The  Gloucester  Show,  1909. 
183 
induced  the  R.A.S.E.  Council  to  provide  no  less  than  ten  classes 
for  the  breed,  and  there  is  every  indication  that  this  action  was 
duly  appreciated  by  the  breeders  seeing  the  number  of  entries 
they  made.  The  shearling  ewes  (novice)  were  very  strong, 
and  the  prize  winners  in  the  class  for  ewe  lambs  were  the  best 
the  Judges  had  seen  for  years. 
Devon  Longwools. — Class  276  was  an  uneven  lot  of  rams, 
but  the  first  and  second  prize  winners  were  big  specimens 
of  the  breed.  The  first  in  Class  277  (shearling  rams)  was  a 
grand  sheep  and  a very  good  type  of  the  breed.  The  second 
was  rather  of  South  Devon  character.  The  third  was  of  very 
good  quality,  but  hardly  big  enough.  All  the  entries  in  Class 
278  (three  shearling  ewes)  were  very  good. 
South  Devons. — The  two-shear  ram  class  did  not  attract  a 
large  number  of  exhibitors,  but  the  individual  exhibits  were 
good.  The  shearling  ram  class  brought  out  a great  many 
exhibits,  twenty  coming  before  the  Judges,  a large  number  of 
the  sheep  shown  being  typical  of  the  breed.  The  Judges  were 
pleased  to  note  that  the  wool  of  most  was  of  uniform  quality, 
but  still  further  improvements  might  be  made  in  this  direction. 
The  winning  pen  of  ram  lambs  was  of  exceptional  merit, 
being  big  with  plenty  of  wool  of  good  quality. 
Dartmoors. — The  class  for  rams,  two-shear  and  upwards, 
produced  only  three  entries,  but  they  were  all  of  exceptional 
merit.  The  Judges  considered  the  winning  sheep  in  this  class 
a good  specimen  of  the  breed,  being  big  with  wool  of  very 
good  quality.  The  shearling  ram  class  contained  some  animals  * 
which  were  typical  representatives  of  this  popular  breed,  but 
in  the  opinion  of  the  Judges  the  ears  of  some  of  the  exhibits 
were  too  long. 
Exmoors. — These  were  an  exceptionally  grand  lot.  Never 
have  there  been  so  many  entries  (which  totalled  twenty-two)  or 
sheep  possessing  so  much  merit  in  the  history  of  the  breed. 
The  old  ram  class  was  much  admired,  although  the  exhibits 
numbered  only  five.  The  shearling  ram  class  was  well  filled, 
and  contained  some  fine  specimens  which  were  a credit  to  the 
breed,  possessing  plenty  of  good  wool  and  being  full  of  flesh. 
The  shearling  ewes  were  a good  class,  typical,  and  of  excellent 
quality. 
Cheviots. — These,  as  a whole,  were  very  good,  especially 
the  old  sheep  and  the  shearling  ewe  classes.  The  shearling 
rams  were  not  quite  so  good  as  usual,  but  the  Show  being  held 
so  far  away  from  the  home  of  the  breed,  the  number  of  exhibits 
was  very  small. 
Lonks. — The  Judge  was  pleased  to  see  an  improvement 
in  the  Lonk  classes.  The  first  prize  winners  were  well  up 
to  standard. 
