38 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



Moysey, M. Faixant, T. Daager, J. Fry, K, G. Badcock, T 

 D. Aclaud, W. E. Gillett, and H. St. John Maule (secre- 

 tary). Tlie report from the Implement Committee was read 

 and ajsproved. The week for the Truro meeting was fixed 

 ^or that commencing on Monday, the 3rd of June. J, E. 

 Knollys, Esq,, was appointed steward-elect of implements 

 in the field for the years 1861-62. It was stated that appli- 

 cation had been made to the South Western Railway Com- 

 pany to grant free passes to the members of the council 

 attending these meetings exclusively, in the same way as 

 was done by the Bristol and Exeter and North Devon Eail- 

 way Companies, but the request had been refused. Mr. J- 

 Widdicombe brought up the report of the Stock Prize 

 Sheet Committee, by which the prizes were increased £200 

 over those of last year, The report was agreed to. The 

 Mess Committee reported that they were proceeding with 

 their arrangements, but had not quite completed them, and 

 were requested to continue their labours. The Steward of 

 Poultry moved for a grant of £UjO for prizes in that depart- 

 ment at the Truro meeting, which was acceded to. Mr. S. 

 Pitman moved, " That the place of meeting for 1863, 1864, 

 and so on in future years be considered at the August meet- 

 ingjof the council, and the place finally selected, if possible, 



at the meeting of the Council in October following." It 

 appeared that the council had always practically acted upon 

 the motion, and it was therefore made a standing order 

 without opposition. The council then went into the con- 

 sideration of the question of selecting a place for the meet- 

 ing of 1862. Several letters were read, but, after some 

 discussion, the council resolved that they were not then in 

 a position to come to a decision, and the subject was there- 

 fore i)ostponed to the next meeting, January. Mr. J. H. 

 Cotterell called the attention of the council to the necessity 

 of preserving the books and other property of the society) 

 and committee was appointed and requested to bring up a 

 report at the next meeting, stating whether it would, in their 

 opinion, be advisable to dispose of any and what portion of 

 them. It was suggested that in and after March next the 

 meeting of the council should be held on the first Saturday 

 in the month, instead of the last : the matter was referred 

 to the January meeting. The secretary received instruc- 

 tions to advertise the Truro meeting in the newspapers. 

 The President was requested to write to the Committee of 

 Council on Education for a loan of a selection of their 

 specimens, for the exhibition at the Truro Meeting as hereto- 

 fore, The council then adjourned. 



THE BIRMINGHAM AND MIDLAND COUNTIES CATTLE AND 



POULTRY SHOW. 



The unfavourable season and " the hard times" for 

 farmers already begin to show their effects. Despite even 

 the still increasing energy of the management, backed by 

 the more than usually liberal offers of the prize-sheet, 

 the Birmingham Fat Cattle Show is unmistakably below 

 the average of its previous excellence. In the three 

 great classes of Shorthorns, Herefords, and Devons, 

 this was at once apparent. With the exception only of 

 the Duke of Beaufort's steer, there was nothing ap- 

 proaching the character of a Gold Medal beast in Bingh- 

 ley Hall. We left last year with the impression, as we 

 said at the time, that one meeting would be more or 

 less the echo of the other, and that the great winners of 

 the Midlands would be equally distinguished in the Me- 

 tropolis. This proved to be the case ; while in the 

 present instance we cannot think that either of the 

 Gold Medal animals of the week past will be the object 

 any such similar attraction in the present. Both in 

 numbers as well as in merit there was a falling off. 

 There were fewer Herefords and Devons — very few in 

 fact ; while the Shorthorns, counting up to about as 

 many as last season, had nothing like the same quality 

 to recommend them. There was no such star as 

 Beauty's Butterfly, to begin with ; and though the judges 

 did generally commend the class of oxen, the compli- 

 ment did not strike one as being altogether deserved. 

 Nevertheless there were some " famous" animals in the 

 entry. Mr. Stratton sent " Bee," one of the best of 

 his herd, as manifested at the Cardiff Meeting a year 

 or two since ; and Mr. Wells from Kent pitted against 

 the Hinton heifer his " Tweedside Lass," a commended 

 cow at Canterbury. Then the Duke of Devonshire 

 had " Sarah Gwynne ;" Mr. Sanday, a contemporary 



of some renown ; and Captain Gunter, " Princess 

 Royal," the prize fat cow at the Yorkshire Meeting in 

 August. Still, none of them told much here. The 

 Duke's and the Holme Pierrepont cows have now in 

 fact, each at over eleven years old, grown out of all 

 shape, and standing as they did on either side of her, 

 furnished in the way of a comparison a capital set-oft 

 for Colonel Pennant's level, broad cow, a very good 

 one from the view either fore or aft, but failing a little 

 behind the shoulder. Lord Howe backed her with 

 another very neat one; but despite the Gold Medal 

 staying with the cows, the interest of the occasion 

 clearly centred on the heifer class, a company of 

 four, which included " Princess Royal," the *' Bee," 

 and " Tweedside Lass." The point, however, was en- 

 tirely between the two latter, and so knotty a one was it, 

 that the duly appointed authorities were unable to give 

 a preference, and their fellow-labourers from among the 

 pigs and sheep had to be called in. With their aid 

 the award was eventually declared for Mr. Stratton, 

 and no wonder ; for Bee must have at once taken the 

 fancy of the two West countrymen ; being as neat and 

 as round as a Devon in form, and of just the fine red tint 

 in colour. But our own affections went certainly with 

 the minority. Mr. Wells' heifer has a deal more style 

 and quality, with a handsomer appearance, finer hair, 

 and altogether a better handler. Indeed, if she had only 

 been properly prepared, or in other words, thoroughly 

 fattened, we might have stood on her for the medal. 

 Since Brackley, however, she has been thrown back, 

 with the intention of breeding from her, and is supposed 

 now to be in calf. We shall not stay to dwell here 

 again on the mischievous absurdity of such a system as 



