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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



other sides of the paddock. The whole arrangements 

 were of the most tasteful kind. On entering, the 

 visitors were ushere'l into the poultry depart- 

 ment, the pillars of which were wreathed with green 

 creepers and many-coloured dahlias; while above 

 the inside entrance a huge white chanticleer kept 

 watch and ward, and looked down from amidst his 

 gay festoons on his flesh and feather friends beneath 

 with this defiant notice — " While I live, I'll croic." 

 The pigeon-pens were placed in the middle of the room ; 

 and on a mahogany slab above the principal of them 

 stood the elegant little silver cup, rich with farm-y-trd em- 

 blems, presented to the Society by Baron Lionel de Roths- 

 child, and for which Mr. Eley just defeated Mr. Strafford 

 by one point when the balance of the first and second 

 prizes (in which the poultry arc not reckoned) were finally 

 struck. The Aylesbury ducks and the Cochins made 

 up for short, comings in the geese and turkeys, which 

 could only boast of one entry between them ; and although 

 Mr. N. M, de Rothschild's game-cock was remarkably 

 good, our fancy incHned most towards Mr. Eley 's winning 

 pen of Dorkings, whose seven-guinea label was thehighest 

 in the show. Barring the Shropshire Downs, there was 

 not much to please the sheep-fancier's eye j but the 

 pigs were especially choice. The prize for " sows of a 

 large breed" was a very moot point between Mr. Eley's 

 black Berkshire and Mr. Strafford's white Yorkshire ; 

 and the triumph of the black is not a little enhanced by 

 the fact that the Yorkshire was one of the three prize 

 gelts in Mr. Watson's winning pen at the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society's show at Carlisle, and that one of its 

 fellow-pigs on that day won at Salisbury this year. The 

 Exhibitor, who stood only second in the large, was 

 however more fortunate with the " sows of a small 

 breed"; and his one-year-old "Perfection," with her 

 three charges, was very true to her name. The same 

 remark applies to this gentleman's trio of three-month 

 sow pigs, by Old Joe (sire of the Salisbury prize boar), 

 out of his celebrated Ducie sow ; and he sold a boar out 

 of the same litter, in the course of the afternoon, to Mr. 

 Wilson, for H.R.H. Prince Albert. 



Baron de Rothschild's fine stylish bull, "Sir Antony," 

 was the winner in his class ; Mr. Webster's, who came next 

 had a good carcase, but was coarse-horned, though he had 

 unfortunately turned those weapons to some account by 

 severely goring his attendant over-night. " Old Buck," 

 a good little animal, kept up the fame of the Fawsley 

 herd, at whose sale he was purchased as a calf for 115 

 guineas ; and out of the ten cows behiad " Molly," no 

 less than five were "highly commended." Mr. Strafford 

 was first and second in the heifer class, with Camelia, 

 by Bates's Refiner, and Maria, a very near relative of 

 the great John o'Groat. AUer all. Baron Rothschild's 

 beautiful couple of cow-calves— Nun (by Friar John, a 

 sou of the Duke of Glo'ster), and Beatrice 2Dd— had 

 a larger levee of admirers than anything; and they will 

 be heard of hereafter. Both their dams were araong'the 

 " highly commended" in their class; and for Beatrice 

 Captain Gunter's agent offered lOOgs. in vain. 



The leading feature of the Horse Show was the prize 

 chesnut Suffolk stallion, Briton, the property of Mr. 

 Shackle, of Hayes ; and a more expressive head and 



well-formed crest are seldom to be found, llis fellow- 

 grey had very fine length; but his front legs were 

 placed too forward, and he was somewhat feeble on them. 

 Both were in capital trim., and had been working regu- 

 larly on the farm till the Friday before. The second- 

 prize horse, a black one, showed much better out of the 

 stable than in it ; but there was more style about Mr. 

 Haynes's roan, though he had hardly size enough as yet. 

 Mr. Michael Robinson of Heston's bay mare was voted 

 a gem ; but her foal was not, to our eye, at all equal to 

 that of the chesnut Suffolk mare, which ranked next ; and 

 Mr. Baxter, of Southall, was also very successful in 

 Classes 2 and 4, for young cart stock. The mares and 

 foals " for general purposes" were a very uneven lot ; 

 but the fiat in favour of a lengthy chesnut of Mr. A. 

 H. Johnson's admitted of no dispute, as the next-best 

 hardly rose the cart ranks. A small, very half-bred- 

 looking Arab was shown among the extra stock ; but 

 his eccentric attendant commanded the most attention 

 of the two, though he could not be tempted to bring 

 his " Crimean hero" on to the parade outside. 



The vf r; ;table world was not recognized ; and we saw 

 no trace of it, save in one solitary " marrow" near the 

 cup-stand. Implements were also unrepresented : and 

 the only specimens of handicraft were a waggon, in the 

 centre of the paddock, which did good service as an 

 orchestra ; a double roller ; and some wire railings ; 

 while the indefatigable Thorley unfurled his " Food for 

 Cattle" banner at one end, and was faced by two 

 specimen-baskets of superphosphate. However, what 

 with the ploughing by hand and steam, and the show, the 

 visitors had no regrets. About 140 gentlemen dined 

 together, in the afternoon, at the Star and Garter, Kew- 

 bridge, under the presidency of Viscount Villiers ; and, 

 from what transpired, there seems every chance, by an- 

 other year, of the society emerging from its snug little 

 chrysalis state, and challenging a comparison with the 

 most flourishing of the provincials. The following is a 

 return of the awards for stock -. — 



AWARD OF PRIZES. 

 HORSES. 



Stallions (for agricultural purposes) of any age, foaled 

 pretiously to the 1st of January, 1855.— First prize, Mr. 

 Thomas Shackle, Hayes ; second, ditto. 



Stallions (for agricultural purposes), foaled since the 1st 

 of Januar)', 1855.— First prize, Mr. H. P. Baxter, Southall 

 Green; second, ditto. 



Mares and Foals (for agricultural purposes).— First prize, 

 Mr. M. Roljiuson, Heston ; second, 11. H. Cox, Esq., 

 Hillingdou House. 



Cart Fillies (for agricultural purposes), foaled since the 

 1st of January, 1855.— First prize, Mr. 11. P. Baxter, 

 Southall Green ; second, Mr. M. Robinson, Heston. 



Mares and Foak (for general purposes). — First prize, Mr. 

 A. H. Johnson, Manor Ifouse, Gunnersbury. 



Fillies (for general purposes), foaled since the 1st of 

 January, 1855.- First prize, Mr. C. Webster, Uxbridge- 

 common. 



CATTLE. 



Bulls, calved previously to the Jst of January, 1855.— 

 First prize, Baron Lionel de Rothschild; second, Mr. 

 Charles Webster, Oxbridge. 



Bulls, calved since the 1st of January, 1855.— First prize, 



