876 = 610 Tlie Royal Agricultural Society of England. 
Confined to 
breeding 
stock. 
Increase in, 
the number 
of breeds. 
Paris Exhibition in 1878. But, on the other hand, it may bj|| 
confidently asserted that the prizes offered by the Royal AgriiB 
cultural Society during the last fifteen years for some of the les 
widely known breeds of animals of the farm, coupled with th 
regulations attached to the competitions, have given fixity c 
type and increased excellence to Sussex, Jersey, and other breed 
of cattle ; as well as to Hampshire Downs, Oxfordshire Down; 
Shropshire, and other breeds of sheep. Further than this, th 
historians of our several breeds of farm-animals concur in main 
taining that the average representatives of all breeds now posses 
that quality which is known as " early maturity " to a greate 
extent than their progenitors. Premising that the efforts of th 
Society are confined almost entirely to the improvement c 
breeding animals, and that the Judges are prohibited from takin: 
into account the value of the animals to the butcher, it seem 
not unreasonable to ascribe much of this early maturity to th 
application of experience gained in the endeavour to " mak 
up" animals for show purposes.* On the other hand, thes 
efforts not unfrequently have a prejudicial effect upon th 
breeding qualities of the animals, and therefore some breeder 
no longer run the risk of permanently injuring their mos 
valuable animals by preparing them for show. This con 
sideration, however, does not affect the value of steers or wether 
forced for the butcher, and although the overfeeding of breeding 
stock is an admitted evil, and frequently a serious loss to thos' 
who practise it, some compensation may have been obtainet 
by the knowledge of the principles of the fattening process thu 
gained, and by their application to ordinary farm practice. 
For many years the prizes for live stock offered by the Roya 
Agricultural Society were confined to the breeds of Shorthorn 
Hereford, and Devon cattle ; Leicester and Southdown sheep 
Pigs, without distinction as to size or colour, and two or three 
classes of Horses, together with an open class for " other breed: 
of cattle," and another for " other breeds of sheep." The praC' 
tice of encouraging the exhibition of local breeds commenced 
however, as early as 1844, when the Society's Show was held a 
Southampton, and special prizes were offered for Channel Islan( 
cattle. The plan was followed at Shrewsbury, in 1845, am 
Newcastle, in 1846, by the offer of prizes for " Sheep best adaptet 
to a Mountain district;" and at the latter meeting the classei 
* It should be mcntioued that the Shows of the Smithfield Club, which Mi 
held annually, about a fortnight before Christmas, have of late had a direct baM| 
ing: upon the attainment of tho quality of " early maturity " in the standiW 
brce<ls of sheep and cattle. With this view, classes for young steers and for fl^ 
lambs have been introduced, a limit has been placed upon the ages of .old 
eligible for competition, and the classes for old sheep have beeuabolished altogetlnr 
