On the Exhibition of Live Stock at Chester. 365 



Hill exhibited his " Lady Rockingham " heifer, which was 

 placed second, and is a good-looking stylish animal. The heifer 

 " Venus de Medicis " was highly commended, as was also 

 Colonel Townley's heifer, " The Rose of Townley." 



Class VI. — Yearling Heifers : 33 entries. — Mr. Booth's old 

 blood was here again triumphant ; his very beautiful and pro- 

 mising heifer, " Queen of the Isles," being placed by the Judges 

 first on this long list. Close upon her came the second prize 

 animal, of the " Frederic " blood, exhibited by Colonel Townley, 

 and the " Sweetheart " yearling heifer exhibited by Mr. Grundy 

 of the Dales. This animal, having been since purchased by 

 Mr. Douglas of Athelstaneford, will be seen again, and possibly 

 again, at future shows : she is a choice specimen by " Horatio,"' 

 dam " Sweet Lucy." The most remarkable feature of the class 

 was the exhibition of ten yearling heifers by Colonel Townley, 

 several of which Avere heavy in calf. 



In conclusion, a general review leads me to the opinion that, 

 although the short-horns have now become more the general stock 

 of the country, and were shown in unusual numbers at Chester, 

 they were not superior there to the best-bred animals that have 

 been exhibited in former years. The young animals, especially 

 the males, are not improving as they ought from such parentage 

 as we have been accustomed to see at previous shows. The 

 high condition of the cow and heifer stock is unnatural and 

 opposed to common sense. Are such animals really in a state 

 for breeding and milking — one (at least) of the uses of the beast? 

 It would be well if more attention were paid to the lean meat of 

 a short-horn, and less to superfluous fat. It would be better to 

 err on this side with our first-class bulls rather than to encourage 

 male animals of a smart heifer-like cast, without lean meat — 

 "quality, with substance," being really essential. 



Herefords. — This race of cattle, which has long been dis- 

 tinguished for its splendid oxen, was shown in greater numbers 

 at Chester than at any previous meeting of the Society, with the 

 exception of Shrewsbury, and formed one of the most attractive 

 classes. Their placid and beautiful countenances — denoting that 

 general mildness of temper so necessary for the success of the 

 grazier — together with their substance of flesh in proportion to 

 bone, could not fail to strike all who beheld them. The Here- 

 fords clearly come under the same denomination as the Devons, 

 viz. the " Middle-horn " tribe of cattle : they are considered to 

 be an aboriginal breed, and descended from the same stock as 

 the Devons. Little is known respecting their origin, further than 

 that for many generations they can be traced as the peculiar breed 

 of the county from whence they take their name. Yet a few years 



