Report on the Exhibition of Live Stock at Plymouth. 369 



by exhibitors. The men in charge of the horses were very civil 

 and attentive, and Thomas Gilby, the head man in the Horse- 

 department, kept all in good order, especially on the day when 

 the Prince and Princess visited the Show-yard. 



Sheep. 



Amongst the Sheep the Leicesters made a very good show, — 

 there being 76 rams and 8 pens of ewes, as against 60 rams and 

 5 pens of ewes at Newcastle. Some excellent sheep were 

 shown in all classes, and the blood of Mr, Sanday was very suc- 

 cessful, although the prize-shearling was descended on both sides 

 from the much-esteemed flock of the late Sir Tatton Sykes. The 

 West-country farmers are fond of Leicester blood, and took no 

 inconsiderable part in the competition, showing some good sheep, 

 although the prizes went to the old-established flocks of Mr. 

 Borton, Mr. Creswell, Colonel Inge, Mr. Stamper, and a new 

 name, Mr. Dabbs, who showed a sheep bred by Mr. Sanday. 

 The general impression was that the Leicesters exhibited were 

 quite up to the mark, and even superior to those exhibited at 

 of former shows. 



The Cotswolds were numerically weak, and few good sheep 

 were exhibited, though they had the honour of attracting Her 

 Royal Highness the Princess of Wales's attention, by their beau- 

 tifully clean white fleeces. Mr. Aylmer, one of the Judges, 

 writes of them : — 



" The Cotswokls as a class were the worst I ever saw, all the hest breeders 

 being absent — snch men as William Hewer, R. Game, AV. Game, William 

 Lane, &c. — the rule for clipping the sheep naked in the first week in April 

 having frightened them all out of the market. I did not consider one sheep in 

 the lot worth the amount of the prize." 



Lincoln sheep never come out at the Royal Show in such 

 number or form as to show their real character. The Lincoln 

 flockmasters think the prices obtained for their rams a sufficient 

 test of their excellence, and they know that a Lincoln sheep does 

 not show well without his fleece. Lincoln breeders say, " if you 

 wish to see our sheep, come to Lincoln April fair." The ewes 

 shown were a very indifferent, ill-matched lot. Mr. Aylmer 

 says : — 



" The Lincoln and other Long Wools were a very mixed lot. Mr. Sym had 

 some very useful sheep, a shearling very good indeed, but he should have been 

 in the Leicester Class. Mr. Marshall's were a plain lot of Lincoln sheep, but 

 useful, with their Lincoln character about them ; some of his old rams were 

 thick-fleshed useful sheep." 



Mr. Clarke, another judge, says much the same of the rams, 

 and finds great fault with the ewes. 



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