OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER

Otago Witness, Issue 2605, 17 February 1904, Page 8

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER

(Fkom Oub Own Coebespowdent.) BRADFORD, December 18. SHEEP AT SMITHFIELD.

We aro in the very thick of our Christmas fatf show s and thcro is no exhibit about which there is so much to do as the Smithfield, which is held in London. This may be called a fairly representative show of British live stock, and I purpose to-day to introduce to readers a pen picture cf the sheep.

The exhibit of sheap jyr.is never better than this year. It is certaia that no such collection could been seen in any other part of the world. When we read or hear from Americans that their show of cattle comes close to oiu-i in point of quaJity, we may beat least consoled by the fact that, however great may be the advance in the United States and olsowhere in the improvement of the shorthorn, Hereford, and polled stock, we aro far abead of all our competitors in both tho size and the form of our sheep. If wo pub weight out of the- question, the mere bulk or mass of mutton or wool which can be examined at Islington is marvellous. Would weight alone tell us? In the. Lincoln classes there, are several animals which average a good deal more than 3cvvt apiece, and there are Le-icesters which average 7owt tho Uio, and all these wethers are only between one and two years old ; while, in eeveral other ciassee, including the Kentish, the Devons, the Hampshires, the Suffolks, and the Oxfords, there are, wethers which exceed the same weight, or, as in the case of tho Devons, there is a pen which reaches nearly 9cwt. The Lineolns, however, still hold the palm, and whatever their influence may be from tho point of view of crossing for the improvement of mutton or wool, the fact le.mains that they are- the greatest giants in the Bricish flock. It '.& worthy of notice that at Smilhfie'd, as at the Royal, there are specific exhibitors for specific brec's ; that tnese exhibitors compe-te. and take the prizes year by year, and that, in a word, they are left almost severely alone, for outsiders aro apparently afraid to enter th© lists against them. This form of monopoly, or what you like to call it, reduces the classes to race family parties. Thus Mr Perry Horrlck, of Loughborough, and Mr E. F. Jordon, of Driilie-M, monopolise the Leicester', amd it might be almost a? well for them to divide the prizes bstwosn then, before despatching their exhibits to the show, go c&itain are they to win. This year, however, Mr Jcrdon takes the chief places. There ar© aom© handsome Cotswolds in the class for lambs — huge, white, and curly in the ccat. Tho exhibits of Mr Thomas are highly commendable, in the cla=.3 for Lineolns, Messrs Dean and Sons, of Bourne, beat th 9 renowned He'iry Dudding, who once sold a Lincoln ram at a prodigious figure., but the relative value of the sheep is practically the same. While Mr Dean takes the cup for the best of the. breed, and +he champion plate foi the best sheep in tho shew, he gets the reserve card for the Grand Challenge Cup, and Mr Dudding has the consolation of taking the reserve cards in those cases in whioh his victorious neighbour has beaten him. The Kentish sheep are growing large and shapely, and he-re Mr Thomas Wotton, of Canterbury, wins tho cup for the beet of the. breed with a trio of beautiful wethers which weigh close upon Bcwt. The Devonshire men have not se'it up many exhibits, but what they have sent aro good. A Somppet breeder wins with lambs, and a Cornish breder, Mr Matthews, of Porpouit, with wethers, theee scaling B|owt afc the age of 21 months. It is doubtful whether any heavier cheep of the variety' have ever been sent to Islington. Tho quaint-faced Cheviots make a poor show, although Mr John M'Dowall's (Kirkcudbright) - aro all good. He takes the cup with a pen of wethers which at 20 months old weigh 6j(cwt. Tho mountain bier-ds are neitutr so fat nor so symmetrical as the lowland variety, but what they lose, in quality they make up in chaiactc-r and piotureTqut-ness, with their lon^ curled horns, tlmr mettled facew, and their spkndid alpaca-like wool. The. Southdown classes form one of the largest collections in th© show, 2nd possibly they ar-e. upon tho whole ad pe-fect as any lot of any

varioty. Mr Adoane, as at Birmingham, win* the cup for the section with a splendid pen of three fat wothor?, but ho is oifsely run by the executors of the lato Dukd ,>f Richmond, who was alwdys an admirer and supporter of tho breed. The Duke of Do\onsnii'e ia a Southdown exhibitor, together with the Kin,?, who shows a nuinb-er of loil3.

