G92 Report on the Sheep Exhibited at Windsor. 
The sheep throughout possess true Shropshire type, and are exceptionally 
good in their wool. The competition between the First (Mr. Graham's) and 
Second (Mr. Farmer's) Prize pens was very close, both pens being exceedingly 
good — in fact, it is some years since we saw better specimens exhibited. 
The Third Prize pen (Mr. Barre's) are big useful animals, of good character 
and wool. 
Charles Coxox. 
Peter Everall. 
SOUTHDOWNS. 
The Southdowns are the aristocrats of the sheep classes. 
Their pedigree is older than the peerage, for, according to Mr. 
Spooner, they " can trace a long line of pure descent from a 
period antecedent to William the Conqueror." At the latter 
end of the last century, John Ellman, of Glynde, did much the 
same for the Southdowns as Bakewell did for the Leicesters. 
Whether he sought improvement from the " outside " (and of 
this there is no definite evidence at all) or not, the improvement 
which he effected was very great. Nor did efforts at improve- 
ment end with him. As the Southdowns extended over the 
country they tended towards somewhat diverse types. Lord 
Western, writing to Lord Spencer about forty years ago,' said, 
" Hook upon what is commonly called a Southdown to be now 
a very different animal from the little pure Southdown of fifty 
years ago." This tendency to differ led to a dispute which has 
become famous. At the Manchester Show, in 1869, Mr. T. 
Ellman, who was one of the Judges of Southdowns, differed from 
his two colleagues, and presented a lengthy report explaining 
the reasons for his dissent. He objected, because, in his opinion, 
prizes had been awarded to sheep which were untrue to type 
and which displayed a tendency to substitute " quantity " for 
" quality and form." " This," said Mr. Ellman, " is a heterodox 
(sic) which I cannot subscribe to. It is diametrically opposed to 
the teaching of the Bakewell school." Mr. W. Wells, who was 
Senior Steward of Live Stock at Manchester, and who accord- 
ingly wrote the Report,^ summed up the dispute judicially by 
allowing that an impression certainly prevailed in the Showyard 
that, with respect to not a few of the sheep exhibited, there 
was room for criticism as regarded their lack of uniformity of 
character. He added, " one cannot but consider that he who 
watches over the sources of any of our great national breeds of 
stock, with, it may be, even an excess of jealousy, is fulfilling a 
useful part in his generation." 
From the first there have been, as a matter of course, 
' Quoted in Journal, Vol. X. 1st Series (1849), p. 433. 
2 Journal, Vol. V. 2nd Series (1869), p. 524. 
