Derby Prize-Farm Competition, 1881. 
465 
animals. At Croxden Abbey were a few cows only that had 
a place in the Herd-book; but even there, and certainly in all 
the other dairies, it was milk, and not meat, which held the first 
place. Now and then we came across a pedigree bull, but we 
were constantly told that those dairy-farmers who relied upon 
the Herd-book for their bulls, " soon pedigreed their milk away." 
The pure bulls used at Croxden had been selected with great 
care from Shorthorn tribes noted for their heavy milking pro- 
perties ; but it was only a few of the thoroughbred cows which 
proved themselves prolific milkers. It is a thousand pities that 
milk has been so little considered by most Shorthorn breeders. 
Doubtless the combination of meat and milk in the same animal 
is very difficult, and to transmit those qualities to succeeding 
generations is a harder problem than those who have not tried 
it might imagine. 'There are milking strains of Shorthorns con- 
taining as good dairy cows as any other breed ; but the majority 
of prize-takers at an agricultural show hardly produce enough 
milk to properly rear a calf. There is no doubt of the bad repute 
in which pedigree stock are held by most dairymen, and our 
national shows have in a great measure created that prejudice. 
As a rule, blood, fashion, and beef carry off the prizes, and milk 
is nowhere. We must hope that the Dairy Shows will correct this 
mistake, for it would be indeed a national misfortune if, in our 
efforts to produce a perfect frame and exquisite quality of flesh, 
the prolific milking properties of our cows were altogether 
forgotten. 
A lew long-woolled sheep are kept ; but by far the most 
numerous and profitable sheep appeared to us to be the Shrop- 
shires. Of these most excellent sheep we saw two or three 
very nice flocks, but the number of sheep around Derby has 
considerably diminished of late, and on many farms none are 
now kept. Sheep appeared to be allowed a pretty free run over 
the grass-land, and if many more were kept with such liberty, 
they would sadly interfere with the yield of the dairy. The 
Shropshire lambs were excellent, and many of them were quite 
fat, selling from 2 guineas to 46s. per head. Born in March, 
and fetching this price at the end of June, it appeared folly to 
keep them on through the winter. We also must confess that 
we were disappointed at the small progress made during the 
long period which elapses between July and May. The tegs 
were well wintered on cut turnips, hay, and cake, and yet 
did not seem to have grown or fattened upon such good keep 
as we should have expected. Even where there is a large extent 
of arable land the sheep are only fed upon the seeds during the 
spring and summer, and there is no attempt made to fold them 
on vetches or other green crops. Where the acreage under the 
