560 
Report of the Live-Stock 
whom it can exercise but imperfect control. At Reading the 
first-named of these inevitable associates was distinctly 
treacherous ; and the second a somewhat inadequate assistant. 
But the third came forward with such generous and efficient 
support, that the Society's honour is a gainer by the Exhibi- 
tion, whatever may be the result to the treasury. 
There have been, no doubt, previous occasions upon which 
some one variety of live-stock has been more splendidly illus- 
trated than at Reading. There have been, in sheep and cattle, 
individual specimens which stood out with greater distinctness 
among their fellows than any which can be named in 1882. 
Still, after having seen the majority of the Society's Shows 
since that held in Northampton in 1848, one may say that 
so comprehensive a display of the various breeds of farm stock 
cultivated in England has never been seen before ; nor yet a 
collection in which the average standard of merit in each class 
w^as so uniformly high. No variety peculiar to Wales was to 
be seen. The Galloway cattle and Herdwick sheep of the Lake 
•district were unrepresented. Indeed, the whole of the black 
breeds of cattle were, except for a couple of little Kerry cows, 
" conspicuouslv absent." And so, too, were the horned Dorset 
sheep and the peculiar breed of Downs which is now called 
Suffolk. And, although it might be possible to call to mind other 
local sub-varieties of sheep, as Lonks, Wensleydales, and Cheviots, 
which did not put in an appearance, it will still remain true 
that the live-stock of this country were extraordinarily well 
shown at Reading, both as to numbers and as to quality. The 
weakest point of the Show was the section which opens the 
Catalogue. Partly from the classification into which the Society 
has drifted ; but still more by reason that a preparation for the 
Society's Meetings would clash with the busiest part of the 
breeding season, entires and mares (cart-horses) are not shown to 
anything like the extent which is desirable. But perhaps it is 
the function of a reporter to enumerate rather than to criticise ; 
to say what was present, rather than to find reasons why anything 
was not. 
Yet, even so, some preliminary remarks seem necessary. The 
arrangement, recently adopted by the Society, of including in 
a class all the produce of some one year, acts beneficially for 
horses and sheep (which have one common and limited season 
for breeding) ; but it, certainly, is not so well suited for 
cattle in the younger stages of growth, because cattle breed all 
the twelve months through ; nor yet is it fitting for swine, whose 
litters are not desirable in the very depth of winter. A recon- 
sideration, in some instances, seems expedient if the general con- 
venience be worth taking into account. " Calved in 1882, but 
