The Plymouth Meeting. 
567 
pen showed marked aptitude to fatten. The Judges observe that 
the breed has greatly improved since the Devon County and the 
various local agricultural associations have offered prizes for the 
Dartmoors, and they consider them worthy of a place in the 
annual prize sheet of the Royal Agricultural Society. 
Exrnoor. — Local effort was less successful in this case, for 
whereas Windsor attracted 20 entries from four different 
flocks, Plymouth only brought forward a dozen entries repre- 
senting three flocks, located near the centres of Barnstaple, 
North Molton, and Okehampton respectively. The Judges 
" feel it a pity that the home of this breed, which for the excel- 
lence of its mutton cannot be surpassed, and which always finds 
such a ready sale in the best markets, should be limited to 
such a narrow area." The first prize ram of Sir William 
Williams is a grand animal, fully maintaining every character- 
istic of the breed. Both prizes awarded in the shearling ram' 
class fell again to the same exhibitor, the first prize shearling 
being very firm both in wool and mutton, characters which so 
much denote a hardy constitution. A keen competition in the 
ewe class brought Mr. Richard Stranger to the front, although 
both his prize pens " bore evident marks of the trimmer's hand."' 
A nice even lot of ewes in Mr. Lethbridge's third prize pen 
might have occupied a higher place if their heads and horns 
had been truer to the type of the breed. 
Shearing. — The Inspector of Shearing (Mr. W. Jobson), 
who has had a very long experience in the work, reports that 
he found a still further improvement in the shearing of the 
sheep, and could not advise disqualification in any class, 
although there were five or six sheep he could not say were 
quite correct. 
Pigs. 
Large White Breed. — There were 50 entries of this breel. 
In the old boar class the two best pigs were disqualified, and as 
the Judges did not consider any of the remainder deserv ing of 
the leading honours at a Royal Show, they determined to with- 
hold the first prize. In the young boar class the first prize 
went to Mr. Sanders Spencer for a good pen of large size and 
uniform quality. There were a couple of very good pigs in the 
second prize pen, but the other was only of moderate quality. 
Breeding sows were an exceedingly good class, and whilst the 
first prize went to Mr. Duckering for a splendid sow, the prize 
animals of Mr. Spencer and Mr. Strickland were also of distin- 
guished merit. For sow pigs Mr. Spencer was first'' with a 
remarkably even pen of pigs cf fine quality.'' Mr. Joseph Nuttall's 
