54 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



siderable merit. Mr. Fisher Ilobbs also sbows a cow 

 by no means deficient in good quality and handsome 

 appearance. 



If the grandest Hereford of the year, or, indeed, of 

 several late years, is ab.ent from the Show, we have 

 there as perfect a model of a Shorthorn as has 

 been lately seen, namely, Mr. Stratton's Gold Medal 

 steer. This eminent breeder may be justly proud 

 of his position at this Show, as not only does his 

 steer thus far surpass all competitors, but the Gold 

 Medal heifer bred and fed by Mr. Brown was by one of 

 Mr. Stratton's bulls. We cannot dilate upon the vari- 

 ous fine points of this beautiful animal, but consider 

 him a study of what a young Shorthorn ought to be. 

 Let the farmer who visits the Show to learn keep in 

 memory the perfect form, the beauty of head and eye, 

 and the rare handling and quality. The Earl of Rad- 

 nor's and Mr. Joseph Stratton's steers, though com- 

 paring ineffectually with this, are exceedingly good ani- 

 mals. Colonel Pennant's is very great and good ; and 

 we also like Mr. Duffield's level and nice-fed steer. 

 The Birmingham Prize Shorthorns are of course eclipsed 

 here. Mr. Marriott's prize ox is magnificent ; very 

 level, extremely handsome, well covered with prime 

 meat, but, as we think, by no means surpassing Mr. 

 Wortley's famous beast of last year. The Marquis of 

 Exeter's highly commended ox is an uncommonly good 

 animal, remarkable for his rare thighs and good 

 shoulder -joint ; Earl Spencer's second-prize ox is 

 bigger, very level on the back, but has not so good 

 a round. Mr. Duffield's white ox has a capital fat 

 back, and we notice one or two others of great merit in 

 this fine class. 



No one will grudge Mr. Brown the prize and Gold 

 Medal for his extremely beautiful heifer, except those 

 who may question the practice of awarding honours 

 to an animal suffering from disease. The breeding and 

 fattening, however, are equally meritorious, no matter that 

 the animal may have just fallen a prey to an epidemic 

 sure to bring down her condition. As to the award of 

 the second prize and the high commendation, a great 

 deal of argument has been dealt out in rather hard 

 tones to show that the judges are wrong. Well, it is 

 possible for good judgment to err sometimes. The 

 Earl of Radnor's white heifer is not first-rate — there is 

 too much of a hollow on the back, too much pinching 

 behind the shoulder, the fore-quarters are too contracted; 

 still it is pretty in appearance, and the quality of flesh 

 has carried the day. Mr. Odling's heifer, which is the 

 favourite with many people, is better formed, and very 

 handsome ; and, so important is shape over a beautiful 

 texture of meat and kindly delicate coat, that we might 

 have given an opposite decision had we been in office ; 

 but opinions always differ, and let exhibitors be content 

 to abide the chances of triumph or defeat in a moderate 

 spirit. Mr. Pertwee's heifer is fat, and certainly hand- 

 some. Is she not worthy of a commendation ? or is she 

 passed over because of her lameness .' Mr. Hunt's 

 heifer is of great frame, and has a very good back ; 

 Lord Feversham's is fine and pretty enough, but hardly 

 BO straight along the back as to please us, for symmetry. 



The cows are, as usual, a very fine class. Mr. 

 Fletcher's prize red cow is of rare merit — level, wide, 

 compactly-made — with meat heavily laid on all over, 

 and splendid handling. Mr. Swinnerton's second 

 prize cow is wonderfully wide, and as good at the 

 chine as she is at the rump, and remarkably hand- 

 some in every respect, with fine offal and beautiful head ; 

 fairly beating Mr. Barrett's admirable third-prize cow. 

 From the rest we may single out Mr. Phillips's grand 

 strawberry for honourable mention. Altogether the 

 Shorthorns make a good show, without the assistance 

 of Colonel Towneley, Mr. Wetherell, or Mr. Booth. 



Popular as red tints are just now, we are not so in 

 love with the colour as to blind ourselves to defective 

 form beneath it ; and, though a Sussex beast may 

 have a good healthy red for our eye, we cannot admire a 

 sinking behind the top of the shoulder, a narrow carcass, 

 or rumps tliinning off to a point. Now, though Mr. 

 Cane's prize steer is really a good animal both in form 

 and flesh, the others in this somewhat well-filled class 

 are far from being models of perfection — too many of 

 the backs reminding one of a house roof ; and even the 

 second prize and the commended beasts, though perhaps 

 fair specimens of the breed, are not free from consider- 

 able defects. Mr. Dennett's prize heifer is a very good 

 one, and well fed ; Mr. Smith's second-prize cow would 

 be also highly meritorious, were her chine and fore- 

 quarters out enough in proportion to her broad back and 

 hips. 



In the classes for Norfolk and Suffolk Polls 

 we find little to admire ; and the Loxg-horxs rather 

 amuse than edify, with their narrow frames, curly coats, 

 and preposterous horns. 



Among the Scotch Horned and Scotch Polled 

 cattle are some to be looked at with satisfaction ; for 

 instance, Messrs. Martin's shaggy-coated bright-dun 

 ox ; Viscount Hill's second-prize black well-formed 

 steer ; Mr. Cook's well-bred dun ox, in spite of its 

 somewhat unlevel back ; the Duke of Beaufort's hand- 

 some little yellow-coloured long-coated heifer ; and Mr. 

 Heath's Galloway ox, of great depth of frame — a 

 particularly good animal. 



Unfortunately, the Irish Breeds make " no entry" 

 on the present occasion. 



The Welsh Breeds, thinly represented, are not at 

 all remarkable, excepting that Mr. Bennett's is of 

 extraordinarily great size, something like the antique 

 sort, with bone as well as muscle. 



The Cross or Mixed Breed classes are of great 

 interest and importance, as, though the perpetuation of 

 a good first cross is a difficulty not easily overcome, the 

 production of first-rate feeders by crossing breeds 

 judiciously is of great and growing value. Besides, it 

 is sometimes a matter of curiosity to find how experi- 

 ments answer with the most diverse of breeds, the 

 results of extraordinary mixtures being sometimes highly 

 instructive if not profitable. Messrs. Martin showed a 

 good Aberdeen and Shorthorn — Mr. Knowles a very 

 nice thing as a steer, the produce of a Shorthorn and 

 Scotch horned. Mr. Knowles' Shorthorn and Aberdeen 

 heifer, red, with horns, is very well formed — straight, 



