CHAPTER XVII. 

 AT THE SHOW 



I WENT to one of those provincial bull shows 

 which are subsidised by the Department and 

 approved for the selection of premium bulls. It 

 was an instructive day. 



Most of the bulls were yearlings, and nearly 

 all these were fat beasts. I saw only three or four 

 in a natural condition, and these were passed in 

 contempt. So young, they could not be so fat 

 without being permanently injured as sires, and 

 this is how so many of the Department bulls come 

 to be distributors of disease among the cattle, not 

 to mention the infertility due to over-feeding. 



It appears the judges have no standard to judge 

 a beast in a natural condition, and in any other 

 condition the bull is unfit for breeding. 



Most of the people looked hungry, but this 

 appears to be less injurious than fattening them. 

 Why must an underfed people have their beasts 

 so overfed ? Man and beast alike are injured, 

 but this derangement in the distributive process 

 is evident in every aspect of Irish life. Take for 

 instance the Dublin horse show. Any intelligent 

 stranger would take it to represent a solvent and 

 sane community. 



Our bull show had been advertised as a " Show 



