546 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 14, 1893. 
PROFITABLE LIVE STOCK. 
Le?son of the Cattle Show, 
For an easy, enjoyable, and instructive comparison of breeds 
in full development, or far on the way thither, the winter 
show of fat stock at Islington is altogether preferable to the 
summer meeting of the “ Royal,” simply because at the 
Agricultural Hall the classes are so near each other and are 
so accessible that comparison is easy, and a useful critical 
inspection really possible. 
Among the cattle the chief points of interest are early 
development, symmetrical forms, and large size. Taking the 
dictum for our guide of Sir John B. Lawes, that as a certain 
amount of food is consumed every day by an animal for 
respiratory and other vital functions, it is evident that the 
quicker an animal is fed for the butcher the less total amount 
of food he will consume, weight, age, and general appearance 
all have attention. Among the Shorthorns in class 11 for 
steers not exceeding two years old, the Queen’s first prize 
handsome steer, weighing 14 cwt. 9 lbs., and one year eleven 
months three weeks old, was a marvellous example of early 
development. The weekly average weight from birth to show 
entry being about 15i lbs., bears favourable comparison with 
that of another of Her Majesty’s prizewinners. Prince Charlie, 
weighing 2 O 2 cwt. at the age of three years six months two 
weeks, or a weekly average of about 12^ lbs. This grand beast 
was so symmetrical that it not only took first prize in the class 
for Shorthorn steers above three and not exceeding four years, 
beating Mr. J. W. Rowland’s huge second prize steer, weighing 
22 cwt. 2 qrs. 18 lbs., and Lord Tredegar’s third prize beast, 
weighing 20 cwt. 3 qrs. 21 lbs., but it was awarded the breed 
cup, the £50 cup as best male among the cattle, and the 
reserve ticket for the championship. A marvellous sight were 
these three magnificent animals, each of them over a ton live 
weight, but apart from prizewinning, and regarded strictly 
from a commercial point of view, the younger steer bears away 
the palm from all of them. 
That the judges were not influenced by mere weight was 
also evident in the contest for the championship between Prince 
Charlie and Mr. J. D. Fletcher’s polled Aberdeen, Angus 
heifer. Pride of the Highlands, two years and eleven months 
old, and weighing 17 cwt. 2 qrs. So excellent were both of 
them that it was only after the most deliberate inspection and 
discussion of every point that the judges decided in favour 
of Pride of the Highlands, which was also first in its class, 
and winner of the breed cup. 
Excellent examples of early maturity were there in other 
breeds, as, for example, Mr. T. H. Risdon’s first prize Devon 
steer, one year eleven months two weeks old, weighing 11 cwt. ; 
Lord Coventry’s first prize Hereford steer, one year seven 
months old, weighing 11 cwt. 25 lbs. ; Mr. J. Godman’s first 
l)rize Sussex steer, one year ten months three weeks old, 
weighing 12 cwt. 26 lbs.; Mr. R. Turner’s first prize polled 
Aberdeen-Angus steer, one year ten months old, weighing 
11 cwt. 2 qrs. 2 lbs. ; and a ci’oss-bred steer, for which Mr. John 
Boss had first prize, a very compact polled beast, black and 
white in colour, with Aberdeen-Angus blood largely predomi¬ 
nant, one year eight months one week old, weighing 12 cwt. 
1 qr. 12 lbs. All of them were in the classes of their respective 
breeds for steers not exceeding two years. Though the cross¬ 
bred steer has some advantage over the pure-bred animals in 
weight, we were not favourably impressed by the appearance of 
it or any other cross-bred cattle in the Show. They had an 
inferior appearance that suffered very much by comparison 
with the pure breeds. 
For condition, form, and finish there was nothing to equal 
the attractive and picturesque Herefords. Their white faces* 
red coats, evident ripeness, and symmetry showed how entirely 
they were worthy of the high rank assigned them among our 
best cattle, and how well they repay for careful tending and 
judicious feeding. We were probably more imp-essed by them 
because we had seen many of the same breed out of condition— 
victims of the drought—at Guildford Market on the previous 
day. One of the most handsome beasts in the Show was Mr. 
John Wortley’s first prize Hereford, in the class for steers not 
exceeding three years old. It was two years seven months old, 
and weighed 16 cwt. 26 lbs., gaining also the breed cup. Our 
note of it was “a fine compact beast—a picture ! ” Very hand¬ 
some, too, was the Queen’s first prize Hereford heifer, weighing 
12 cwt, at the age of two years seven months. Mr. R. 
