682 
Ecport on the Sheep ExMbitcd at Windsor. 
Diffusion of Useful Knowledge. It cannot, of course, be claimed 
that either list is completely exhaustive, but each is sufficiently 
indicative of the position of British breeds of sheep at the re- 
spective dates. 
The fifty Royal Shows which have been held need no justifica- 
tion, but if they did they would find the most remarkable testi- 
mony to their influence in the sheep section. Some of the most 
popular breeds of the present day owe their position very largely 
to the annual exhibitions of the " Royal." Where, for instance, 
to-day would the Shropsliires, the Oxford Downs, the Hampshire 
Downs, the Devon Loug-wools, and the Suffolks be but for the 
encouragement aud advertisement which the Royal Shows have 
given them ? All these breeds have practically sprung into 
fame during the past half-century, and all have been — as their 
friends are foremost to admit — indebted largely for their success 
to the support of the Royal Agricultural Society, 
Shearing. 
From the earliest Show downwards there has been more or 
less trouble about the shearing of the sheep exhibited. It 
culminated at the Worcester Show in 1863, when Mr. Dent, in 
his report as Steward, made some forcible remarks about the 
unfair shearing and the incessant clipping and trimming. He 
expressed a strong opinion that the Society should grapple with 
the question. At the next Show at Newcastle a regulation was 
adopted providing that all sheep should be "really and fairly 
shorn bare " after April 1 in the year of exliibition, and arranging 
for the appointment of " inspectors " to see that the regulation 
was carried out. A marked improvement was reported by the 
Stewards as the result, and the arrangement has been adopted 
ever since. It will be seen from the following report of the 
shearing inspectors at Windsor that the evil of unfair clipping 
is not yet quite killed, but there is no doubt that it has been 
" scotched " :— 
Report of the Inspectors of Shearing. 
From the late hour of arrival of a larg^e number of the sheep in the yard 
on Saturday morning we could not nearly complete our examination of the 
shearing. We now beg to state that we found the shearing of sheep much 
improved, in some Classes almost perfect ; yet at the same time we must say 
there were cases where the shepherd tried to test our judgment, endeavouring 
to improve the Icy of the sheep with a little false wool, though not in large 
quantities. Still, we found it so, and almost made an example of six or 
eight to malce them true to their work in future years. 
We have gone over the full yard of sheep again, and examined those 
uot forward on Saturday evening. AVe had marked ag-aiust three lots of 
