THE FARMiilVS MAGAZINE. 



55 



liccp, aud uncommonly nice meat. The Duke of Beau- 

 fort's Shorthorn and Gloucester very good indeed, 

 handsome, and with a full outspringing chine. Mr. 

 Farquharson's Devon and Highland is a happy hit ; and 

 the Earl of Darnley has done well with a Hereford and 

 Shorthorn cross, bred by Mr. GrifiSn, the character of 

 both breeds being, however, clearly discernible. The 

 heifer class comprises some very nice things indeed, 

 especially Mr. Holland's beautifully fed heifer, and Mr. 

 Druce's compact white heifer- 



In the show of Extra Stock cattle, Mr. Smith's 

 Shorthorn strawberry cow is well worthy her silver 

 medal ; Mr. Farquharson's Devon ox is admirable ; the 

 Earl of Leicester's North Devon worthy of praise ; and 

 Mr, Oakley's Hereford ox a good beast. 

 SHEEP. 



The number of sheep for the last three years is as 

 under : 



1856, 1857. 1858. 



Long-wooh 40 35 37 



Cross-breeds 18 32 " 32 



Short-wools , 33 62 60 



Total. 



96 



129 



129 



The Leic ESTERS are a better show than has beeu pre- 

 viously produced. Mr. Jordan's Gold Medal wethers 

 are extraordinarily good ; Mr, Foljambe's are very beau- 

 tiful animals ; and we see in Mr. Hine's second-prize pen 

 that size, combined with superiority of form and feeding 

 quality, which makes a profitable sort. The third prize 

 wethers of Mr. Marshall, everyone must admit, are also 

 in splendid condition. 



We have seen better sheep than are to be found in the 

 class for " Fat wethers not exceeding 2201bs. live weight;" 

 still there are some beautiful specimens. Mr. Brad- 

 shaw's are very handsome indeed, and have extra- 

 ordinarily good backs ; the Marquis of Exeter's have 

 plenty of mutton, and a good curly staple of wool ; 

 Mr. Brooks' are very pretty animals indeed ; and Lord 

 Berners takes second-prize for a pen of long, level, 

 well-formed sheep. 



Among the Long-Wools not Leicesters, every- 

 one must admire Mr. Hewer's noble Cotswolds ; won- 

 derfully large and splendid sheep, with fine wool, dark 

 faces, and capital mutton. The Extra Stock silver 

 medal goes to Mr. Bradshaw's uncommonly good wether 

 — wonderfully broad back, and deep through the chest ; 

 almost like a Lincoln, except for his wool. The Mar- 

 quis of Exeter also shows a very good sheep in this 

 class. The Extra Stock silver medal for a fat ewe is 

 won by Mr. Bradshaw's ewe — no less than eighty 

 months old, yet fine in bone, of a model form, and with 

 a rare quality of mutton. 



The important classes of Cross-bred sheep are a 

 striking feature in the Show. Mr. Overman's prize 

 Southdown and Leicester wethers are very perfect in 

 form, the character of the three sheep very equal, and 

 the handling uncommonly fine. Mr. White's, Mr. 

 Hobbs', Mr. Howard's, Mr. Morland's, and Mr. 

 Twitchel's are unusually good. Why do exhibitors 

 persist in clipping so as to present a straight flat back 

 to the eye, and rumps, flanks, plaits, bosoms apparently 



full and expanded, when the hand instantly detects 

 the falsity of the outward show, and reveals the abomi- 

 nable attempt to thus gloss over a defective form ? And 

 why do judges award honours to such sheep as they 

 have done in this very class ? A sheep unfairly shorn, 

 and a pig unduly old, ought alike to be disqualified by 

 the authorities. In the next class (for wethers not ex- 

 ceeding 2201bs. live weight) we must make the same 

 complaint ; and we would not give a prize to a pen of 

 sheep, no matter how good their mutton, or how hand- 

 some their " looks," if there were such gross trimming 

 and shaping the animals with the shears. Mr. Over- 

 man's magnificent sheep are in splendid condition, are 

 wonderfully handsome, have rare fleeces, and are also 

 properly shorn. Mr. Morland's are extremely compact, 

 pretty, and with plenty of wool all over ; but several 

 pens in this class, some of them carrying off honours, 

 are evidently the result of good breeding, feeding, and 

 trimming combined. The Extra Stock Class is very 

 fine. Mr. Twitchel's silver medal wether has extra- 

 ordinary symmetry, great breadth of loin and chine, and 

 full plaits ; very fine in bone, and beautiful, but some- 

 what too tucked-up. Mr. Howard's Oxfordshire Down 

 wether is a beauty, possessing very great merit. Mr. 

 Overman's wether is extraordinary for size, width, and 

 substance. Mr, Hine's Down-and-Leicester wether 

 has considerable length of face, and a rare chine and 

 plaits. The Earl of Leicester's wether, and Mr. White's 

 handsome Cotswold-and-Sussex-Down ewe, are very 

 properly " commended." 



There is an extraordinary show of Short-wools, 

 the Duke of Richmond, Mr. Rigden, and Lord Wal- 

 singham at the head of the poll. His Grace's Gold 

 Medal Southdown wethers certainly have won the 

 honour fairly; and those of his Grace in the very grand 

 class for sheep "not exceeding 2001bs. live weight," 

 are scarcely inferior in merit. Lord Walsingham's 

 beautifully-formed sheep are unsurpassed for their per- 

 fect keeping of the same character throughout ; and 

 those in the Two-shear class were worthy of a com- 

 mendation, though not thus distinguished by the judges. 

 The Earl of Leicester, the Earl of Chichester, Sir R. 

 Throckmorton, Mr. Gurney, Mr. Marjoribanks, Mr. 

 Overman, and Mr. Kent, exhibit some remarkably 

 beautiful and well-fed sheep. There may be a difference 

 of judgment as to whether the prizes in the Two-shear 

 class might not have been given to a finer pen than that 

 of his Grace. Beautiful as these Downs really are, the 

 fine art of "trimming a sheep" has here also, in too 

 many instances, been closely studied. 



In the class of Short-wools not Southdowns 

 Mr. King's prize West-country Downs are very great 

 and good ; Mr. Canning's Hampshires, Mr. Sharp's, and 

 Mr. Humfrey's, exceedingly meritorious ; Mr. Holland's 

 a particularly handsome pen. But notwithstanding the 

 very high character of the class, how is it that wool 

 should grow so very much longer everywhere than it 

 docs on the backs and loins of the sheep. Are not sheep, 

 if worthy of honours, good enough to show without so 

 much " make-believe ?" 



In Extra Stock Mr. Rigden'sjilver medal wether is a 



