CHAPTER X. 



FIRST GENERAL SHOW AT GLASGOW. 



In 1826, the Society made a decided advance. It moved 

 out of Edinburgh to hold the show, and very wisely it 

 selected Glasgow. With the change of site there was also 

 an extension in the prize list. In the schedule, which was 

 issued in February, the Society notes that ' it has observed 

 of late years with much satisfaction a decided spirit for 

 improving the various breeds of live stock,' and adds that 

 ' an earnest desire to promote such improvement by every 

 means within the power of the Society will at all times be 

 felt by the Directors.' We have seen that the Society was 

 very tentative in its movements towards any recognition of 

 breeding stock. It had offered prizes for cows of any 

 breed, and had failed to obtain any entries in terms of its 

 conditions. It had offered prizes for Shorthorn heifers 

 under two years old, and had no entries. It had offered 

 prizes for ' heifers under four years old, of any other breed 

 except Shorthorns,' and had only obtained two Galloways 

 and two West Highlanders. Coming, however, to the 

 west, the seat of the Ayr.shires, the Society ventured to 

 offer prizes for the best and second best Ayrshire cows, 

 and for the best pair of yearling heifers of the same breed. 

 It is curious to note that the first native breed, therefore, 

 which was distinctively recognised for encouragement as 

 breeding stock was the Ayrshire. At this show, for the 

 first time, too, we have an instance of the Magistrates of 

 the district in which the show was held coming forward 

 with offers of pecuniary support. The Lord Provost and 

 Magistrates of the city of Glasgow placed at the disposal 

 of the Committee of the Society the sum of £so> to be 

 given as extra prizes for competition. The Society resolved 

 that the money given by the Magistrates should be allocated 



