130 
The Paris Fat Stock Show of 191 1. [may, 
the first prize in their respective classes of long- and short- 
woolled crosses. The former weighed 3 cwt* 1 qr. 25 lb. at 
12J- months, and the latter 2 cwt. 3 qr. 13 lb. at nj months, 
whereas the Southdown-Berrichon that was awarded the 
second prize in the short-woolled cross weighed 3 cwt. 2 qr. 
19 lb. at 12 months. 
These specimens did not enable a distinction to be drawn 
between the merits of these two crosses, but it would appear 
that the Berrichon is the best amongst the French breeds for 
crossing with either of the English ones. 
An interesting cross was that of the Southdown-Bizet, in 
which the improvement of the native breed Avas decidedly 
marked. The. Dishley-Merino also showed a striking im- 
provement on the famous wool-producing breed. There was 
a small class of pure Merinos, and although much has been 
done in France to improve the flesh production of this breed, 
it still looks somewhat out of place at a fat stock show. 
This is, in fact, true, judging from an English standard, of 
most of the other breeds exhibited : the Berrichon, the Laura- 
guais, the race of the Pyrenees, the Bizet, the Montagne- 
Noire, and the Lacaune. They all have large heads, narrow 
backs, long legs, and a poor covering of flesh, and, judging 
from the small patch that it is customary to leave on either 
flank of an animal exhibited on the Continent, the wool is 
not nearly good enough to make up for these deficiencies. 
Some of the breeds, such as the Lauraguais, are kept 
primarily for milk. 
It is perhaps unfair to judge the French breeds by the 
English standard, as in Fiance neither the system of cultiva- 
tion nor of land tenure are conducive to the rearing of a 
similar class of sheep to those found in this countrv, added 
to which there is a comparativelv small demand for mutton. 
The demand for mutton could, no doubt, be increased by a 
general improvement in the class of meat placed on the 
market, and this could, perhaps, best be done by a more 
general use of English breeds for grading-up the native 
animals. 
Pigs. — The pigs were mostly Craonnais and Normands, 
with a number of crosses between these breeds, and a few 
Yorkshires. The Prix d'Honneur for the best pig was 
