462 Saddle and Sirloin. 



whitt sallied forth from it at dawn, to try the furzes 

 for fox or hare, and had miles upon miles of unen- 

 closed breezy wolds for their hunting grounds. 



Aylesby Manor is pretty nearly the centre of the 

 2300 acres which Mr. Torr has in hand, principally 

 under Mr. Drake and Colonel Tomline, M.P. He has 

 also 300 acres of grass, and 250 of marsh on the 

 Humber side near Immingham and Stallingboro', 

 and an outlying farm at Rothwell, where three 

 sycamores mark the highest point of the Lincolnshire 

 wolds. However, when behind " the iron horse," or 

 flying over the grass by the roadside on the " wolds- 

 man's pony," he makes very little account of time and 

 space ; and what with home to wit, calling his orders 

 out of his bedroom window at 5 A.M. and county and 

 Royal Agricultural business, few men have thrown 

 such an intense earnestness into life, or worked so 

 hard for others. At home, if you see a distant and 

 ever-moving figure in the park, and not unfrequently 

 in shirt-sleeves for coolness, among the heifers or the 

 ewes, there is no mistaking " Torr of Riby," although 

 he is not exactly " composed" after his presentation 

 portrait by Knight, R.A., a 340 guinea tribute from 

 his friends. Inventing a prize gate, or sketching out a 

 new set of farm buildings, or planning a model cottage, 

 or giving evidence on cattle transit .before the Privy 

 Council, or making an after-dinner speech, or rising 

 on a point of finance or a change in the prize-sheet at 

 the Smithfield Club and Hanover-square, come equally 

 natural to one " with the concentrated energy of half- 

 a-score of men." Riding-horses he does not keep ; 

 but the old black pony by Highflyer had thirteen 

 Primo foals, all black, with white ticks, seven colts 

 and six fillies, and averaging fourteen three. Dr. 

 Beevor's Bobby was used on these fillies, and from 

 them the present riding-stud had its origin. Every- 

 thing must be unique and pure of its kind. At 

 Aylesby the cats are all black, and the game-cocks 



