THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



23 



THE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY. 



WINTER SHOW. 



The annual winter show of the Royal Dublin Society 

 was held in the Society's new hall, Kildare-street, Dub- 

 lin, on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 23rd and 

 24th. The exhibition of farm produce, as usual, occu- 

 pied the most prominent place ; whilst the show pre- 

 sented a new feature, or rather the revival of one which 

 was abandoned two years ago, in consequence of the 

 want of accommodation — namely, an exhibition of fat 

 stock, together with poultry. A portion of the building 

 was also set apart for the use of implement makers ; but 

 there were no prizes awarded in this section. 



Following the order of the prize-sheet, we commence 

 with the cattle classes, and of these the first, three in- 

 cluding two and three-year-old shorthorned bullocks 

 and Devon oxen of any age, were vacant, the first in the 

 yard being two very prime West Highland oxen, one of 

 which was three years old, and the other four years old, 

 belonging to Mr. Allan Pollok, the celebrated Galway 

 proprietor. The first prize was awarded to the former, 

 both being a pair of capital bullocks well covered with 

 firm flesh. Strange to say, only one animal claiming to 

 be of the Kerry breed was shown, and this a nonde- 

 script ox, over three years of age, in low condition, 

 and certainly not a Kerry. This was shown in the 

 class of oxen " of any other breed, calved prior to 

 1855;" and beside it stood a thick cross-bred ox, un- 

 commonly well covered in all his points, belonging to 

 Mr. Pollok, which, of course, got the prize. The latter 

 fclso showed a splendid lot of. three cross-bred bul- 

 locks in the nest class — Class 7 — two of which were 

 three-year-old, and one one-year-old. One of the three- 

 year-olds, a roan bullock, was a magnificent animal, 

 and to this lot also the prize was awarded. In class 8, 

 " lot of six bullocks, under four years old, not competing 

 in any of the foregoing classes," Mr. Pollok was again 

 the exhibitor of six Scotch polled cattle, which, although 

 not quite so prime as his West Highlanders and his roan 

 bullocks, were good useful stock, and as such were 

 eagerly scanned by intending purchasers. The prize for 

 the best of all the fat oxen was also awarded to Mr. 

 Pollok. In the class for shorthorned cows, of any age, 

 Mr. J. O. G. Pollock, of Mountanstown, county Meath, 

 got first prize for his cow, and Mr Allan Pollok second* 

 Loth animals were highly bred, and in extraordinary 

 condition, but rather patchy. Their were no Devon 

 cows in their class ; and in West Highland cows, of any 

 age, Mr. Allan Pollok was commended for a rather nice 

 aged cow, but there was no medal awarded. Of Ayr- 

 shires there was also only one specimen — a thin cow 

 from the " Albert Model Farm," not of sufficient merit 

 to obtain even a commendation. A sweet little four 

 years old Angus cow belonging to Lord Talbot de Ma- 

 lahide was commended in its class, but no prize was 

 awarded. Neither Herefords nor Kerrys appeared in 



their respective classes. Of the " lot of three cows of 

 any age or breed, not competing in any of the other 

 classes," Mr. Sam. Garnett got the first prize; and Sir 

 E. M'Donnel's lot was commended. There was nothing 

 particular about either, being simply "fed on grass, 

 without either turnips or oilcake," as was stated in the 

 entry, and nothing beyond what might be seen any 

 Thursday in the Dublin market. In shorthorned heifers 

 under four years old, Mr. Allan Pollok showed one 

 which was decidedly the best in the exhibition, aged 

 three years, a prime handler, and perfect in all the best 

 parts. Her back and quarters were particularly good. 

 Sir E. M'Donnel got the second prize in this class. In 

 West Highland heifers, under four years old, Mr. Allan 

 Pollok was again the winner of first and second prizes 

 in the class with two very nice beasts. Mr. Allan 

 Pollok's Scotch polled heifer, 28 months old, was merely 

 commended, when it ought to have got the prize, 

 although there were no other competitors in the class. 

 In heifers of any age or breed, not competing in the 

 other classes, Mr. Allan Pollok obtained the first prize 

 with a very fine and highly-finished two years old cross 

 shorthorned heifer ; and Mr. Barton, of Straffan, got 

 the second medal. The next class comprehended lots o 

 " three heifers of any age or breed" not entered in any 

 other class ; Mr. S. Garnett ctting the medal, Sir E. 

 M'Donnell's lot a high commendation, and Mr. Allan 

 Pollok's lot being commended, There was nothing in 

 the animals shown in this class which calls for special 

 remark. 



So much for the cattle. And we would merely ob- 

 serve, in passing, that the Royal Dublin Society must 

 feel itself placed under particular obligations to Mr. 

 Allan Pollok, whose entries amounted to exactly one- 

 half of the entire number, and whose cattle — all bred by 

 himself — were nearly all of a kind which would have 

 entitled tiiem to notice at any show. In fact, without 

 his entries, the cattle department of the exhibition would 

 have been a failure— a rather remarkable circumstance, 

 some may think, when it is remembered that cattle 

 breeding is the chief object with the majority of Irish 

 farmers. 



As a whole, the show of sheep can only be character- 

 ized as middling, and very far short of what ought to 

 have been the case, both in number and qu-ility ; while 

 to several of the lots we must apply the term indifferent. 

 Our remarks, therefore, need only enumerate the prizes 

 awarded. In the class of long-woolled wedders, under 

 thirty-four months old, Mr. H. M. Twite, Sonna, 

 got the first prize, the other lot shown in the class not 

 having sufficient merit for the second medal. 

 Sir Percy Nugent was the winner with one 

 of his lots of three and six long-woollcd wedders, not 

 competing in the other classes ; but the second medal 



