212 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



STOCK AT THE FAIR OF THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL 

 SOCIETY. 



{Continued from page 1S3.) 



The Lincoln is the largest breed of sheep known. 

 In the Report of the Chester meeting the writer 

 said: "I have known 14 months' old lamb-hogs 

 slaughtered at Lincoln April Fair, 30 together, ave- 

 raging 85 lbs. i^er quarter, and have known 100 

 together clip 14 lbs. each of washed wool." 



The Cotswolds. — "The general characteristics 

 of the best Cotswolds are — their bold and com- 

 manding appearance ; their finely-arched neck, well 

 run into the shoulders, giving them an ease of car- 

 riage, when Avalking, which is peculiarly their own. 

 They have broad, straight backs, witli arched ribs 

 and length of quarter, carrying an enormous weight 

 of carcase upon clean yet open legs. As a class, 

 they possess good legs of mutton. Their shoulders 

 are rather open,. but in line with the back, thus 

 giving them a good appearance in the sheep-pen ; 

 the chest is broad and deep. There is a slight dif- 

 ference of opinion as to the exact sort of wool 

 they should produce. A fashion of late has sprung 

 up in favor of the open curly coat, while the older 

 breeders adhere to the thick-set fiaky coat. The 

 latter class of wool aftords the best protection 

 against the vicissitudes of storms upon the open 

 hill lands these sheep have to occupy. Be this as 

 it may, they are fully agreed as to the animal car- 

 rying a 'fore-top' on his forehead, and of no small 

 dimensions, as witnessed at some of the Society's 

 meetings. These sheep have become popular from 

 the fact of their hardiness being combined with 

 flesh and wool producing properties. . They are 

 sought after for exportation to the colonies, and for 

 crossing the dark-faced short-wools at home. The 

 Oxfordshire down was originated by a cross between 

 the Cotswold ram and Hampshire down ewe." 



Pigs. — " The hog in British farming is in general 

 viewed as a subordinate species of live stock, and 

 valuable chiefly as consuming what would other- 

 wise be lost. But there, are farmers who keep 

 large herds to advantage. To the miller, brewer, 

 distiller and dairymen, they are an object of some 

 importance and return. For the offal which they 

 consume, they produce a greater weight of meat 

 than could be attained from cattle. The prolific 

 nature of this animal, however, rendering it easy 

 to increase the supply above the demand, tlie price 

 of pork varies more xhan that of any other sort of 

 meat. Our native hog has been remodeled by the 

 introduction of the small Chinese and Neapolitan 

 pigs ; the Chinese white pig giving the start to the 

 small white races, and the Neapolitan to the small 

 black breeds. Berkshire has long been famous for 

 its breeds of the middle-sized black and white pigs ; 

 Essex for its black pigs ; Suffolk for its white pigs; 

 and the north of England for its large white bacon 

 hogs: hence, it has been the object of the Society 

 to encourage two descriptions of pigs, the one 

 (small breed) more particularly for the production 

 oi porlc, the other (large breed) for that of bacon. 

 But, with such an undefined line between them, it 

 is truly difficult to decide where the size of the 

 small breed ends and that of the large breed be- 

 gins. In thus classing the pigs many a useful ani- 

 mal is placed in the intermediate space. Take, for 



instance, the Berkshire pig, about tlie most service- 

 able and useful swine we have — a pig of ancient 

 origin, and brought into notice by the Society's 

 meetings. Thus, while the dairyman prides him- 

 self on his symmetrical blacks or whites for pork- 

 ers, and the north countryman extols his large hogs 

 for bacon, the Berkshire pig may be truly designated 

 the 'general pui-pose jug.' Being very hardy, they 

 are well adapted for the strawyard; they are also 

 good graziers during the summer months, and pos- 

 sess more lean meat than the smaller breeds." 



The preceding difficulty of classification has 

 been subsequently entertained by the Council, and 

 resulted in a modification of these classes, whereby 

 each class or breed will contest against his fellow 

 breed or similar description of pig. The four class- 

 es for the year 1860 run thus: — 1. Large breeds; 

 2. Small white; 3. Small black; 4. Pigs of any 

 color not eligible for the other classes. 



I'he Small Breeds. — "These, as usual, were 'the 

 pets ' of the show ; there they lay, like a number 

 of balls, jjerfect models of fat, but of their lean 

 meat we must say but little; scarcely a pig among 

 them could walk to his trough. Among the boars, 

 we had a choice white specimen from the Prince 

 Consort's stock — an animal well worthy of his 

 first prize distinction." 



Cattle best adapted for Dairy purposes. — 

 "A local prize has for its object local good, hence 

 the condition 'best adapted for dairy purposes.' 

 This distinction is well meant, but it proved to be 

 a ' distinction without a difference.' In these classes 

 were animals of every breed and pedigree, from 

 the best Short-horns, Heretords, Ayrshires, etc., 

 down to the humble yet respectable real dairy 

 cow. There were collectively 77 animals entered 

 in the four classes, viz: 11 bulls, 17 pairs of cows, 

 8 pairs of heifers in-milk or in-calf, and 8 pairs of 

 yearling heifers. The bulls consisted of 10 Short- 

 horns and one Hereford. Mr. Ambler, of Wat- 

 kinson Hall, near Halifax, exhibited a very beauti- 

 ful 15 months' old young bull, 'Royal Turk,' by 

 'Heart of Oak' (14,083), in this class, and easily 

 carried away the prize. This animal was decidedly 

 one of the best Short-horns in the yard — a remark 

 which is substantially supported by the fact of his 

 having been sold in tiie yard to Mr. Langstox for 

 400Z. He is a beautiful light roan, full of flesh, 

 with first-rate form and quality. This bull will be 

 seen again at future exhibitions, when we doubt 

 not but that he will prove himself a distinguished 

 competitor." 



'■'■ Millcing Coxes. — This [was an excellent lot of 

 animals, but it more properly represented the 'es- 

 tablished breeds' than that for 'dairy purposes,' as 

 the following awards and names of exhibititors will 

 testify. Mr. Langston, 1st; Colonel Pennant, 2d ; 

 E. Ltthall (breeder of the first prize aged bull), 

 3d; Henry Ambler and Josiitta Price, highly 

 commended; E. Bowly and H. Rawlings, com- 

 mended. ■ The first prize cow Avas a first-rate Short- 

 horn, suitable for any class, as were nearly all the 

 animals in this 'Milking Class.' It was thought by 

 the Committee that tliis class would have proved 

 a leading feature in the show, by pointing out the 

 fine features and essentials of a dairy cow, best 



