The Express.
London, England, 1850-12-17 00:00:00

THE CATTLE SHOWS.

[Abridged from the drietattsral Gouttel
A large portion of our space is this day occupied
with reports of the great cattle shows of the peat work ; and,
keying obtained measurements of all the cattle exhibited at
*urn from which some useful inferences may be drawe, we
&hall duom our leading column to a Meador purpose. It is
not minima the relative merits of the Smithfield and Mid-
land Counties' clubs—though that is no doubt a point of
some interest—u the relative merits of the oiffrrent breeds
of cattle, which each has exhibited, that we wish to bring
out. Tne prize Bete, in some measure, iricate this point,
more eepemally in the cue of the Smithfield club, where all
breeds *Devote with one another, the classes being according
to age; not so much in the Birmingham show, where all ages
c Grampus with oar, soother. the classes being according to breed.
We retain the opinion expressed on a previous occasion that
the former is the more useful method of el *reification for a
show- of fat stock, and that the positive unfairness to an
eghlb for of pitting his three years old cx against animals of
the aer.o breed four and five years of age, is at least as
uoforte,late a malt of the one mode of arrengement, a, the
chose, of unfaireue which he incurs under the other, by the
partialities or prrjaiices of the judge", when his 'ninth' is
pitted age ic et others of the same age, but of different Weeds.
Oa this point, however, we need not now insist ; it is. per-
haps, well that each association sh,.uld, for inoividuality's
sake, retain to peculiar mode of classificetion, so that exhibi-
tors may Axes which kind of risk they shall incur, Cer-
tainly, the malt of this year's shows has not in any degree
determined the Melee popularity of the two, for both
uueues have prospered far beyond the experience of former
years.
The prises of the Smithfield Club were awarded as follows :
Three fist prises, beside" medals; five second prises; two
third prises and the gold medal fur the best cow in the yard,
were won by the shod-horns: two first prises, beads.
medals ; one second and one third prize, with the gold medal
for the best ox is the yard, were received by the Herefords ;
two, first, and cue second prises acre awarded to the Devote;
and one first prize was gained by one of the Scotch breeds.
In all, itappsars that 1601:, besides medals, were awarded to
short-horest 661 to Herefords, 60/ to Devoe, and 101 to
ace of the Scotch breeds ; but, Mak excluding extra stock,
75 short•haras were shown, and only 26 Hereford", and 29
Devon.. The prises awarded would, therefcre, renege
21. 2s. per heed for the abort-horns ; 21.8 s for the Hertf,rds,
and 11. 16s. for the Devote—thus somewhat altering the
order of merit la which the breeds might at first appear to
have stood.

As regards the Birmingham show, it appeers that in the
can of shorthorn., one of the younger oxen carried off
the first prise in it. clam ; in the Herefords the first was
carried off by one of the older, and the second by one of the -r
younger oxen ; and in the Devout both the first and second
were won by animals of full age—thus keeping true to
what is generally undenwod to be the order of the breeds cr
iss regards early attainment of maturity. We learn, too,
dist the alassifiestiou of cattle according to weight which
°binge fa certain ads at Smithfield, cannot be well carried
ons—the Ina prises in both those cases being carried oft oy
iamb whisk, according t, the measurements and the
ISMS in which the classes are described, would appear to
have been disqualified for oompetitioa.
• •

A' Sotithfletd one first prize, four second prizes, and two
third prizes, sem awarded to wags whew weight was
below the swinge of their respeetire clams; and to three
d.fferent dames the first prise wow awarded to animelsot Arm
weight than them which carried off the woad.
Any one who may h►re witneared the exhibition itself,
whether at Birmingham or Lond.h, must at once have seen
that mentWas and weight is not regarded a property of any
value in an enlightened judgment of the merits of our
different tweeds of mile.

The short horns appear to attain an earlier maturity than
jilts others; their growth is noes rapid at an esrlier stager,
andjer rapid et a later stage, than that of the H. Words or
Patel& The old Metropolitan 83elety hes, of course, tar '
higher pro fig. on its side than the young country sesueistion,
and its supttiority for away yeas to name is to busapeeted.
We think bait Mr. 9.reis, of the Smithfield Cleb,oad Hr.
Wright, of the Midland Counties Aseecistioei have maple
claims en our thanks, mad mph, grouse kg solfirstalstios,
in the MOONS of their respective efforts.