Mr. Watsons and Mr. Brown s Pigs. 85 



the scene of some very dashing bids by Mr. Saunders, 

 when the herd was dispersed, is a little further down 

 the line ; and so is Blennerhasset, that Sebastopol 

 of the vegetarians, where the engines "Cain" and 

 "Abel" groan on their miry way, where a professor 

 is ever composing manures, and where Christmas was 

 kept with apples and biscuits, potatoes, and oilcake 

 sauce. 



A Saturday Reviewer once directed our attention 

 to the fact that we seem to regard a country as be- 

 nighted, except in those spots which are hallowed by 

 the presence or recollection of some distinguished 

 thing on four feet. If this be so, very little of that 

 Cumberland landscape was in shadow, as we passed 

 through the two greyhounds in stone at Mr. Watson's 

 gates, and looked over it from his garden terrace. 

 This ex-Cumberland champion of the pig lists began 

 with the Lady Solway* breed, and then gave Mr. 

 Unthank five guineas for a little sow pig of Sober 



* This foundress of the Solway House blood was sent by Mr. George 

 Donald from Newtown House, near Durham, to the late Mr. Wester 

 Wilson, of Thistlewood. She was a combination of Mason of Chilton's 

 and Ferguson of Catterick's blood, and her daughter, Lady Solway, 

 was a prize winner at the Bristol Royal, as well as at several local 

 shows. Mr. Brown, of The High, had some of the sort, and they pro- 

 duced several fine lengthy pigs. Besides Liberator, Mr. Watson used 

 another of his blood, and also bought Protection (a first at Carlisle and 

 Whitehaven) from Mr. Unthank, for a double dip into Thormanby. 

 Mr. Watson showed first at the Highland and Agricultural Society's 

 Perth meeting in 1850, and Carlisle, Chelmsford, and Salisbury in 

 1 855-57 were his three most successful Royal meetings. He never 

 showed at the Smithfield Club ; but he won two prizes at Bingley Hall, 

 after he gave up The Royal. His piggery was not large, and he had at 

 no trme more than four sows, and generally sold their produce at 10/. to 

 15/. off the teat. The breed had a great run while the trade lasted. 

 Mr. Majoribanks gave 25/. each for some sows, and Mr. Wilson (for the 

 Prince Consort and the Duke of Richmond), and Messrs. Crisp and 

 Mangles (a pupil of Mr. Watson's father) had all a taste. Mr. Brown's 

 showing career lasted for nearly twelve years, and the small breed paid 

 him best. Liberator, Lord Wenlock, Thormanby (first at the Norwich 

 Royal), and Wenlock (first at the Newcastle Royal) were his leading 

 boars ; and Liberator went from his styes at a high price to Australia. 



