SHOWS AT EDINBURGH. 169 



gether thirty animals. There were three pens of black- 

 faced, two of Cheviots, t\\'o of Leicesters ; and for the first 

 time Southdowns appeared. Three pens were shown. In 

 the class of Southdown wethers the prize was gained by 

 Mr Wilkie, Niddrie, with animals bred by Mr Grahame, 

 Broxie Farm, Perthshire. In the class of Cheviot wethers 

 the prize was awarded to Mr Wilson, House of Hill, with 

 wethers bred by Mr Fraser, Dell, Inverness-shire. Mr 

 Wilson also obtained the prize for blackfaced wethers. 

 Besides the sheep entered among the competing stock, 

 there were fifty head as extra stock. Of these, twenty were 

 blackfaced wethers, exhibited by Mr Archibald Wilson, for 

 which he obtained the honorary medal. These sheep were 

 in very high condition, and were reckoned to weigh 28 lbs. 

 Dutch per quarter. In the extra class were some excellent 

 Leicester wethers, shown by Mr Dickson, Dunse, who sold 

 them at £4. each. 



A few pigs were entered. The only prizes offered 

 were for the best boar or sow, the premium for the best 

 boar being awarded to Mr Rennie of Phantassie for an 

 animal of the Bedford breed, three years old. No premium 

 was awarded for the pigs. 



At this show, for the first time, appeared some excel- 

 lent agricultural implements, exhibited by Mr Morton, 

 Leith Walk, and Mr Kirkwood, Tranent. Mr Barclay 

 of Ury also appeared for the first time in the Society's 

 annals, bringing up for exhibition 'a sample of his Georgian 

 oats, and kindly explaining to the company its various 

 good qualities.' It is added that 'a great many demands 

 were made on him for supplies.' A contemporary account 

 of this show expresses gratification at the fact ' that the 

 Scottish farmer had now begun to give that attention to 

 the rearing and feeding of live stock, his deficiency in 

 which had hitherto been the weak point in his system.' 



In 1825, the Society held their show on Wednesday 

 the 7th December, the place of meeting being, as usual, 

 the area behind Queensberry House. The attendance was 

 greater than at any former show, the sum realized for ad- 



