FARM NOTES FROM ENGLAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10970, 26 January 1899, Page 6

FARM NOTES FROM ENGLAND

fur OUR ENGLISH AGRICULTURAL COBBSSPOXDENTI.

London, December 17. THE CENTENARY CATTLE SHOW IN

LONDON. The 100 th annual show of the Smithfield Club was held in the Royal Agricultural Hall, Islington, last _ week; but it would not have been expeditious to send the report by an earlier mail than the one via ..an Francisco. In ray last letter I gave a short historical sketch of the Smithfield Club. From two small groups of cattle and sheep without division of breeds, the annual exhibition of this association has grown during the century of its existence to one of 94 classes, containing about 1200 animals, not including table poultry, and in addition there was a great display of implements, machinery, and roots. The total numbers of live stock of the different kinds were given in my last letter, and in tlw following tables the entries of the several breeds of cattle and sheep are compared :

BREEDS OF CATTLE. 1898. 1897. 1896. 1895. 1894. 26 35 26 A3 26

Hereford? ...' 18 20 25 32 31 Shorthorns ... 37 50 49 36 43

Sussex

23 26 23 38 15

lied Polled 11 12 11 12 16 Scotch Polled ... 53 57 52 44 49 Highland 30 22 20 23 26 Welsh 20 23 22 18 20

Small Cattle ... 28 34 35 33 29 Crossbrwl ... ... 76 69 60 61 64 Extra Stock ... — 16 20 26 20

Totals 327 364 334 356 339 BItEEDS OF SHEEP AND LAMBS. 1898. 1897. 18%. 1895. 1894.

Leicester? and Bo.'der Leicester! 8 16 12 17 12 Cot«wt>lds 5 5 7 10 8 Leicester? 10 9 8 8 8 Kentish 13 15 7 15 12 Devons. etc 7 10 12 8 8 Cheviots and Mountain 17 18 23 33 32 «'inthdr,\vns 33 35 29 28 37 Hampshire* 31 33 40 35 20 Suffolk* 12 13 11 10 10 Shropshire. s ! 11 13 24 21 Z7 Oxfordshire) 9 9 18 21 20 Don-els, etc 8 5 7 8 9 Crossbred 29 20 21 20 18

Totals _ 198 159 219 234 221 Of these en'ries each represents a pen of three. Animals in the carcase classes are not included anions the cattle, as the breeds only ar> mixed. They number 37 this year, against .4, 23, and 21 in the three preceding years respectively, while the slieop in the carcase competition numbered 46, against 34, 33, and 21. CATTLE. It will be seen that ail the breeds of cattle except Sussex, Shorthorn, and Crossbred were les? numerously represented than they were last year, when the maximum total entry was readied. -As to the sheop, the only breeds that are up to the average representations of the Inst four years are Lincolns, Kentish, Southdowns, Hampshire!), Sussex, and Crossbroils. PigH were represented by 122 entries, most of them being pen# of two, and this mimbe.' beat the record. The show was unquestionably one of the best ever held, taking it all round; the generally high level of excellence being its principal feature, rather than anything particularly outstanding. Devon? were admirably shown, while Herefords were hardly up to the standard of tr.cir past, and Shorthorns and Sussex were about up to their usual mark in point of quality. Aherdoon Angus cattle were admirable as usual, while Gallowavs were bettor than- they have ever been before, and Welsh anil hlignland beasts were wry good. Crossbreds were more level than usual, though they hardly contained as many extraordinary specimens as we sometimes see among them. Small cattle were uneven, but contained a good marty excellent little bullocks

SHEEP. Willi respect to the sheep, Leicester and Lincolns were well represented, while Cotswolds made a very small show. Kentish sheep were the best lot ever shown, being more uniform in typo, us the result of bavin? had a flock bonk for about five years, with a scale of points. Thorn were some magnificent sheep among them. Southdowns were shown in superb quality, and the classes of Hamwhires were remarkably strong, while Stiff oiks were never better exhibited. The Sr.iopshirea were astonishingly few in number, but admirable in quality. The other heeds, except the Crossbreds, which were excellent, were not remarkable.

