THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



177 



who, adopting farming as a pastime only, and having no 

 ulterior views in the acquisition of a herd beyond the ex- 

 hibition of their extravagant estimate of the value to them of 

 these mere playthings at the sale, or their power of pamper- 

 ing these favourites of fashion in the show-yard, might possi- 

 bly retire in despair from a competition at your meetings, if 

 flesh could no longer prevail over form, nor intelligence be 

 obliged to succumb to oil-cake. But though assured, if you 

 do intend to maintain your position, that you will adopt a 

 more dignified and spirited line of defence than any such, it 

 is so inconceivable to me by what process of reasoning you 

 will attempt to stand up for a practice which is so entirely 

 at variance with the theories on agriculture which you 

 disseminate — lessening, instead of increasing, as it 

 does, the production of the animal, and increasing, 

 at the same time, instead of lessening, the cost of 

 its production; or by what argument you will support 

 a system which so debars the professional farmer, who has too 

 much good sense and too little superfluous cash for the in- 

 dulgence of extravagance and absurdity, from any chance of 

 partaking of those prizes which you profess to hold out as 

 incentives to his adoption of an improved breed of cattle, that 

 I will not occupy your time in so vain a speculation ; but, 

 hoping that you may be more inclined to a remedy of the evil 

 I complain of, than a rejection of my suit, I will hasten to 

 assure you that, as " with the will there is always to be found 

 the way," that there is no reason for supposing the course I 

 recommend you to belong to the exceptions and cot to the 

 rule ; and as nothing can be to the experienced in cattle more 

 easy to detect than the presence of an unnatural and purely ar- 

 tificial state of condition, so nothing can be easier than to make 

 such a state of the animal a ground of exclusion from all 

 power of competition in — nay, I would go further — from all 

 permit of entrance into your show-yards. Such a rule as this, 

 rigidly enforced as it must be, to be of any avail, would necea- 

 Barily, I am aware, exclude from exhibition many, because 



irremediably fat, otherwise valucble animals ; but it is surely 

 preferable that these should be excluded, than that, through 

 their admissibility, an incorrect estimate of in what consists 

 the perfection of the animal for reproductive and all other 

 useful purposes should be engrafted on the farmer's mind. 

 The remedy, however, cannot, I am persuaded, long halt upon 

 your resolves to effect it. Insist upon the regulations of your 

 show-yards becoming subservient, instead of, as they now are» 

 obstructive to the objects you profess a wish to promote by 

 them, and so rule it that your practices shall become in harmony 

 with your theories, and you will have accomplished all that 

 the public interests require, or that I ask at your hands. 

 The following are the rules which Mr. Fawkes has sug- 



" 1. All the cattle duly qualified for competition to wear 

 round their necks, in the show-yard, labels bearing certificates 

 from their owners of the years and months they are old, 



" 2. No 2-year8-aiid-5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 11-months-old 

 heifer to be qualified for competition, unless she bears on her 

 label a certificate from her owner • that she is six weeks past 

 her bulling,' and her premium not to be paid till she has pro- 

 duced a live calf. 



" 3. No 3-year-old heifer to be qualified for competition 

 ualess she bears on her label a certificate from her owner ' that 

 she is five mouths gone in calf,' and her premium not to be 

 paid till she has produced a live calf. 



"4. No three-years-and-six-months- old heifer to be qualified 

 for competition under any circumstances. 



" 5. No cow, not in milk or calf, to be qualified for com- 

 petition. Each cow to have on her label a certificate from 

 her owner ' of how ma;iy live-born calves she is the dam,' and 

 her premium not to be paid till, if in calf and not in milk, she 

 has produced a live one. 



"6. No jearliui; Lull (if one-and a-half years old) to be 

 qualified for competition unless he bear on his label a cer- 

 tificate from his owner, ' that cows are holding to him." 



" 7. No two-years-old or aged bull to be qualified for com- 

 petition unless he bear on bis label a certificate from his owner 

 ' that he is the sire of twelve live-boro calves.'" 



PLOUGHING MATCH AT BROCKLEY WHINS. 



The annual ploughing match, in connection with the 

 East Chester Ward Agricultural Association, took plnce on 

 Jan. 31, near to the Brockley Whins Station of the North 

 Eastern Railway, not far from South Shields. The fields 

 comprised an oat stubble and two clover leas, in the occu- 

 pation of Mr. J. Hardy and Mr. W. Wheatley, of the North 

 Pastures. The entries were never perhaps more numerous, 

 and included the very best ploughmen of the counties of 

 North umberland and Durham. Our assertion will hardly 

 be doubted when we state that there were three classes of 

 competitors, viz., any-age ploughmen, with ploughs of their 

 own choosing; any-age ploughmen, with swing-ploughs; 

 and i)lougli-lads, under the usually prescribed age, 18 years ; 

 and that the first prize in the two first classes was £i, and 

 a silver medal, with proportionate [Sv^cond and third prizes; 

 and that in the third class very liberal prizes were provided 

 out of moneys bequeathed for this object specially by the 

 late Dr. Winterbottom, au aged gentleman, whose death a 

 year or two ago, the inhabitants of the neighbourhood in 

 which he resided had much cause to regret, notwitstanding 

 that he left a very large sum of money to be devoted to 

 charitable purposes. 



The weather was everything that could be desired, and 

 induced-large numbers to attend — indeed quite a holiday 

 was made of the occasion. The ground was in excellent 

 condition. The judges CRIessrs. Coxon of Plawsworth, 

 Cairns of Callerton, and Keay of Berwick Hill) awarded 

 the prizes as follows ; 



Class T. First, M and a silver medal, Thomas Eltring- 

 liam, of Croxdale; second, a62, W. Mitehelson, of Kibbles- 

 worth; third, £1, Thomas Jamieson, with Mr. Yellowley, of 

 East Boldon. Jamieson was successful the day before, at 

 the Derweut ploughing match. 



Class II. £i- and a silver medal, Geo. Wilson, with Mi-. 

 Fish, of East Boldon (this man was also a winner !it the 

 Derwent match); second, ^J, Geo. Reay, with Mr. Thos. 

 Wood; third, £1, John Norris, with Mr.Brown, of Walker- 

 on-Tyne. 



Class III. First, £2 10s., and silver medal, James Hut- 

 chinson, son of Mr. Hutchinson, of Castle Eden; second, 

 .£1, John Snowdeu, son of Mv. Robert Snowden, of Wash- 

 ington ; third, 15s., Robt. Richardson, of O.iston Colliery; 

 fourth, 10s., Wm. Walker, son of Mr. F. Walker. 



At the dinner, which came off at the Golden Lion, South 

 Shields, there were more than a hundred gentlemea pre- 

 sent. The Mayor (R. Wallis, Esq.) presided. In the post- 

 prandial proceedings, the following prizes for green crops 

 were distributed : A silver medal to Sir Hedworlh William- 

 son, Bart., for the best four acres of wheat ; and silver cups 

 to Mr. John Anderson, of Horsley Hill, for the best crop of 

 potatoes ; Mr. Geors^e JIurray, of Heworth, for swede tur- 

 nips; Mr. George Easlon, of Horsley Hill, for yellow tur- 

 nips'; andMr. H, G. Henderson, of Bog House, for wlute 

 turnips. 



