168 
The  Society's  Show  of  1904. 
exhibitors,  were  upon  the  whole  quite  up  to  tlie  average  of 
former  years,  displaying  great  uniformity  of  character,  with 
scarcely  an  exhibit  in  the  whole  section  that  was  not  worthy 
of  a commendation.  The  shearling  rams  (Class  152)  numbered 
nineteen  entries.  The  first  prize  animal  (No.  1273)  was  a 
“sire  of  great  merit,  with  plenty  of  masculine  character, 
hone,  with  the  right  sort  of  flesh,  good  in  his  wool  and  skin, 
hut  wanted  more  colour.”  The  second  prize  (No.  1278)  was 
a ram  of  the  “old  Shropshire  type,  ])ossessing  fine  constitution 
and  flesh,  good  in  wool  and  skin,  wanting  in  finish,  and  none 
too  good  in  his  hind  legs.”  The  pens  of  five  shearling  rams 
of  the  same  flock  (Cflass  153),  the  prizes  for  which  were 
provided  by  the  Shro])shire  Sheep  Breeders’  Association, 
were  described  by  the  Judge  as  the  “strongest  and  best  in 
the  section,  showing  great  uniformity  throughout.”  The 
first  prize  ])en  (No.  1296)  was  “well  to  the  front,  the  exhibits 
being  beautiful  in  colour,  character,  and  type,  good  in  their 
wool,  with  the  right  sort  of  flesh,  and  their  legs  well  placed.” 
The  second  prize  was  awarded  to  No.  1288,  a “pen  of  nice 
sheep,  true  to  type,  good  in  their  wool  and  hacks,  not 
particularly  good  in  their  skins,  and  lacking  size.”  Class  154, 
for  pens  of  ram  lambs,  was  a particularly  good  one,  containing 
many  exhibits  of  great  ])romise.  The  first  ])rize  j)en  (No. 
1305)  were  “beautiful  lambs,  ]>erfect  in  wool,  skin,  and 
character,  with  their  legs  well  jdaced,  and  looked  like  making 
first-class  sires.”  The  second  prize  pen  (No.  1301)  were  rams 
with  “nice  character,  good  wool  and  skins,  and  also  likely 
to  grow  into  good  useful  sires.”  The  shearling  ewes  (Cflass 
155)  only  contained  six  exhibits,  but  the  prize  animals  were 
of  “exceptional  merit,  and  a better  lot  than  the  first  prize  pen 
(No.  1310)  has  seldom  been  seen.  They  were  beautiful  in 
character,  style,  wool,  and  flesh,  with  legs  properly  placed.” 
The  second  j)rize  pen  (No.  1313)  were  of  “great  scale,  long, 
wide,  and  tleep,  with  good  wool  and  skins,  but  lacked  finish.” 
Tlie  ewe  lambs  ((flass  156)  all  received  mention,  and  the 
leading  pen  (No.  1321)  contained  beautiful  lambs  with 
j)erfect  fleeces  and  showing  a lot  of  good  breeding. 
Southdowns. — This  was  a most  meritoriously  represented 
breed,  with  ninety-seven  entries  in  five  classes,  from  seventeen 
flocks.  They  contained  a very  small  proj)ortion  of  inferior 
animals,  and  generally  were  shown  in  very  good  condition, 
few  being  excessively  fat.  The  two-shear  rams  (Class  157), 
the  ])rizes  for  which  were  offered  by  the  Southdown  Sheep 
