THE CANADIAN PROVINCIAL CATTLE SHOW AT HAMILTON. 
19 
dous work, worthy of the forecast and enterprise 
of the Canadian government. Familiar as I have 
long been with canals, I was forcibly struck with 
the sight of numerous masts, and shipping, and 
steamboats, working their sinuous course through 
the quiet farms, amid cornfields, meadows, and 
herds of cattle, and threading their way as they 
locked along up the sides of the mountain, two or 
three hundred feet above me, and only a mile or 
two distant! The picture was not only novel, hut 
it was spirit-stirring, striking, and beautiful. St. 
Catherine’s is a pretty town, composed of English, 
Scotch, Irish, native Canadians, and Yankees j quite 
a large representation of the latter, and taking their 
full share in the enterprise, business, and wealth of 
the country. 
The entire road, to Hamilton, passes close under 
the mountain, and upon it are many charming and 
fertile spots, some pleasant villages, and occasion¬ 
ally a point of remarkable beauty of position and 
luxuriance of soil; equal indeed to any I have 
ever met, and many of these spots are improved 
with fine taste and discrimination. Numerous re¬ 
tired officers of the British government, and others 
of moderate, yet comfortable estates for rural enjoy¬ 
ment, have settled in the Province. Many a quiet 
and pleasant spot have they selected; and with their 
good judgment and snug English notions, have 
made themselves as agreeable homes as an unam¬ 
bitious heart could desire. 
Forty miles west of the Niagara River, at the 
head of Lake Ontario, and right under the moun¬ 
tain, which towers up three or four hundred feet 
above it in an almost perpendicular wooded bank, 
stands Hamilton, a new, yet rapid growing town of 
eight thousand people; and only a dozen or fifteen 
years since its settlement commenced. It is des¬ 
tined to be the largest town in Upper Canada, 
having a fine back country for near two hundred 
miles to*Lake Huron; and is rapidly settling with a 
good population, for which this is, by its local po¬ 
sition and the course of internal communication, to 
be the emporium. No spot can be morh command¬ 
ing and agreeable for a fine town. The soil, a 
sandy loam, the mountain or table land, stretching 
like a deep crescent around the head of the lake, de¬ 
scending in slopes of great variety and beauty to 
its shore, forming for a dozen miles, an amphithea¬ 
tre of hill, dale, woodland, and lawn, upon wffiich 
are sprinkled many a pretty farm house and villa. 
A richer and more charming prospect, is seldom 
found than here. 
Arriving the day previous to the show, I found 
the people gathering from various parts of the 
Province, with a spirit, and in numbers indicat¬ 
ing zeal for agricultural improvement altogether 
gratifying \ and at night, the town was full 
of people, anxious for the exciting scenes and 
competition of the morrow. To-morrow came, and 
with it came also clouds and storm. The show 
ground was on the race course, a mile and a half 
out of town, with a wretched road, now by the 
mass of vehicles and animals passing on it, cut into 
almost impassable ruts and sloughs ; an inconside¬ 
rate arrangement enough, when so much vacant and 
commodious ground lay all around and in the 
village, which could have been so well appropriated. 
But the race course was fenced in with high and 
tight boards and commodious buildings, which was 
no doubt the object of the society in using it; they 
not having yet adopted our State plan of compelling 
the place where the show is held to furnish the 
preparations and fixtures, without expense to the 
society. 
With the exception of the weather, which was 
disagreeable in the extreme, the show was a good 
one, remarkably so, for the age of the society ; this 
being only the second exhibition it has held. First 
and foremost in importance, the people themselves 
were highly respectable. Many a stout and sub¬ 
stantial representative of the better class of Eng¬ 
lish, Scotch, and Irish farmers, were mingled with 
the numerous native Canadians, as w T ell as Yankees, 
who have made the Canadas their home * all well 
representing the industry of themselves and their 
families, by the various products which they brought. 
Indeed, the only surprise was, that in such weather, so 
many ventured out; but come they did, females and 
all, prompted by their zeal and curiosity to see the 
show. Of horses, there were two classes, blood, and 
horses of all work. Both classes were highly re¬ 
spectable, and many first rate animals might be 
selected among them. A very beautiful and high 
bred horse called Mercer, owmed by Mr. Hatha¬ 
way, of St. Catharine’s, and bred by Com. Stockton, 
of Princeton, New Jersey, was exhibited among 
others. They have some excellent horses in Cana¬ 
da among their spirited breeders. 
In cattle, the different breeds w 7 ere tolerably 
represented with some remarkably good specimens 
in each class of Short Horns. Messrs. Fergusson, 
Weterhajl, and Hewitt, had the most numerous 
herds. Several others also exhibited good animals, 
and I was gratified to find that the number of Short 
Horn breeders, are so many and so skilful as in 
Canada. There were some remarkably good cattle 
among them. 
Of Herefords, there were none. 
There were a few choice Devons, but in low 
condition, and not appreciated as they should 
be. They will, when properly understood, be a 
choice and valuable stock for tbe Canadians. 
Of Ayrshires, the exhibition was decidedly the 
best I ever saw. There were several fine import¬ 
ed bulls and cows, with their progeny as choice as 
themselves, and the whole numbered more than 
twenty. The Scotch farmers have imported many 
Ayrshires, but they are not equal favorites with the 
Short Horns. 
Fat cattle were shown only by the butchers of 
the town, and they were but common specimens. 
As a whole, the common cattle of Canada are in¬ 
ferior to those of the United States, improvement in 
breeding having but recently commenced among 
them. 
The show of sheep was very good in Leicesters 
and Southdowns. Perhaps thirty of the former, and 
twenty of the latter, were on the ground, besides 
numerous crosses of the two breeds upon the com 
mon sheep. I saw not one fine wooled sheep in the 
lot. The Canadians know very little of either 
Merinos or Saxons, and I was surprised to hear 
some respectable farmers say, that they never saw 
a Merino sheep ! So valuable a portion of farm 
stock as fine wooled sheep, should not be longer 
neglected. The reason given for their non-cultiva 
