NINTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART XI 569 
ternational last fall, is showing up well this season. She had a walk- 
away in the two-year-old class. John Leitch's Edna, which carried off 
the red, is a strong-boned, growthy mare, but too light in the middle to 
make a serious competitor to Peach Blossom. Hixson's Lady Palmerston, 
is a sweet, typey filly, and was an easy winner in the yearling class. 
Soderberg's home-bred three-year-old mare, Osco Bloss, had the symmetry 
and quality to put her first in this class. In this class for mares under 
three years bred by exhibitor, Hixson's Peach Blossom was beyond com- 
petition. 
SWINE. 
DUEOC JERSEY. 
Statistics of the numerical strength of this popular breed placed it 
again at the head of the list, there being an even 900 head in the pens. 
The position can be claimed over the Poland Chinas by the small margin 
of a half a hundred, the shrinkage on the number shown last year being 
about 300. This decrease was accountable principally to the absence of 
many who regularly come to the fair only to sell. As suspected sales 
were nothing to boast of, which would seem to indicate that boar buying 
will be more extensive at the fall sales, and the connection between the 
buyer and seller merely delayed a spell. This condition applied to the 
transactions in all the pens. As to the general excellence of the classes, 
nothing but praise can be offered, though as might be expected there 
was less extravagant fitting than usual. The success of those who for 
the first time submitted subjects of their fitting to the consideration of 
the judge was notable, though for the most part the competition was be- 
tween those of experience. The number of breeders from outside the 
state was limited to a bare dozen. The deficit of numbers, however, was 
counterbalanced by a degree of excellence w^hich won some of the best 
ribbons. Illinois sent six herds, Nebraska three and South Dakota and 
Kentucky one each. The awards were made by the veteran breeder and 
showman, Mr. N. H. Gentry, of Sedalia, Mo., who did the work of dis- 
tributing ribbons carefully and conscientiously. The disgruntled exhibitor 
is always in evidence, and if he was any more so than ever on this occa- 
sion, the conditions under which the classes were shown were chiefly ac- 
countable. Two things seriously hampered the work of judging. The one 
the absolute lack of order in the arrangement of display hurdles, made 
comparison slow and bunglesome and the other, the ever-present onlooker 
in far too great majority made headway from one part to another tedious 
and discouraging. A short leet, the only resort in large classes — and 
some were to the extent of sixty head — was out of the question. These 
faults can easily be remedied by the co-operation of all parties interested, 
and they should be for next year's show. Around the making of awards 
of a show centers the success or failure of that great event, hence the 
need of facilitating the task of the judge. What we have said here ap- 
plies in all breeds, but particularly in those classes which congest the 
show space on account of their numbers. The contest for champion boar 
