" OUR FARMER KING."

Marlborough Express, Volume XLI, Issue 70, 23 March 1907, Page 3

" OUR FARMER KING."

A'London paper has the following in connection with King Edward's success as an exhibitor of stock:;—

For many years his shorthorns, shires, thoroughbreds,hackneys, Southdown sheep, and so forth, have been second to none in the kingdom. His Majesty's success as a farmer forms a striking testimony to the versatility of his interests.

It would be erroneously supposed that the King wins at the agricultural and Smithfield Shows merely because he is King. Farmers, who ought to know, are quick to controvert, the idea. Tli3 Is ing never shows an animal he has not bred himself, and his cattle win purely on their merits, because they are the best.

Since he came to the throne affairs of State have prevented his Majesfy from devoting as much time as he would like to his farming and agricultural interests. He is no longer able to occupy his mornings, as he did when Prince of Wales, sitting in his pleasant business room at Sandringham, receiving and instructing the bailiffs and others concerned in the management of his 2,000-acre farm. But in spite of his multifarious engagements, the King still manages to continue and supervise the breeding of stock. His stock keepers are enthusiastic in his service, and the result has been that the King is even more successful at the shows now than he was when Prince of Wales.

King Edward may well be proud of his remarkable record, particularly if he recalls the condition of the Sandringham farm lands, whence many of these triumphs have come, before he put them into cultivation.

A famous agriculturist who inspected the land before King Edward set about transforming it reported: "Itis a very barren soil, barely capable of cultiva"tion." 'Could he revisit the land today he would indeed be amazed at the revolution which has made Sandringham one of the finest stock-raising farms in the country. , The result of his Majesty's labours is summarised by an unimpeachable authority, Rider Haggard, who says: It is a wonderful farm, for I imagine that nowhere is so much high-bred stock to be seen upon the same area at. least, in all my extensive journeyings throughout the 26 counties in England of which I have examined the agriculture I have not found its equal."

King Award's Example and patronage have been of incalculable benefit to agriculture- in England. He has always been earnestly interested in the work of the Royal Agricultural bociety, of winch he has been president several James; and he is also a patron of the British Dairy Farmers' Association.

If there is one department of his farming in which King Edward takes particular pleasure it is that of horse breeding, and he is greatly delighted, therefore at the achievement of his shire stallion, Premvictor, in winning the first . } Prize/in the International j L™ Stock Exhibition at Chicago The success of the King's sires has ■ been extraordinary. At one sale 54 of J his horses, realised an average of £224 ®t chlx. The KinS's Southdowns and bhorthorns are as famous to-day as they were in the heyday of his active | farming when Prince of Wales. Only b, l 7 T"i hS % g% °ner? f hi" Sn°rthorn bul s, Pride of Sunshire, fetched the .high price of 400 guineas. Not that •this is a record. One such bull, desi tmed for.Argentina, brought no less than -a thousand ..guineas. The Sand ringham Shorthorns are coveted by breeders everywhere, and picked bulls from among them have often been sold for fabulous sums.

Dog fancying hardly coWs within the average farmer's scope, but it is well to note that the SaidringhaS farm contains some of the finest kennels in the country, and that our fir mer King his displayed an active in- ■ terest m dogs, both as breeder and exhibitor. No variety comes amiss to his splendid kennels.