130 The Paris Fat Stock Show of 191 i. [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 11 J 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 was 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 country, added 

 to which there is a comparatively 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 



