Report of Stock Prizes Committee. 
lxxvii 
hoped that the recommendation of the 
Stock Prizes Committee would not he 
adopted. 
Mr. Stratton said that, as he had 
brought this matter before the Stock 
Prizes Committee, he might say a few 
words on the subject. It was a very 
old grievance so far as Aberdeen 
Angus breeders were concerned. It 
involved no injury to any other breed, 
as there were no competitive prizes 
between Aberdeen Angus and other 
breeds. The reason why the change 
was desired was that for forty or fifty 
years — ever since the establishment 
of their Herd Book — the Polled Cattle 
Society had established December 1 
as the date for the commencement of 
their year, and so they got their cattle 
to calve as early as they could in the 
winter. Some 60 per cent, of the 
pure-bred Aberdeens were born in 
December. Consequently, if the ages 
dated from January 1, the animals 
calved in December had to compete 
with animals of a different age from 
the great majority. 
The Highland Society, a perfectly 
independent body, had seen the force 
of the argument used by the Polled 
Cattle Society, and had granted their 
request. They dated their ages from 
January 1, except for the Aberdeen 
Angus breed, which dated from Decem- 
ber 1. The same applied to the Bath 
and West Society. Why should the 
Royal insist upon a symmetrical con- 
dition which damaged the Aberdeen 
Angus people, and caused a vast deal 
of unpleasantness and great prejudice 
against the Society ? His proposal 
had been passed by the Stock Prizes 
Committee last year, but it was with- 
drawn in deference to the fact that 
they were in a state of transition, and 
it was thought best to leave the matter 
to the decision of the new Council. 
He hoped that the new Council would 
not affront a very important section 
of breeders of one of the most impor- 
tant breeds of cattle in the kingdom, 
and simply for the sake of uniformity, 
the absence of which would do no 
harm to anybody. 
Mr. Greaves thought it a great 
injustice that any one breed of cattle 
should have a special advantage. 
Take the case of a man going round 
the Royal Show. He looked at the 
different breeds, but when he came to 
the Aberdeen Angus tie would notice 
that they were finer animals, and he 
would not observe from the catalogue 
that they were a month older. It 
would be most unwise for the new 
Council to bring a hornets’ nest about 
their ears. 
Mr. Rea thought it would be rather 
short-sighted to run counter to the 
wishes of the Polled Cattle Society. 
That Society had asked the North- 
umberland Agricultural Society to 
alter the date, so that it might corre- 
spond with their own arrangements. 
Personally he opposed this at the 
time, as he did not think it just. 
But the request was acceded to, and 
he must say that there had been no 
subsequent jealousy on the part of 
other breeds. He thought every 
society should be at liberty to make 
its own regulations as to age. 
Mr. Thornton said that the Polled 
Cattle Society had originally made 
the rule in connection with the Show 
of the Smithfield Club. That was 
really the origin of the trouble. 
The President then put the 
question, and the motion to refer this 
matter back to the Committee was 
carried by sixteen votes to three. 
Education Committee. 
Lord Moreton (Chairman) reported 
the Committee’s concurrence with the 
proposal to appeal to the Government 
for an annual grant in aid of the 
Education and Scientific branches of 
the Society’s work. 
Mr. Ralph Palmer, referring to 
the speech of the Chairman of the 
Derbyshire County Council, said he 
had had the honour as an officer of a 
London Society to deal with a con- 
siderable deputation from the north 
headed by Sir J. Wolfe Barry, who 
desired to know whether the London 
Society could not see its way to grant 
Certificates in Agriculture, saying that 
the Royal Agricultural Society itself 
did little or nothing in this direction. 
There was undoubtedly a growing 
need for the inclusion of agriculture 
with other trades in the assistance 
afforded for the purposes of improved 
scientific education. He hoped that 
in connection with all the applications 
