148 A HISTORY OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



was a fairly large class, and the bull was not in the 

 first seven noticed by the judges. The owner came 

 to me and said, ' You made a mistake in advising me 

 to send the young bull. ' I told him that I had made 

 no mistake, that I could see he had no chance of 

 winning, but that I could also see that he thought 

 his calf a very good one, and having one in the class 

 myself' (which took second prize) I felt sure he 

 would think, had he not sent him, that he would 

 have been near winning. He came to me an hour 

 or two afterwards saying, 'You have given me the 

 best lesson I ever had in my life, for I did think 

 he would about win until I saw him with the 

 others. ' 



"That is one instance of the good agricultural 

 shows will do, for competition does wonders in find- 

 ing the very good and the indifferent ones, and in 

 the case of male animals this is oftentimes a very 

 great consideration. ' ' 



Easily first in point of influence upon public sen- 

 timent in England has been from its first establish- 

 ment the Royal Agricultural Society's annual ex- 

 hibition. It is held in different parts of the country 

 from year to year in order that all localities may 

 in turn profit by the lessons to be learned at this 

 admirably managed show.* In recent years the 



*British breeders have probably a keener appreciation of the 

 educational value of shows generally than exists in the United 

 States. Even their local events are most highly regarded, as 

 is instanced by the following incident narrated to the author by 

 Mr. Tudge, Jr., late of Leinthall: 



"It was at a Ludlow show that Rob Roy made his first ap- 

 pearance in a showyard. It was that meeting, I believe, that 

 made him a double Royal champion. I had been trying to sell 

 him, only asking 60 guineas, and could not get it, so I decided 

 to send him to Ludlow show. When he came against others he 

 was very much admired and won first prize. I could then see, 

 and others could also, what a good bull he was. One old Here- 

 ford breeder, Tom Nott, of Beechton Park, who did not often praise 

 my cattle, said, 'You don't know what a good bull you have. 

 Keep him and you'll win first at the Royal.' And he did; so that 

 show at Ludlow made him." 



