428 Report to the Council on the Cattle exhibited at Newcastle. 
merit." Mr. Parkinson says : " Every one must admit tliat the 
shorthorns were very well represented. With regard to the aged 
bulls, although they might be called a good class, particularly 
upon first sight, and probably, taken as a class, equal to former 
shows, still I think they were very inferior to the cows and 
heifers. The prize bull, No. 6, although a very fine animal of 
great substance and quality, with good hair and good looks, 
wanted the style and length of quarters so requisite for a first- 
class Shorthorn. We all thought him much superior to any of 
the rest, but very much inferior to others that have taken the same 
prize upon other occasions." I think the public had rather a 
higher opinion of them, and considered this as a remarkably 
even class of good animals. 
There was more difference in the two-year-old bulls, who were 
not, with one or two exceptions, of the highest stamp. The 
yearlings made up a very large class, on which it was not easy to 
decide, and the ultimate decision gave rise to some criticism. 
Mr. Parkinson writes of them : "In Class 3 we had great diffi- 
culty in making our award. I now think if we made a mistake, 
it was in not rejecting 51, and placing No. 46 the third." Mr. 
Wiley merely remarks, it was a fair, good class. I think that 
in this and the next class, although there were not many animals 
of the highest style of excellence, some very good useful animals 
were shown, many of which were sold at satisfactory prices. 
The judges and the public generally considered all the 
female classes good. Of the cows, Mr. Parkinson writes : 
" The class of cows was very good. I do not think there 
could be a doubt as to the prize cow being quite deserving 
her high station. And in giving the other prizes in that class, 
we showed that the high fed ones did not, of necessity, obtain 
prizes." This class was generally commended ; and, in spite of 
some extravagance of feeding in all the animals, presented a very 
fine show of robust Shorthorns. The two judges who communi- 
cated with me, speak highly of the heifer classes, in which some 
of the high-priced animals of the Townley herd had to yield the 
pride of place ; and as a proof of the general excellence of the 
show, Mr. Parkinson says : — " I have little to add of the heifer 
classes, except that they promise well to keep up the character of 
the show in future years. I may also say that I never saw so 
few inferior animals in a show-yard." 
The Shorthorns came from all parts of the united kingdom, 
and many of the old breeders found it no easy matter to main- 
tain their position against new rivals. The Scotch sent twenty- 
seven animals, and were most successful, carrying off the first 
and second prizes in the aged bull class, the first in the two-year 
old, and the second in the yearling bull classes. In the cows, 
