Sept. 1, 1900.] THE TEOPIOAL 
AGRlCULTUElST. 
187 
A FARMER'S EVERY-DAY LIFE IN 
SCOTLAND. 
No XI. 
(By " Cosmopolite." ) 
AGRICULTUBAL SHOWS. 
The month of July is dedicated to the 
Agricultural Shows of Scotland, and, from 
the Borders to John o' Groat's, the roaring 
of cattle, neighing of horses and squealing 
of pigs awaken the many welkins of the land 
of the mountain and the flood. All papers, 
agricultural and otherwise, are crammed 
full of exciting prize lists of show animals, 
and even Chinese massacres and Boerish 
victories occupy but a secondary place in 
tlie news of the day. But six cohimns of 
cattle show% day by day, is a little trying, 
and with this '• white man's burden," tlie 
agricultural newspapers have been solidly 
and unreadably funereal for some time past. 
But in the boundless monotony of farming 
life, we could ill spare our cattle shows, 
and although the judging may not be all 
that we could desire, perhaps it is better 
for us " to bear the ills we have, than fly 
to others that we know not of." This year 
the judges have been more severely dealt 
with than usual, some of the exhibitors 
even going the length of refusing the tickets 
awarded to them, because the judging dis- 
pleased them so much, one special grie- 
vance being the fact that a first-prize ticket 
was act'.ially given to a horse bred by the 
judge himself, and said to be about 
the worst in the ring. Doubtless, there is 
much reason in the old farmer's remark, 
when, having been asked why he did not 
exhibit any of his fine stock at the shows, 
he replied : 
" FIRST BREED YOUR JUDGES." 
A good deal depends on luck in a show ring, 
but the best bit of luck that can come 
one's way is to have the judges as personal 
friends, or one of them the breeder of the 
animal you exhibit. I once got the ('liam- 
pion Cup for the best Clydesdale in the 
show-yard, and this prize I carried off 
with a filly that had bad splints on the fore- 
legs and was a shiverer ; but I only let 
her goto the Show just to please niy grieve, 
as I myself would never have drcMUit of 
sending her as a likely winner. But my 
luck must have been in good working order 
that day, although the result only made 
me, thereafter, lose what little confidence I 
had in show-yard judging. I do not know 
if the unsatisfactory judging has been the 
means of driving visitors away, bat the 
fact remains that Agricultural Shows are 
not so well attended, now-a-days, as formerly, 
and the fmly way to bring forward a bum- 
per attendance is by introducing into the 
programme a military tournament or a 
Punch-and-Judy sliow. Last year the great 
attraction at one of these Shows, down south, 
was a prize given to the " ugliest dog in 
the show-y.arcl." This novelty was so effec- 
tive that the sum collected at the gate was 
" a record." 1 drew the attention of our 
local Agricultural Show Committee to this, 
and said that I thought 1 could put my 
hand on six or eight dogs, in this district, 
that, for ugliness, would take a deal of 
beating and make an exciting competition. 
I even advised them to go one better thcin 
this, and include the ugliest owner, 
so as to make a pair. Ugly people do not 
often have a chance to win prizes, and this 
would be a gr.ind opening for theui, and I 
think it highly probable that such a com- 
petition will be included in the programme 
of our next season's cattle show, 
THE HOLIDAY EXCURSION SEASON 
has been in full swing during the past month, 
and the picnic hat is gaily blooming tra-la-, 
so that farmers liave been pestered by trip- 
pers trespassing over their parks, leaving 
their gates open, and making 'themselves an 
abominable nuisance in general. Trains, in 
consequence of the travelling crovvds, have 
been systematically behind time, and cattle 
trucked for certain markets are apt to 
arrive after the sale is over. The trippers 
never think of these things,— what do they 
care for a hereafter, absolutely nothing? — so 
long £is they can get their own enjoyment, 
let the farmers look after themselves ; and 
this we have had to do, sometimes with 
very bad grace I must admit, praying all 
the time that the end of the picnic season 
might soon come, when the revellers will 
stay quietly at home, and swear off the 
fermented juices of the vine, the barley, the 
potato and the gooseberry. 
Our cattle also are greatly disturbed by 
the omnibuses and char a t)ancs driving past, 
the rioters shouting lustily at the top of 
their voices, generally accompanied by an 
artist on an accordion, who, between the 
songs, drives dull care away by solemn and 
uncertain airs with variations. On one oc- 
casion I found my cattle, with tails erect, 
galloping for dear life, and then there burst 
on my view, driving along the road, a huge 
picnic party headed by a braiie contiiining 
the town band, which had been com- 
mandeered for the occasion, the drum, which 
met witii such a terrible accident on Lady- 
smith night, having been eriectually re- 
paired. As the party drove pa^t me, they 
were letting off a song of joy of their own 
composition, and I plugged my ears with 
my fingers and hastened away to see that 
none of my cattle had been terrified to death 
by these outrageous junketers. 
THE CROPS. 
Had a stranger visited our district this time 
last year, and then come again now, he would 
scarcely be inclined to believe that it was the 
same place. Last year we were suffering 
from severe droug-ht, the grass was burned 
up, the hay crop was almost nil, corn was 
short in the stravv?, and turnips were a complete 
failure. This year, owing to a warm and 
drippy season, everything is looking its very 
best, and, taking my own farm as a sam[)le 
of the district, I never saw sucir a quantity 
of grass, 1 never cut a heavier crop of hay, 
my turnips are simply perfect, and my oats 
have the appearance of proving a profitable 
crop. I am not one of those whose cry is 
always a larnent ; when there is anythiDg 
to be grateful for, I am glad to show my 
gratitude ; and this year our crops leave 
nothing to be desired, except that 
PRICKS 
may rule high when the time comes for us 
to sell. Beef and mutton continue at a 
satisfactory price, and, in this respect, the 