PIGS. All the breeds of pigs were well or fairly represented, Berkshire especially so, while large and middle whites were also gooi PRINCIPAL PRIZES. The class prizes, of couree, are far too numerous to be given in this letter, and I can only give the cups for the best of the several breeds, and the champion prizes:BBEED COPS, CATTLE. Best Devon: The Queen. Best Hereford: The Queen. iMSS™"' w 1 »« hSJT"' 1 A! "« How, Best Bed Polled: Executors of tho i„»„ » J Colman, Carrow House, Nomich 6 J ' Best Aberdesn Angus: Earl of fltpin, 01 amis Castle, Glamis N B 9 Htrathm Clfatt! lo^ b^Tß .' BlSßar Sons, GorddinoVj?lanfairfMhan HBnry Platt ' 0.8., Best Highland: Sir E A 1? p..i „ Cluny Castle, Aberdeen. ' ' rt ' Bart Cotali^ rOS3bred: E![ec,lt<)rß of th ® late J. J. Best of Small Cattle: Sir ,T nil™ Lumdin and Montrave, Uven pfeL rt " BestSteerTS^™ the extiibitor of the best « 0 x 0 classes (carcase competition S. the tors of the late J. J. Colman cSr?„» S l6o "' Norwich (Crossbred). narrow House, Best Heifer.—Silver cup value £Sn . .i, exhibitor of the best heifer in the (carcase competition excepted).EarlTf S ,aßße9 more, Glamis Castle, N.B, (AtertLS, » tratll Ju Ju of Qlamls). ' rt ' een Angus, mmx PLATE. m, m Ml „ „ TJt A piece of plate, value inn exhibitor, and centenary goH nS to tte

breeder, of the best beast in the ihotfci"' case competition excepted): Earl 0 ftSf more. Glamis Castle, VB. (Aberdeen heifer, Ju Ju of Glamis).

THE queen S CHALLENGE CUP 'l ■ Challenge cup, value £150, for the in the show bred by the exhibitor (cJJJ} competition excepted), and centenary ' medal to the holder but not final win**; the cup: Earl of Strathmore ■ heifer, iTu Ju of Glamis). t5 breed cops, sheep or lambs. « Best Pen of Leicesters: E. F. Jordan Pa' burn, Driffield. .... „ ' TT;' Best Pen of Border cesters: No entrt Best Pen of Cotswolds: W. Thomas 7 *. Hayes. Sully, Penarth. ' J* Best Pen of Lincolns: H. Dnddine, R,v Grove, Stallingborough. Great Grim Best Pen of Kentish, or liomney Marsh.»■ liipden. Lvniiiiec, H.vthe. Kent. • 4 Best Pen of Dcvons. or other Pure i 2 wools: J. Keddnway, Barthe Barton, D«vm Best Pen of Cheviots: A. Guild, Greenhw Pencaitland, N.B. . ™ Best Pen of Mountain: J. M Dowall flnii Stingwood, Kirkcudbright. "".W Best Pen of Southdowns: Executors of il late J. J. Colman. __ Best Pen of Hampshire Downs: Lord Bon, child, Tring Park. Herts. Ko^ Best Pen of Snffolks: Earl of El lesffi Stetchworth Pari;, Newmarket. -"7? Best Pen of Sbropshires: Philo L, »,■» Rwldington Hall, Notts. *"4 Best Pen of Oxford Downs: H. W. gtjw? Adderbuiy Banbury. ™ Best Pen of Dorsets or other Pure aL wools: H. L. B. M Calniont, Bishop's Wf-j Ens?, Hereford. °°V Best Pen of Crossbred: Thomas Rush lh ' chell's Hall Farm, Saffron Walden. ■

CHAMPION PLATE, SHEEP. t A piece of plate, value £50, to the eihfl)it» of the best pen of three long-woolled rij? or lambs in the show: W. Thomas Hayes, Sully, Penarth (Cotswolds). a A piece of plate, value £50. to tho exhibit* of the best pen of three short-woolled sC or lambs in tho show: Philo L. Mills C dinpton Hall. Notts (Shropshires). ® THE PRINCE OF WALES' CHALLENGE CUP Challenge cup, value £100. for the best w. of three sheep or lambs in the show, bred i! the exhibitor: Philo L. Mills (Shropshires) BREED CUPS, PIGS.