The Hampshire. Down?, with their closer wool, are among the most, massive in the sheep classes. Large, heavy, fat, and almost alUcoloure-d with hideous ochre, thoy ■ic-verlhelos.s present to tho critical eye of the breeder or to the more curious eye of tho g-encral public an exhibit of marvellous- value-. Mr Fowoll Buxton is the chief winner; he taikc-3 the. first prize both j for wsthcr sheep and for Jambs. His ! wethers, indeed, not only win the prize< for the best of the breed, but ihoy take tho cliallengG cup, and tho reserve card for the champion, cup for the best shovl-woolled variety. For ti,e Hhort-woolle-d Challenge GYp fiifv arc l.fatcn by a crossbred p_cn of Oxfoid-Hamp*hires, shown by Mr Rush, but as Mr Ruth 'lid not breed his wethers h© lost the c'lallange cup, heneo Mr Buxtons f-uceiv-5 in this particular ca«o. The [ Hampshires are being closely run for size i and form by the f^uffollJi, which aro be- ! ginning to lesembl© thorn, and the black- ! nr.-ss of their faces gives greater colour to the likeness. Here- the chief prize was taikets by Mr Herbert Smith, a member of tits fLm- always prominent as breeders of Suffolk sheep. Mr Smith's pen _ weighed I. early 7|c\vh Tho growing size, improved form, and co^-Utu'iori of the variety are making tV. Ka"ti in county stiJl famous for The stock-brcdiiijj propensities of its farmei*. Onp of the handsomest lots of sheep hi the> show was a pen of Shropshire wethers e-xhibited by Mr Pinlo L. Mills, of Nottingham, who wiß so successful in the- great Midland show a week Ago. In the section for Oxford Downs the cup went to Mr James Ilobbs, of Fairford, for a magnificent trio of wethers which scaled 7|cwt at 20i mouth- old. c CONDITIONS IN BRADFORD. We have again to report a very quite <-hita of affah-% though perhaps a rather brighter foel'ttig obtains than has characterised the market during the past few weeks. Some s&em to think that for the moment) tho downward tendency of values has. been i:r relied, anil that with steadier markets (hinge «na.y pick up ag.-iin. I cannot say that iHs week has brought about any increased luiiiover, but men teani to regard tJie future with 1e39 doleful forebodings than what they have done recently. The '"bc-ac" pressure is hardly as keen as ifc was, some of our laigest topmakei*? e\idently being of the opinion that it v.'ill not be policy to yu«h their claims any further; hence to-day thcoro is a steadier feeling-, with more evidence of business being done. Towards- tha end of last year it will be remembered there was quita a spurt in the demand for yarns on export account, and a great many contracts were given out, topmakers doing 1 quite a big 1 business. If men ar^ convinced that the bottom has been touched, ,we can easily see a big movement in wool, tops and yarns, and if this could be brought about it would givo a much needed impetus to the trade at this moinont. However muob. improved the feeling may be, what we want to see is more machinery 1 tinning on account of spinners and manufacturers, and now that Hiey h.i\e the chance of buying at le<3s values there should be som-a stimulus in thic departmp-nf. The strongest feature today is the absence of a'l =tooks, and this i<3 lootoed upon with great favour by not a few. Net many 'have ?old their combings out of the last series of London sales, and v,a no lower prices seem to I<d likely, a policy of holding is what is generally being adopted. There is no topmaker who can yet command his own, no matter wheie the ■wool has been bought, and is foolish in the present temper of the market to force sales. Not more tha.ll 23d can be got for a super 60's top, and lid will buy a tip-top 40's prepared toil. Mohair is ve-ry quiet, with prices only steady.