366 Report on the Exhibition of Live Stock at Plymouth. 



these classes were somewhat coarse and capable of improvement 

 in quality, but possess great frames, and are apparently good 

 milkers. If the bullocks are easily fattened, as 1 am informed, 

 the breed would appear to be a useful farmers' stock, and more 

 likely to pay rent than the elegant Devons. I am sorry that 

 the Society had not oHered thi- prizes for this breed of cattle, 

 which possesses so many good points, rather than for the " other 

 established breeds." 



Before closing my remarks upon the Cattle Classes, I must 

 again enter my protest against the mistake made by our breeders 

 of fashionable stock, in so entirely neglecting the milking pro- 

 jKTtles of their cattle. Amongst the Shorthorn, Hereford, and 

 Devon Classes, we had perfect models of female symmetry in 

 c\ery point but one, — that which provides sustenance for the 

 offspring. The feminine character is lost, and we are year by 

 year showing mere cylinders of beef. What a contrast were 

 the graceful well-formed udders of the Jersey and Guernsey cows 

 to the malformations which disgraced some of the prize cattle in 

 the fashionable classes. 



The Channel Islanders obtain early maturity for their j)urposc ; 

 the beautiful prize heifer, but 2 years and 5 months-old, had 

 borne a calf, and her udder was as gracefully and truly formed 

 as any nature ever made. In the fashionable breeds we are 

 losing fast the most l)eautlful characteristic of the sex, and, as I 

 believe, from nothing but over-forcing and carelessness on the part 

 of the breeder. Our shows Avould gain in interest if the bulls 

 could step out easily and majestically ; and if our cows and 

 heifers were indeed the milky mothers of the herd. But now, 

 amongst the aged bulls, to walk as far as the ring is a matter of 

 serious diflicultv, and to parade once or twice round it a painful 

 task, for they resemble some gouty specimens of the human race, 

 whose tempers and figures are alike destroyed by over-feeding, 

 and the sufl'erings consequent thereupon. But serious as are these 

 difhculties, it would be a yet harder task to get a pail of milk 

 from a whole class of cows ! 



HOESES. 



The weakest department of the Plymouth Show was that 

 assigned to Horses. One stallion only appeared for the 100/. 

 prize given for the best Thoroughbred horse, and this was 

 "Motley," by "Touchstone," now 14 years old, and although a 

 nice animal, not a horse of the highest (juality or style. The 

 Pony Classes also, which it had been hoped would have formed 

 a feature of the W^estern Show, were filled with a curious mix- 

 ture of animals, creating but little interest, and not much d(>sire 

 to possess them ; indeed, amongst the riding-horses geneially, the 



