298 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Sept, 
determines too often the awards, and that a man, if he 
wishes to get a prize, must make up his mind to ruin his 
animal for breeding, in order to obtain it. 
The first prize in Short-horn cows, awarded, as usual, 
to Mr. Booth, and I think very justly. His cow was not 
over fat, though quite enough so, I assure you, but for 
style, substance, handling, in short everything that con¬ 
stitutes a first-rate cow, in my judgment, she cannot well 
be beaten. The competition was very severe, and her suc¬ 
cess certainly gave evidence of very superior merit. 
In the Devon class, there was a a show that does one’s 
heart good, who delights to look on this superior class 
of animals as I do. The aged and young bulls were 
many of them very superior, but I must say, not one. 
in my judgment, equal to Mr. Morris’ bull Major—and 
they may well be good bulls, and still not equal him, as 
he is, in my opinion, as they say here, “ capital .” The 
cows and heifers, however, were most extraordinary— 
fine handlers, many of them of fine milking develop¬ 
ments, and worthy of the attention they received. Mr. 
Geo. Turner received the first prize for cows, and in- 
calf heifers, and I can truly say that his stock was very 
fine. I liked best, take her all-in-all, the heifer of Lord 
Leicester, to which the 3d prize was awarded, but still 
I presume the ot hers would, in the opinion of most judg¬ 
es, have received the awards which were given to them. 
The show of Herefords was not large. The bulls did 
not, in my opinion, come up to what they should, but 
the cows and heifers were excellent. The first prize 
cow of Lord Berwick, and the 2d of Rev. Mr. Smythies, 
(from whom I believe Mr. Sotham purchased some ani¬ 
mals.) were very fine indeed; and the two-year-old and 
yearling heifers were unusually excellent, and well sus¬ 
tained the reputation of this valuable breed. 
The arrangements of the ground were excellent—the 
stock all under cover—a canvass roof to all the stalls 
made it very convenient and comfortable ; we would do 
well to imitate this. The number of people was less 
than on the first day of our show—but as the admission 
was 5s. this will account for it. To-morrow is 2s. 6d. 
day, when there will be many more—and the dinner 
comes off to-morrow of which I will give you an account. 
The mail closes for to-morrow’s steamer, and so must I. 
Truly yours, B. P. Johnson. 
London, July 16,1851. 
I have just returned from the second day’s exhibition 
of the Royal Society at Windsor, and after a careful 
review of the whole stock, my impressions are the same 
as from my first examination. The young heifers in the 
three leading breeds of the show—Short-horns, Here¬ 
fords, and Devons—are the great attraction, and they 
possess qualities, that more perfectly exemplify the per¬ 
fection of breeding, than any thing I have ever seen. 
Mr. Lorrillard Spencer, and Mr. Thomas Bell, of West¬ 
chester county, were with me yesterday, and Mr. Bell 
to-day. I made to-day a more careful examination of 
the swine than I was enabled to do before. Asa whole, 
they are very superior, but the monstrosities, to which 
the premiums were awarded, especially in the class of 
large breeds, are truly astonishing. The first premium 
on boars was awarded to a white boar from Chester, 
which was so fat as to be unable to rise, but with the 
utmost difficulty. That to which the second prize was 
awarded, was a complete mass of fat—his eyes entirely 
closed, and he was so much overpowered with his flesh 
as to be unable to rise, and there was a card placed on 
his pen, “ Do not disturb this boar.” It was offered for 
sale for £30, for what purpose I cannot imagine, as no 
sane man would ever expect to breed from him, and for 
pork, of course, large as he is, he is not worth anything 
like the sum asked. Now it may be said, as it is said 
here, this shows the aptitude of the breed to take on 
fat, and it is therefore right to award premiums for ani¬ 
mals in this condition • but if it is desirable to have good 
breeding animals, if our shows are designed to encourage 
them, it appears to me self-evident that the animals to 
which premiums are awarded, should be in a condition 
to be of service. But another objection, and which I 
find is fully appreciated by the best breeders and judges 
of stock here, is, that you cannot fairly judge of the real 
qualities of an animal in this overloaded condition, and 
although this may not with so much force apply to swine, 
still as a general principle it cannot be gainsayed. 
In the sheep department, I made a very careful re¬ 
examination. The Leicesters, numbered—rams 121, 
ewes 75—196. The prize animals were truly models 
of what here is deemed perfection in this breed. The 
three prizes for yearling rams were awarded to Mr. 
William Sanday, of Home Pierrepont,Nottingham,and 
two of the prizes for ewes to the same; and in rams of 
any other age, the three prizes were awarded to Mr. T. 
Edwards Pawlett, of Beeston. I examined these prize 
sheep with much care, and although there were among 
so many entered, a large number of superior sheep, it 
appeared to me that those selected for the prizes were 
truly models for the artist, as well as the breeder. 
The South-Downs were shown in great numbers—112 
rams and 100 ewes—212. Owing to the fact that the 
prize last year had been taken away from Jonas Webb, 
the competition was more than usually animated. The 
great champion of these truly invaluable sheep, having 
been beaten by a tenant farmer unknown to fame, excited 
at the time great surprise, and encouraged every South- 
Down breeder, to come up to the show prepared to try 
his chance for the prizes. Mr. Webb, however, was on the 
ground, with such a display of sheep as really put compe¬ 
tition at defiance. He had 25 rams, andtakenasa whole, 
I never have seen that number of rams so nearly per¬ 
fect—form, symmetry, fleece—everything almost as com¬ 
plete as if prepared by a modeller of the most approved 
ability. He had also 15 ewes, ten of which received the 
prizes. They were the admired of the show, and the 
multitudes who crowded around the pens to-day to view 
the prize sheep in this class, showed the great interest 
that this contest has excited. 
In the class of long wools, as distinguished from the 
Leicesters, the prizes were all awarded to Cotswoldrams 
and ewes. They were admirable sheep, and in my opin¬ 
ion preferable to the Leicesters. In this class, there 
were only 79 entered, mostly Cotswolds and New Oxford- 
shires. The 1st prize ram, owned byWm. Game, ofGlou- 
cestershire, was a superb animal , and of immense breadth 
and weight. One only of the New Oxfordshires was 
commended, but this was a very superior ram and nearly 
equal in all respects to his competitors. The first pen 
