OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 279, 18 August 1908, Page 8

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

SHEEP AT THE ENGLISH SHOW,

A MAGNIFICENT COLLECTION. (FROM OCtt SPECIAL COMIESrONDENT.) ' Bradford, July 3. This has been one of the finest weeks that Great Britain over enjoyed, incessant sunshine and Italian skies being of daily occurrence. As luck would have it, the English Royal Agricultural Show has been held at Newcastle, and if it is not a huge success, no fault can be put down to tho weather. It is always a treat to the writer to visit any exhibition of live stock, and naturally boing an enthusiastic woolman, the sheep pens oifer to me a special attraction. This year there is a magnificent show of England's very .best in the <6heep world, and great keenness was displayed at the judging. I fancy one or - two leading breeders of world repute felt a little disappointed that their stock did not figure more prominently as championships and firsts, but the excellenco of their sheep was still'in evidence. The entries compare favourably with those of the last few years. In some sections there wore some tremendous increases, notably in the Border Leicestors, Wensleydalo, Scotch Blackface, and Shropshire, but the entry of Lincolns showed a slump compared with 1907, there being- only 53 compared with 145. This, no doubtj .is due to the fact that the Royal last year was in the citv of Lincoln itself, whereas' to-day a considerable distance separated the Lincoln breeding areas and • Newcastlo. It is not my intention to go over the whole of the classes of English sheep, confining my remarks to those breeds in which my readers are the most interested.

First of all came the Lincolns, and perhaps nc\ other breed has done for the mutton and wool world what t.his sheep has done. Both for size and quality the exhibits were equal to former shows, though, as already stated, one missed the number that we have been accustomed to see. It was generally stated that while there was strength and character of constitution, yet from a wool standpoint there was a decided improvement. I have said for half a dozen years that our Lincoln breeders were paying all their attention to carcase and neglecting wool, and it is high .time they considered fineness and uniformity a little moro. In the two shear clasfc, Mr. Tom Casswell, of Poiriton, took the first prize with a grand ram, which made its first appearance in the show ring, this evidently being a surprise for not a few. To knock a man out of the stamp of Mr. H. Dudding, of Riby Grove, who camo second with a sheep that was placed first at the Bath and West of England, was a wonderful accomplishment. Messrs. S. E. Dean and Sons, of Dowsby Hall, came third, this also being the second prize winner at the above show. In the shearling s ram class the coveted position went to the Dowsby Hall flock, the champion award offered by the Lincoln Longwool Shcepbreeders' Association being taken by < this ram. The same exhibitors won the first for the pen of fivo shearling rams, and third for a pen of fivo ram lambs with sheep shown for the first time. Mr. H. Dudding took the second in the shearling ram class and Messrs. Dean the third. In the pen of three Tam lambs Mr. Dudding took both the second and third, and also first in the pen of threo owe lambs. Messrs. Dean being second, and R. Dixon third. In the pen of three Lincoln yearling ewes in wool the first goes to Mr. C. E. Howard, the second to Messrs. Dean, and the third to Mr. J. E. Casswell. The above results show that the usual breeders of note are still to tho front, all their sheep being in fine form, and maintaining all the characteristics seen of recent years in tho Lincoln breed. SOME OP THE CLASSES. Leicest.ers are essentially a Yorkshire bred sheop, the East Riding giving snecial support to this class. Messrs. J. E. and C. H. 'Simpson, Pillmore House, Hunmanby, are wellknown ram breeders, but seldom have they done so well at a Royal. In the shearling ram class Messrs. Simpson took tho first, Mr. E. P. Jordan, cf Eastburn, Driffield, the. second, tho third going to Mr. George Harrison, of Gainford Hall, Darlington. There was little to choose between the throo exhibits. Messrs. Simpson's ram was a grand all round well-made sheop, with a good ficcce of wool. It was in a pen of lambs which won a prize at last year's I'oyal. Mr. Jordan's ram showed some excellent points, and is a typical Leicester sire. In the pen of three ram lambs, tho first goes to G. Harrison, second to J. Cranswick, and tho third to Messrs. Simpson. In tho pen of threo Leicester shearling ewes Mr. Jordan takes the first, Simpsons second, and J. Cranswick tho third, the 6pecial going to G. Harrison. Shropshires wero never bettor represented both as regards quantity and quality, some of tho sheep showing special merit In tho two shear ram class. Mr. A. Tanner, Shrewsbury, took tho first, Mr. T. S, Minton, Shrewsbury, second, and Mr. A. S. Berry, Lichfield, tho third. Mr. Tanner's sheop was a very fine specimen which has previously won honours at the Hereford and Shropshire shows. Tho red ribbon in tho shearling class was won by a very likely sire, tho property of 'Mrs. Inglo, Thorpe, Tomworth, which had previously token

