692 
Tlie late George Turner. 
early took charge of a farm in his own neighbourhood, from 
which, three years later, he migrated to a larger one at Barton, 
near Exeter, of which he was the tenant during the greater part 
of his active life. Holding ultimately 350 acres there, some 
200 acres at Halescombe, smaller outlying farms elsewhere, 
and upwards of 200 acres at Great Bowley, which was the 
family property, he had at one time nearly 1100 acres in hand, 
giving ample scope for all the agricultural skill and energy at 
his command. His reputation as a farmer rests chiefly upon 
his herd and flock, of which the credit must, for the most part, 
be attributed to his own skill as a stock-breeder. The flock was, 
however, to some extent selected by the father, who during many 
years used to take an annual journey on horseback into some of 
the eastern and midland counties, and on some of those occa- 
sions brought back with him sheep from the flocks of Mr. Burgess 
and other well-known Leicester breeders, paying occasionally 
prices for rams rivalling the highest prices now reported. 
Mr. Turner's reputation as a Devon breeder hinges probably, 
to some extent, on the herd handed down to him in the outset 
of his career ; but latterly, of course, and for half a century 
and more, he had depended on his own skill in selection from 
the material at his command. How great that skill was is 
proved by the successes achieved at almost all the annual Shows 
of the English Agricultural Society and those of the Bath and 
West of England Society. From 1840 onwards the Barton flock 
and herd won prizes at the annual Shows of the Royal Agricul- 
tural Society ; and when the Bath and West of England Society 
held its Meeting at Dorchester, of the thirteen cattle and sheep 
sent, every one received a prize. From a list before me I see that 
two first prizes were won at Cambridge and Liverpool in 1840 
and 1841 ; four, three, four, and three at the succeeding Meetings 
at Derby, Southampton, Shrewsbury, and Newcastle ; no fewer 
than five at Gloucester, four at Lincoln, six at Carlisle in 1853, 
1854, and 1855 ; and as many as eight at Canterbury in 1860, 
He exhibited also at the International Show at Paris, where, 
with Jonas Webb, he shared the honour of conducting the 
Emperor and Empress round the English classes. He both 
took prizes there, and sold the animals he exhibited. He had, 
indeed, received more than five hundred prizes in all during 
his career. This unvarying success was of course due not only 
to good judgment and skill in the selection of animals, but to 
constant carefulness and industry in the management of the 
farm. One of his most noteworthy characteristics was his 
constant industry and activity, shown both on the farm and off 
it. After a long day spent, whether in sport or in the fields, 
there was no listless evening, but earnest occupation — reading, 
