Report on the Exhibition of Live-Stock at Taunton. 619 
amongst " other breeds." Lord Chesliam has done much for 
the Shropshires ; and the new President of the Society was amply 
rewarded at Taunton, where he gained the first prize and a high 
commendation witli two shearling rams, the second prize with a 
two-shear ram, and the first prize with his pen of shearling ewes. 
yir. Pulley was third to him in the first and last of these classes, 
and beat him with a two-shear ram, which had a deal of style, 
and all the characteristics of the Hereford Shropshires. Lord 
I Falmouth, who carried all before him with his Shropshires at 
the Truro Show" the week after, was not so fortunate at Taunton, 
for he did not obtain a mention in either of the three classes. 
The Judges, as will be seen by their Report here appended, 
are of opinion that the breeders of Shropshire sheep are now 
pretty unanimous as to the points which they should endeavour 
to develop in their flocks, and they have already done much to 
prove that they are likely to attain the summit of their desires : — 
Again the breeders of these sheep have contributed largely and very credit- 
ably to the Royal Society's Shovvyaid, and the animals they have exhibited 
testify to the fact that their owners are mainly agreed as to the character they 
should seek to establish in their flocks. Each year gi-eater uniformity is seen 
iu the pens of Shropshires, and few are shown which do not possess that com- 
bination of heavy flesh, strong constitution, good quality of mutton, and heavy 
wool, which, the breeders of these sheep maintain, enable them to produce more 
meat and wool, per acre, in districts suited to them, than any other kind of 
siieep will do. The remarkable way in which they have spread over the 
' Midland Counties during the last twenty years testifies strongly to this ; and as 
they are beginning to find their way into the far north, their patrons believe 
that their hardihood will enable them to maintain that character there. 
The shearling ram class had 54 entries, nearly all of which do high credit to 
their breeders. The first-prize sheep was an exceedingly good one, combining 
all the size we want with rare form atid quality ; the second and third were very 
good specimens of what Shropshires should be ; and the reserve number a little 
model of form and quality, but wanting that masculine character which a sire 
of rent-paying sheep should possess. Lord Chesham has in a short time done 
wonders as a breeder. If he can combine the form and quality of this sheep 
with the size and grandeur of his first-prize shearling, he will run small risk 
of losing his present position. 
Class 81 — Bams of any other age — contained 16 entries, and several useful 
sheep were shown ; but nothing in this class calls for any particular comment 
from us. 
In Class 82 — Shearling Ewes — there were 11 entries. The first prize, 
No. 841, was a very fine symmetrical pen of ewes ; the second ])rize, No. 843, 
showed a great deal of character; and the third-prize pen, No. 839, was a 
very useful pen of sheep. No. 836, the reserved number, contained some good 
ewes, but not so uniform in character and wool. 
Upon the whole we considered the sheep generally bore a favourable com- 
parison with those shown in any former year. 
Thomas Horley, Jun. 
Charles R. Keeling. 
C. Rakdell. 
The Hampshire Downs, and other Short-wools not qualified to 
2 s 2 
