The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-12-13 00:00:00

ED,e 3tottrbrib'ge Obserber,

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13th, 1:34

CHRISTMAS CATTLE SHOWS,

THE great Christmas gathering of cattle at
the Agricultural Hall at Islington, is natur-
ally the chief topic of interest this week
amongst all who are in any way associated
with the cultivation of the soil. Although
the show is no longer held at Smithfield the
organisation which brings the collection of
animals together is still the Smithfield Club,
which is older than the century. This is the
eighty-seventh exhibition, so that theincep-
tion of the club took place at a time when
trouble hung over the land at home and
threatened it abroad. Judging from what
we are told by our national historians, we
should not like again to go back to the year
1797. The smouldering embers of rebellion
broke out into a fierce flame in Ireland a few
months afterwards; and at the same time we
were engaged in war with France. The
American colonies had not enjoyed independ-
ence as the United States a dozen years, and
were still sullen in their demeanour towards
the mother con try. Trade was naturally
depressed amidst the fluctuations of feeling
which necessarily accompanies a great
European war. It was at such a time of
discouragement that the Smithfield Club
held its first exhibition in the market so
familiar to the dwellers in and the visitors
to central London. Of the national vicissi-
tudes which have been witnessed since 1797,
it would be superfluous to speak here. In
the midst of all of them the club has held
its own ; and there can be no doubt that the
competition at times has been a very formid-
able one. There is, for instance, the very
excellent show which, a week before that, of
the Smithfield Club, always takes place in
the great Bingley Hall, at Birmingham. To
some extent there seems to have been a kind
of rivalry between the two ; for up to this
year animals which competed at Bingley
Hall were excluded from competition at Is-
lington. The--e has now, however, been a
relaxation of this rule. So far as the in-
terest taken in the Smithfield Club Show is
concerned, the Queen and the Prince of
Wales are exhibitors invariably, and prize-
takers very often. The late Prince Consort,
in his lifetime, contributed to the collection
from his model farm at Windsor, and in
these lattei.' days- the Prince and Princess of
Wales with any other members of the Royal
family who may hapyen to be in town during
this dull month, honour the show with their
presence. To Londoners the Academy in
the summer and the Cattle Show in early
December, are established institutions. It is
the proper thing to "do" both. If you meet
an acquaintance in the street, and ask him
if he has been to one or the other, his reply
is eitirer in the affirmative, or that he is cer-
tainly going. There are many who would
not enjoy their Christmas dinner unless they
had been to the Cattle Show
Islington does not, however, monopolise
the attentions of the best of our agricultur-
ists. Bingley Hall, as we have seen, is a
competitor of considerable strength, and
within the next fortnight exhibitions, de-
scribed by the distinctive names of counties,
will be held. Announcements of fat stock
shows are made from Northumberland to
Cornwall, although many of the consumers
would prefer not so much fat with their
meat as excellence of quality. Looking at
the depression -rrlx;rars -