Report to the Gen&ral Meeting. vii 



entered for the Windsor Meeting, both to and from the Show ; and 

 they have every reason to believe that the same liberal concessions 

 in favour of the Society's Exhibitors, for the purpose of promoting 

 the objects of the Society, will, as in former years, be conceded 

 by the other Railway Companies to whom they have also applied. 

 The Council have taken measures for obtaining a greater number 

 of nominations from which to select the Judges for the Country 

 Meetings ; but they still feel the imperfection of all plans 

 hitherto adopted for their appointment. The Council duly 

 appreciate the great importance of a strict and impartial adjudi- 

 cation of the Society's prizes, by men not only disinterested in 

 themselves, but fully qualified by their abilities and experience 

 for the arduous task confided to them ; and the Council will 

 esteem it a favour if the Members of the Society at large will 

 from time to time transmit to them any suggestions that may 

 tend to promote this desirable object, and essentially to give 

 effect to that competition for excellence which the Society, by its 

 premiums, evinces so great a wish to excite. They have already 

 referred it to the Judges, as part of their duty, to ascertain and 

 report to the Council any failure in the due shearing of the 

 sheep, or any excess in the market-condition of the animals incon- 

 sistent with their character as breeding stock. They consider 

 that the higher the character of their Judges becomes, the more 

 powerfully will they be able to aid the Council in repressing 

 many of the abuses alleged to take place in the competition for 

 prizes. They also hope that the time is not far distant when the 

 judgments given in the Show-yard, in the case of Live Stock, 

 will be founded on v/ell-defined and acknowledged principles, 

 having reference, in each class, to some assigned standard of ex- 

 cellence : and that these judgments, although formed on less 

 distinct and constant data than in the case of implements, may 

 gradually approximate in some degree to uniform and consistent 

 results, that may prove, like those in the implement yard, satis- 

 factory, at the same time, both to the Judges and the competing 

 Exhibitors ; and thus tend to establish those points of form, 

 development, and quality which constitute perfection of breed in 