Best Pen of Small White: A. Hiscock, it. Manor Farm, Motcombe. Shaftesbury % Best Pen of Middle White: S. Spencer Hid. well Manor, St. Ives. Hnnts. ' '' Best Pen of Lame White. A. Hiscock inn Best Pen of Black: G. Attkins, 55' £ street, Highgate. ' ® Best Pen of Berkshire: J. A. Pricker fc,. ton Mere, Wilts. rl ®' Best Pen of Tamworth: G. Taylor. Trot* House, Norwich. ' ™ Best Pen of Crossbred: J. P. Chissell (W grove Farm. Wimborne, Dorset. '

CHAMPION PLATE, PIGS. A piece of plate, value £20, to the eihibifr, of the best pen of pigs in the show 1 ? Fricker (Berkshiresl. ' ' 4 A piece of plate, value £5, to the eihiln'L of the best single pig: Earl of CanX Newbury (Berkshires).

THE DUKE OF YORK CHALLENGE CUP Challen?o cup. value £50, for the best o« of two pigs in the show bred by the ntiff tor: J. A. Fficker (Borkshirea). ™ bi The splendid model of an Aberdeen Ann. heifer, which carried off the championship fa the Earl of Slrathinore, was champion also at Birmingham, and the Earl must hare too a pretty sum with her this year. It win, noticed that the champion plate for low. woolled sheop fell to a pen of Cotswolds ajj the corresponding plate for short-woolj to Shropshires, while the latter won the tut oliallenge cup offered by the Prince ofWWa s for the best pen of sheep in the show brej by the exhibitor. As usual the Royal Family were exhibitors of live stock, The Quea who exhibited four Devons, two Hereford! and one Shorthorn, was not quite as s®. cessful as she was at the Birmingham show but still carried off a goodly sheaf of honcmn* including the first prize and the Breed Cup for a Devon stoer, the first prize for a Demi heifer, the first prize, the Breed Cup, tlj reserve ticket for her own challenge cup sift a Hereford steer, and a second priza for i Shorthorn heifer. The Prince of \Val9 Bhowed a Highland ox, which was placed third: two animals in the small cattle section, one of which was placed second; three pea of Southdown sheep,' one of which pined tin third place; and two pairs of Berkshire pip, with one single pig of the same breed The Duke of York, contrary to expectations, did not exhibit as usual in the pig claiw, but showed only a Red Polled steer, placed third, and a Crossbred heifer.

THE CARCASE COMPETITION. The animals in the carcase competjlioi were shown alive on the first day of theshof, after which they were slaughtered and thai carcases were exhibited after being juW The display of beef was a very good out? hardly any of it being: too fat for sale a any period of the year. In fact, exhibitoii have learned that it is useless to send bevti fat enough for a live stock show to the® ea*} competition, and 51 good deal of the bed was not fat enough to be marbled u Christmas meat should be. In the class for steers not over two years, the first prize ail the centenary gold medal for the best-pf, case in the two stcor classes fell to Mr. G. Murray Stewart, of Calby, KirkcudbHfe for a Galloway, and the other two pnm were won by Scotch crosses. A South Dent took first honours in the older steer clu. for Mr. J. S. Wroth, of Coombe, Devon; th*> second prize being a Scotch crow, and the third a Shor'horn and Kerry cross. In the heifer class, Mr. H. G. Murray Stewart again came to the top with a Galloway, and the other prizes were won by Scotch cram The mutton was a great improvement upon that of any previous competition, only a small proportion of it being wastefully fat. In the class for long-woolled lambs the first prize was awarded to a Black-face, the sewn! to a Lincoln, and the third to a Cheviot. Id the long-woolled wether sheep not over ft months the prizes fell to a Suffolk aid Cheviot cross, a Leicester and Mountain croa, and a Herdwick. in the order given. Id'At next class, for short-woolled lambs, Suffolk tool; first and second prizes, and a Cros-breJ won the third prize. The winners in tin short-woolled sheep were a Hampshire, I Southdown, and another Hampshire, in tin order given. The average carcase weight of the prize-winning cattle was 65 per cent, of the live weight. For the long-woolledlml) the ratio was 61 per cent.; for long-moM sheep, 65 per cent.; for short-woolled lambs, M per cent.; and for short-woolled Ehety 66i per cent. • table poultry, j/ The show of table poultry, although;®! the largest, was by far the best ever htMj the quality of '.he chickens, ducks, gees, and turkeys being generally excellent, Al usual, the largest and best classes among tit fowls were those of the cross between tin Indian Game and Doriing, remarkable.fa the size and meatiness of their breasts.