the best five fat shearlings, the silver medal, the Hon. 

 B. N. O. de Grey. 



For the best ten lambs, the silver medal, Mr. Thos. Barton, 

 PIGS. 



For the best boar pig of any age, the second class medal, 

 Mr. Brampton Gurdon, M.P. 



For the best breeding sow of any age, the second-class silver 

 medal, Mr. B. Gurdon, M.P. 



For the best litter of not less than six pigs, under ten weeks 

 old, the second-class silver medal, the Hon. B.N. 0. de Grey. 

 ROOTS. 



For the best six long mangle wurzle, the bronze medal, 

 Mrs. Brasnett, Griston. 



For the best six globe mangel wurzel, the bronze medal, 

 the Hon. B. N. O. de Grey, Rochelles. 



For the best six swedes, bronze medal, Mr. Henry Oldfield, 

 Ashill. 



For the best six turnips of any other kind, the bronze medal, 

 Mr. John Tingey, of Ellinghara Hall. 



For the best six carrots, the bronze medal, Messrs. Robert 

 and Charles Hartt, Ashill. 



LORD WALSINGHAM'S SPECIAL PRIZE. 



For the best five shearling ewes of any distinct breed, a 

 silver cup of the value of £5, was awarded to Mr. Brampton 

 Gurdon, M.P. 



THE REV. W. H. HICKS'S SPECIAL PRIZE. 



For the best hackney mare or gelding for saddle or harness 

 purposes, the silver medal, Mr. John Hargraves, 

 EXTRA STOCK. 



Highly commended, Mr. William Chilvers, fat pig. Com- 

 mended, Mr. William Batterhan, cart-horse; Mr. Jiobert 

 M. Ward, entire horse ; Mr. John Marsh, cart-mare. 



At the dinner at the Wayland Hall, with which the pro- 

 ceedings agreeably closed. Lord Walsingham occupied the 

 chair, "supported" — to use the phrase common on such 

 occasions — by the Hon. F. Baring, Mr. H. B. Caldwell, Mr. 

 Gurdon, M.P., and several of the leading clergymen and 

 gentlemen of the neighbourhood. Altogether the party num- 

 bered about 100. 



Of the post-prandial oratory littie need be said. Mr. 

 Clayden, in returning thanks for the "judges," congratulated 

 the company on the success which had attended the Society's 

 first effort in the direction of an exhibition of stock. Some of 

 the horses shown would, he thought, have done credit to any 

 county show, and the hacknies (which had been tested by a 

 ride) were very good. The judges, in considering the relative 

 merits of the sheep, had endeavoured to award their ap- 

 probation to those which combined size with quality : size had 

 been chiefly regarded, but the two must be combined. The 

 sheep, he thought, ought to be selected before they were 

 branded, in order that the owners might not be known. There 

 were some good cattle on the ground, but the polled stock 

 reflected little credit on the exhibitors. Mr. Caldwell spoke 

 as usual to the point, adverting to the roots : "We thought," 

 he said, " they were exceedingly good when we first began to 

 inspect them, but when we examined them closely and used 

 the knife, we were disappointed in their quality. We had 

 rather a difficult task, as the roots did not come up to our ex- 

 pectations as to quality. I would advise young farmers not to 

 overmuck their roots, as they may be sown too early and be 

 overmucked. Some roots we were obliged to discard in con- 

 sequence of their being coarse and stringy, and you will not 

 lose by less over-forcing and a little later sowing." A few 

 other toasts followed, and the proceedings passed off, on tlie 

 whole, exceedingly well. The Society is much indebted to its 

 active secretary, Mr. H. Woods, whose exertions appear to be 

 justly appreciated by the members. 



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