a first at Nottingham and second at Hereford. In this class there were 110 fewer than 30 entries. Sir R. P. Cooper, of Slionstono Court, Lichfield, was at the top of the prize-list both: in tho pen of five shearling rams and three shearling owes, and also the special soiling (auction) shearling ram. Hr. E. Nock took tho first in the pen of three ram lambs, and also the pen of three ewe lambs. Tho Wensloydalo is about tho most useful shoop to thousands of North of England farmers for crossing with a Blackface ewe for tho production ot half-bred lambs, and naturally this section was strong. Lord Henry Bentinck, of Underley Hall, Kirby Lonsdale, figured conspicuously in the prize-list. Ho took the second and third honours in the two shear rain class, with grand typical sheep, standing well and well covered. In the shearling ram class he was the winner with a well-set-up sheep with splendid carriage and finely formed head, and with threo ram lambs ho scored with a lot which look like growing into useful sires. The executors of the lafo I'. Willis, Carperby, Yorks., is always his keenest competitor, but this time they only took second in the shearling rani class, and first in a pen of three shearling ewes, while Mr. W. J. Wheatley took the first for the two shear ram.

111 tho Border Leicesters, the three classes contained no fewer than 76 entries. Tho handsome shcop, with their soft, silky wool, looked well, though among colonial breeders I hardly think this sheep is as profitable as tho Leicester. The Eight Hon. A. J. Balfour is the fortunato owner of the first prize aged ram which made its first appearance. He was closely followed by a sheep belonging to Mr. W. Robson, to whom was awarded a special prize of ,£2O, given by tho Northumberland and Durham Society, for the best Border Leicester exhibited by a tenant farmer. In the Southdown class, His Majesty the King was a very successful exhibitor, taking first in the shearling ram class and pen ot throe ram lambs. In the threo shearling ewes the first and medal went to Sir J. Colrnan, Bart. All the Down breeds wero well represented. The Romney.Marsh section was fairly strong, and some nico useful sheep were on show, in the two shear ram class, both the first ana second prizes went to Mr. C. File, of Cantorbury. For the shearling ram Mr. H. Eigden took first honours, being well hacked up witft a very useful young tup from the first-named breeder, who took the second premium, in the section for three ram lambs, that showed considerable character, Mr, J. B. Palmer took the first, the second going to Mr. Millen, or Faversham. This same breeder was given tne first honours for a pen of three shearling en es, tWo second being taken by Mr. G. G. bwmdells, of Horton Park. Several New Zealandflockmasters were on the show ground, and one competent to judge said to mo afterwards that in New Zealand several Romney prize sheep were to be found that were omte as good, if not better than those at the Royal. Continuing, he said that the English breeder loses sight somewhat of tho fleeco in his effort to pro- t duce more mutton, and tho combination of both does not appear to be so thorough as the specimens seen at the Now Zealand shows. COURSE OP PRICES. The week's business has shown some expansion, and generally speaking tho tone is hoalthier, and several descriptions are higher. All the movement is at tho wool end, things remaining still very quiet in other departments. Tho following table shows the course of values during the past month;— Juno Juno June July 12. • 19. 26. 2. d. d. d. d. Lincoln hogs 8} 7} 7J 7J Lincoln wethers ... ... 7.J 7 7 7 North hogs 10 9} 9} 9} North wethers 8£ 8} 8 8 Yorkshire liogs 9j !)J 9 .9 Yorkshire wethers ... 8J 8 8 8 Halfbred hogs 0 Si 8\ 8\ Haifbred wethers 8 75 7-3 7t; Kent wethers 8 8 S 8 Eastern Counties Down tegs 91 9J 9.J 9J Eastern Counties Down ewes 9 9 9 9 Irish hogs, super ... ... 9 9 9 0 Irish wethers, super ... 8J 81 8J 8J Pick Shropshire hogs ... 10 10 10 10 Pick Shropshire wethers ... 93 91 91 91 Southdown tegs 12i 12$ 12$ 12J Southdown ewes 12 12 12 12 Wiltshire Down tegs — 111 11$ Hi HI Wiltshire Down ewes ... 11 11 11 11 Cheviot hogs, super ... 9| 9$ 9J 95 Scotch black faced- 5. 5 5 5 Turkey average mohair ... 16 15$. 15J 15 Cape firsts mohair 10 10 10 10 70's Colonial tops .24 24 24 11$ G4's Colonial tops 23 221 23 23$ GO's Colonial tops, super... 21$ 21$ 22 22J AG's Colonial tops 18 IS 18 18 50's Colonial tops 15 15 15 15 4G's Colonial tops Hi 11$ 11J Hi 40's Colonial .tops 10 10 10 10 ! 3G's Colonial tops 9i 9J flj 9J 32's Colonial tops 9 9 9 9