YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 733, 4 February 1910, Page 6

YORKSHIRE LETTER.

SHEEP AT THE BMITHFIELD SHOW. (From Our Special Correspondent.).

• . . Bradford, December 1?, 1909. • AU-colonial pastoraHsta.'are interested in the doings of their' : Eaglish; cousin's,- and' what the Royal ifi to the breeding stocks of Great' Britain, so the Smithfield is the embodiment of fat sheep and cattle of the ; United Kingdom.' Last week the -. 111 th ei* hibit took place x at the* Agricultural Hall, Islington, London, and. another successful show'was Been. It is surprising what attraction fat stock has for the average Cockney, and they flock' in' thousands,to see sights of which they have no practical knowledge as to how : the results are obtained. ..The weather.'was seasonable, ana that, monster—a London■ fog—was conspicuous by. its'absence. This always makes a material difference in the attendance," and • the results- in their .entirety cannot but Batisfy. everybody. .The entries this .year .-compared very favourably with those of past Bhows, 293 head of cattle having been entered, 140 pens of sheep, and 141 peiw of pigs. In the carcass competition , there was a falling. off in the number of • cattle, but sheep showed an increase. .What'perhaps-struck one the most* was the .big f decrease in the. long-wool classes, and in - such breeds.as the Lincoln and Leicester there *is room for larger exhibits. Two or three''fresh, classes • in sheep' have been made, and the inclusion- of. a class for Dorset Downlambs,' and ~ the sub-division, of , the English crossbred classes for • the short Wool and long' wool crosses,. although they did not bring a. larger number of entries, still general satisfaction was expressed at the alteration. : ; < . • LINCOLNS.V. This breed of Bheep may'be called .the, i flret in importance, and perhaps' they.have done more to revolutionise the frozen .mutton trade than any other sire. The en-, try . of"-this breed, as already said, -was. smaller than usual, but .it lacked none of' its old-time merit, ether from the breed*, er's -or butcher's point- of view.; Messrs. S. E. Dean and Sons again led with a pen of ..three -fat wether , lambs under 'twelve months old, the'sheep; being/good ; and full of character. •. Their weight wa'a scwt.' 3qri 111b.' ; ; Mr. H."' Dudding - took . second- honour b; these being good r in flesh and touchl. The wethers were' a remarkably good- lot here: The Biby Grove: flock provided the winners, for a pen of . three fat' wether sheep, all the animals , being specially good,' well. grown' and : plump, • Sj v E. Dean and Sons being ' second and third. The second pen .weighed Bcwt. 3qr. 261b., just one pound less than the first., In.the cup contest the latter'were, successful, and for the soventh .time took . home . the .breed; cup, which certainly .is a remarkable series' of successes.' - • V: liEIOESTEES. AND. BOBDEE' LEIOESTEES, : The exhibitors were, well to the front, and the entry, though'-small, was;oi excellent merit. Tno winning iambs, ownea Dy ill*. B. Jordan, of Driineid, \'orks, snowed up well, 'i'ney. wou ; the ; breed cup, ;but. in tliia they- were pertiaps lortunate.' Tnis'noted breeder' of Leicesters has al' ways: cut/ a very prominent ; hgure at the Smithheld show; and wo believe he. has won -the cup 'so 1 many times as; to ■ con«. • statute a- world's record. The same, owner took f great. -honours / with a . well-liesned pen, i£rs. 8.; Perry-, Herrick was second, with a choice and even Vpen, which'{scaled 4cwt. 3qr.. against l the 4cwt. Iqr. 81bV -of the winners, and her socond entry Becured the reserved number. - The winning pen of wethers belong to Mr. E. P. Joroan, -which, by'reason, of. their' outstanding merit and weight, ; 80wt.,. would- have': been an ,ideal, cup-winning pen, but the judges - decided in. favour .of-.the-lambs, a decision, thattook from Mr. - Jordan a good ohance ■of high honours. The same exhibitor, was second with another , fine pen of well-bred Bheep,' two quarters lighter^'V \' . .

KENT OE EOIINEY IIABSH. . TMfi ifl' a breed of; sheep vrhich has come, well-.to the., front during the-, past .few years, and - is ,as" Evidently. Kent. breeders, are; more particular abdus rearing good breeding stock than goiiig;in. .for.- fattening.' sheep. ;The;:display made- by- this :breed -was ; Hardly .up to general -expectations. 'The'.number -of entries was the smallest- for 'several-.years back. ;In tho' lamb;\classes 'the' first -and second, pens ' were • shown by-. J. E.-'Quested, but' the second-prize: pen is v spoken of -by , some authorities 1 as : being better,'• being more uniform in flesh and size. Both were good ..weight,' scwt.'-'arid- sc\rt;,'lslb.''respcctively. Mr. .- W.r.H. -.Oazalet's . flock ' was again well represented here, and -the third and reserved'number';peh: were both from it. , The, former were a ; hundredweight lighter than-'the second pen.- .In thfe wetner class.-'onlyftwo pens were : shown/: - A wide, fine-quhlity' pen, with capital back and loin won. first honours, and; also: breed "cup - for.. Quested, a well-merited v honour, Messrp.-x W-i Some taking the sec-ond.-'withas well-fleshed* pen v 'of excellent qiiality,^