Edwards’ second prize heifer, a month younger than Her 
Majesty’s, weighed nearly 2 cwt. more, and was, we thought, the 
finer animal of the two; and the heaviest Shorthorns had no 
mean rival in Mr. F. Platt’s Hereford steer, weighing 
20 cwt. 2 qrs. 24 lbs. at the age of three years ten months. 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Recent inquiries about eggs in winter show how little progress is 
made in a matter wherein success depends upon details of management, 
and not upon exterior influences. Where the supply has fallen off for 
want of pullets coming in to lay now, nothing can be done till next 
season, unless, indeed, more pullets were purchased at once, which 
would prove to be an expensive affair. Bat if there is a cessation of 
laying by the April or May hens of the current year, it is probably 
owing to the use of improper food and a want of shelter for the poultry 
both by day and night. Remember that fowls go to roost early now, 
often by or before 3 P .M. At least, on alternate days, preferably daily, 
they should have some warm food about 2.30, consisting either of oat¬ 
meal or barleymeal, or both in mixture. In Sussex it would probably 
be oatmeal, in the eastern counties barleymeal; which of them has pre¬ 
ference is immaterial, the point of real importance is that they have 
the food warm. Some very successful poultry keepers prefer whole 
corn. We do not object, only the meal can be prepared simply by 
mixing it with hot water, while the whole corn require a saucepan in 
which it is placed, almost covered with cold water, which is then made 
to just boil, then withdrawn slightly from the fire for an hour so as to 
keep hot, and cause the corn to swell without any more boiling. 
When they come down in the morning they have a warm breakfast, 
and then run into a long shed open to the south, having plenty of dust 
on the earthen floor. Here they have some corn. Wheat, Maize, or 
Barley thrown among the dust to busy them, but this is only in calm 
weather; On very rough cold days they are kept in the snug poultry 
house, which is quite clean, has plenty of light, not a chink or hole 
of any sort, nor openings along the eaves to admit draughts ; warm 
food is then given them at dawn of day, at about eleven, and again 
about three hours before they go up to the perches. 
We have now an excellent supply of rich-looking brown eggs from 
Wyandotte pullets, which are excellent. Minorcas and White Dorkings 
have also supplied ns well with winter eggs, mainly because of shelter 
and warm nourishing foods. 
METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS. 
Oamdkn Squarb, London. 
Lat.51° 32'40" N.: Loag. 0° 8' 0" W.; Altitude. Ill feet. 
Date. 
9 A.M. 
In the Day. 
a 
1893. 
December. 
1 Barometer 
at 32®, and 
1 Sea Level. 
Hygrometer. 
Direc¬ 
tion of 
Wind. 
Temp, 
of soil 
at 
1 foot. 
Shade Tem¬ 
perature. 
Radiation 
Temperature 
Dry. 
Wet. 
Max. 
Min. 
In 
Sun. 
On 
Grass. 
Inchs. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
Inchs. 
Sunday 3 
30-422 
24-5 
23-8 
S.W. 
39-7 
41-3 
20-1 
45-3 
20-5 
0 010 
Monday .. 4 
30-220 
41-1 
40-4 
S.W. 
38-3 
46-5 
23-9 
53-1 
24-4 
— 
Tuesday .. 5 
30-366 
39-9 
37-6 
N.E. 
38-9 
43-8 
37-9 
49-4 
30 9 
— 
Wednesday 6 
30-172 
43-4 
42-2 
S.W. 
39-1 
49-3 
37-1 
56-2 
32-4 
0-058 
Thursday.. 7 
29-747 
45-9 
44-4 
W. 
41-0 
46-9 
43-1 
66-9 
39-9 
— 
Friday .. 8 
29-480 
45-2 
43-9 
S. 
41-3 
49-6 
36-2 
50-8 
29-4 
0-441 
Saturday .. 9 
29-358 
39-9 
38-9 
S.W. 
41-9 
44-2 
39-6 
63-1 
35-9 
— 
29-966 
40-0 
38 7 
39-9 
45-9 
34-0 
54-8 
30-5 
0 509 
REMARKS. 
3rd.—Frequent bright sunshine in morning,and at times in afternoon; fair evening; 
cloudy night. 
4th.—Cloudy with occasional faint sunshine in morning ; bright for about an hour at 
midday ; dull and drizzly from 8 P.M. 6th.—Fair, but almost sunless. 
6th.—Fair with occasional faint sunshine; drizzle and spots of rain in evening. 
7th.—Showers early; bright sunshine from 9 A.M., andalmost cloudless from 11 A.M. 
8th.—Overcast early ; frequent drizzle from 8.30 A.M. ; rain from noon, and heavy rain 
at 2 P.M. ; fair after 3 P.M. 
9th.—Rain from 0.80 to 2.30 A.M., and at 5.30 A.M. ; cleared after sunrise, and bright sun 
from 10 A.M. ; almost cloudless night. 
Barometer and wind variable, temperature slightly below the average.—G. J. SIMONS. 
