July 8, 1880. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
37 
HOME FARM 
POULTRY, PIGEON, AND BEE CHRONICLE. 
THE ROYAL COUNTIES (HANTS AND BERKS) 
AGRICULTURAL SHOW. 
This is the third time within eight years that this Society has 
visited Portsmouth, and on this occasion it was upon a greatly 
extended scale as compared with its first meeting. Although it 
rained steadily the whole of the first day, yet on the three suc¬ 
ceeding days the weather was fine, inducing the public to visit 
the Exhibition in very large numbers, and in consequence the 
meeting has proved not only successful as an exhibition, but also 
financially. Having reported upon the Show on each previous 
occasion, we have now only to remark that it has this time far 
exceeded in importance any former meeting as a spectacle and 
opportunity for the home Tarmer, and business men generally, to 
compare and estimate the merits of the various kinds of cattle 
exhibited, and the use and objects of the large and varied collec¬ 
tion of agricultural implements and labour-saving machinery. 
The manner in which the Show yard was laid out, and the general 
management of the Show, reflects the greatest credit upon the 
Committee and Stewards, and particularly upon the worthy Secre¬ 
tary, Mr. Henry Downs of Basingstoke, whose unremitting exer¬ 
tions and courtesy was highly commended. 
We propose to make our remarks on the Exhibition as the classes 
occurred in the printed catalogue, taking the sheep first. Class 1, 
Hampshire or West County Down sheep, for the best shearling ram, 
four entries.—First prize (£10) to Mr. Alfred Morrison, Fonthill, 
Wilts ; second prize, Mr. F. R. Moore, Pewsey, Wilts. The sheep, 
four in number, shown in this class belonged to flocks which have 
for a number of years taken a leading position ; in fact, ever since 
the flocks of Mr. Jas. Rawlence and the late Mr. Humphry have 
ceased to be exhibited in the Hampshire Down classes. The 
latter are very much missed, for although the prize animals, as 
stated above, have been certainly amongst the best for some 
years past, still they are not to be compared with the stocks of 
Messrs. Rawlence and Humphry. It is a great loss to breeders 
of the present day that these breeds had not been preserved in 
all their purity by some eminent breeders, for Mr. Humphry 
once told us that it was over twenty years before he had esta¬ 
blished the fixity of type and character his sheep possessed. We 
find, however, that nearly all the best sheep of the present time 
are derived from the blood of these two celebrated flocks ; and as 
we cannot expect in our time to see such sheep again, yet they 
will ever be remembered as a type, and object to be attained if 
possible in the future by our most eminent and enterprising 
breeders of Hampshire and West County Downs. 
Class 3, for the best ram of any age, three entries.—First and 
seeond prize to Mr. F. R. Moore, both of which sheep were really 
good animals, in proof of which Mr. James Read of Honington, 
Salisbury, was a competitor with a good animal which was 
highly commended. Class 3, for the best pen of five shearling 
ewes, four entries.—First prize to Mr. James Read of Homing- 
ton ; second prize, Mr. R. F. Moore of Pewsey, Wilts. The first- 
prize ewes were fine lengthy animals, well made up by feeding, 
and they richly deserved their position. The only defect we 
noticed in these ewes was their long light necks, or scrag as it 
is called, with a rather thin shoulder top ; still in this respect they 
are improved as compared with Mr. Read’s former exhibits. The 
second-prize ewes were well got up and very symmetrical, the 
shoulder top and neck being especially full and good, with fine 
quality, and short fine wool; they were, however, too short in the 
body in comparison with the first-prize animals, we therefore 
suggest that each owner has something to learn of the other before 
their stock will meet with our entire approval. Class 4, six 
entries, for shearling ewes, given by A. Morrison, Esq., of Font- 
hill. We, however, find little worth attention in this class, except 
that having been kept in the flock until within one month of 
exhibition they must all have been well fed during the season, 
especially those belonging to Mr. Newton of Wallingford, Berks, 
who received both first and second prizes. The other competitors 
had the reserved number or obtained high commendations. 
Class 5, for the best Hampshire down ram lamb ; three prizes 
given by the Right Hon. the Earl of Portsmouth ; nineteen 
entries. The lambs in competition in this class were extremely 
fine, and in which many of the best and most eminent breeders of 
the day competed from Hants, Wilts, and Berks. The first prize 
was awarded to Mr. Wm. Parsons of West Stratton, Micheldever, 
Hants, for a lamb only about seventeen weeks old, who by gain¬ 
ing this prize has secured high honour, and most certainly deserves 
it, for w r e do not recollect seeing so fine a ram lamb ever before 
exhibited, for it must be remembered that in Mr. Humphry’s time 
lambs were not exhibited, either singly or in pens of five, as at 
present. The second prize was taken by Mr. F. R. Moore ; and 
the third prize by Mr. A. Budd of Overton, Hants, with two beautiful 
lambs of large size, capital quality, and great weight for age, 
being only about eighteen weeks old. Class 6, for the best pen of 
five ram lambs bred by exhibitor ; nine entries.—The first prize 
was awarded to Mr. Wm. Parsons, the winner of the single ram 
prize ; and this is a great victory, when we consider that the ex¬ 
hibitors in this class contained the names of the best breeders and 
greatest prizewinners in former meetings of this Society. Two of 
the lambs in this pen were little inferior to the single lamb in 
Class 5, the whole five being as fine as any lambs we have ever 
seen. Their quality was very remarkable as well as their size ; they 
had plenty of firm flesh, fine wool, and were matching in colour. 
The second prize was taken by Mr. R. F. Moore ; third prize to 
Mr. Jas. Read ; reserved number belonging to Mr. John Barton, 
Basingstoke. 
Class 7, for the best pen of five ewe lambs, bred by the ex¬ 
hibitor ; eleven entries.—This was an unusually large competition. 
First prize Mr. Wm. Parsons, who again triumphs over all oppo¬ 
nents, and this in a competition with experienced and most emi¬ 
nent flock masters at former meetings, and especially we may 
name Mr. Morrison, who has been at the top of the class for a 
number of years, and who on this occasion only succeeds in ob¬ 
taining the second prize. Mr. Parsons, having in these three 
important classes taken the first prize in each, may be said to 
possess the best sheep of the Hants or West County Down breed, 
and this being the case his stock will be sought for at high figures 
at his annual ram sale, and whatever price they may make will 
be no more than a just reward for his intelligent selection of stock, 
his judicious mode of breeding and feeding, and his liberal invest¬ 
ment of capital in stock farming. Class 8, South Down sheep, for 
the best shearling ram ; seventeen entries.—These prizes were 
well contested by eminent breeders. First prize taken by Mr. H. 
Gorringe, Brighton ; second prize to Mr. H. Penfold, Chichester. 
All the animals competing in this class were handsome well-bred 
sheep ; but still we noticed that they were smaller than those 
formerly shown at the Royal meetings by Jonas Webb, and latterly 
by Lord Walsingham, and we consider this a matter of immense 
importance, for size should never give way to a smaller and more 
delicate breed of stock, seeing that in times gone by the Sussex 
breed from the flocks of the Duke of Richmond, Mr. Rigden, and 
the two breeders above mentioned, although they were of larger 
size, yet the highest quality of flesh and wool was'maintained. 