;; i ■ THE DOWN BREEDS."J\ i'\ : 'South'downs, as'' front; 'and admirably:'"re&rese'nted.V The lamb . class for general? merit'.has,'seldom been excelled.' .There were;:i-inany-.- pens worthy, toihead good classes,,;and. the work of tho: judges required great, oare.,;. Mr. ,0; Adeane's pen was selected: for first', prize, and well deserved the honour. Under hand a width- and depth/of flesh, is difr oloßed unequalled by< any of'the pens/in the" class. - Theirweight was ' 81b/" over tart. Nest came another grand pen, like the winners, .from Cambridgeshire, owned by: Mr.' A. 0. Hall. This . pen : were very good in -touch', with: particularly.' good legs and ,well-fllledj twi6ts. The contest-for the second placo \va? very close, for in- tho third position came, another notably, good pen- from'-Mr. • 0. Adeane'B flock, which were difficult'to displace. Here,',as in the winners, we- found a grand, touch .and good flesh. Fourth honours . went to Mr/.F.H. Jennings -for lambs that under hand were good, but the'- depth of flesh' was slighter than ' in. the; preceding'- pens.' Mr. . A.. 0. HalTs second' pen-were givefca'fifth prize', and.'the reserve: came from lI.M. the Kind's flock. " Three othor . pens .were . h.01,, one from Mr. »D. ,H.' B. M'Oalmont's,..which 1 was' the ; heaviest; inV the class,: another . from Mr; P. H.i Jennings's, flock, and' fte third from Mrs.' Monteflore's flock. ■ Th(.- wether class, also on- the ground'of its number of entries and merit,' had- 'ail extra prize given it. At tho head of this: class 'H.M. the, King's pens were.placed, winning first and second ; BHROPSH3UEB.. • This breed of/well-known sheep continues to be as popular-, its ever, but all the same there is BtttT room for complaint regarding:. the lack. of competition l in the. classes; for only three; breeders took the trouble to fill the .pens. The Stretton Farming. Com* pany. won «■ in the lamb class with alspe-' cially good..entry bf excellent" type and flesh. Thoy were ; also. r.ri.'for. the. breed cup/ Sir It. P. Oooper came in-second and third with .' two very well-grown, pens of lambs,' : and in the wether clasa'he secured first second- honours/ taking ,the breed cup with the first-named pen, -with • two excellent entries of'specially; good flesh and character; 1 Mr. .F. . Bibby.'stwo lots were third.,and.r.n. . ~•

>A-.STEADY; MARKET. .•) ' r "There is hot a'great.deal 'of change; to note - this' . week in connection'. with-, tholocal market, business 'continuing*- 'sound and healthy, although; there, is-now' the usual slowing down- in- view of the approaching • season of .Stocktaking. There .continues to be done sufficient business to test prices, and although several- importers have-.been taking a- fraction less for ;the delivery of merino tops-next .spring, yet thero is .nothing to, be alarmed at. All •through'- the season importing topmakers have .pursued a;policy.of selling' as .they •have.-picked up .wool in the colonies, and uscr3 have' been ?to purchase at a market prico. - There is to-day/not' : a great ! deal <of difference/between 'spot 'prices. and. .those for next year delivery, but all tho. Bame there is. still, .in. the . minds of many an bpinion that for, the time being:highwater mark has been touched. There .is-a-big weight of -material to- come forward, and by next February;and March the tug-of-war .will have begun. ; The lowering -of • the bank rate'is»a'very-welcome feature, for r the price of wool,: coupled' with dear freights . and ' exchange,.. all. ; determine J a higher cost of the .top. 'A-'good super 60's combing cannot-be called anyvinore, than, 2s.' 2d'„ in .'fact: "some , 64's" ofa: goodv stan-. dard make; have boen recently sold at that figure.. - Consumption- is aB: great ks -.ever," and taking things as'.a whole there, thing /to grumble- at. - . is, -'al.though there is'a big consumption;- r there is a- fair quantity of.tops offering for-,im-mediate delivery,-but'.they have-coßt fully what; can; be made, and in ' many: eases .oven. 1 more..Orossbreds do 'not, show • a great deal of . change, but'everything is solid and Arm. Coarse descriptions do not manifest that 'degree• of activity that -is seen in medium and fine s qualities, although there is a- : fairly big consumption. There continues to»be ? a' very.good inquiry: for 46'b both on Home and' export : account, and*:fleece wool of this:quality, is exceedinglyscarce.There is. no selling forward ; in.crossbreds at less money,-and the dear-. nesß.iof wool, both in New Zealand .-and Buenos "Ayres is a "great surprise. Spinners, arc very well employed, machinery ,is being' fully run," and- all. alike;have sufficient work'in hand to last-them for'somo timo to come, • although now. business has slowed down considerably. l Mohair' is quiet, but firm, notwithstanding one or two aeem determined> to ; "boar" .prices.