The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-21 00:00:00

The Royal Dublin Society's Spring Cattle

Show.

DUBLIN, April 20.

Although the weather yesterday was of a very
unfavourable character, the show-yards of the Royal
Dublin Society were crowded with visitors, and
every section of the show attracted general atten-
tion. The Lord Lieutenant, accompanied by Lady
Wodehouse, and several members of his staff, visited
it at three o'clock, and spent a considerable time
inspecting the various departments. He expressed
himself highly pleased with the exhibition generally.
The meeting for the distribution—or rather the
official awarding—of prizes was held last evening in
the lecture theatre of the society's house. Amongst
those present were, the Earl of Longford, the Right
Hon. the Lord Mayor, Mr. Francis Macdonogh,
Q.C., M.P. ; Dr. Owens, Mr. Longfield, M.P. ; R.
J. T. Orpen ; W. J. Fitzgerald, J.P. ; James
Cathrew ; the Hon. C. Trench, G. W. Maunsell ;
J. 11. Greene, Sir Percy Nugent, &c.

About nine o'clock, his Excellency, accompanied
by Mr. F. R. Wodehouse, and the Hon. John
Wodehouse, aides-de-camp in waiting arrived.
His Excellency having taken his seat on the dais,
Lord DCTINTLO opened the pi oceedings with a speech
in which he gave the history of the society, describ-
ing the objects for which it was established, its
progress down to the present time, and the various
alterations and improvements which had taken place
in its management. The prize list was then read
by the secretary, after which a vote of thanks was
passed to the judges, who, in returning thanks, said
that the show was in general highly creditable, and
that there was a very remarkable improvement in
the stock.

The Earl of CLANC),RTY then ruturned thanks to
his Excellency for having presided at the meeting,
and for the interest he had taken in the show.
He observed that he considered the breeding
and rearing of cattle to be the most important de-
partment of husbandry in Ireland. It was said a
large portion of the population had been thrown
out of employment by the conversion of tillage
land into pasture, but it was a great mistaken +AI
taa hink own tna. Att a thA large
numberw of the people were
Unemployed, and that those who were employed
received miserable wages. The rate of wages was
now three times as large, and a large number of
people were employed all over the country. The
condition of the labouring classes was greatly im-
proved. That, no doubt, arose in a great measure
from the extensive emigration that was still going
on. Should they lament that emigration ? De-
cidedly not. Would not the population have emi-
grated 20 or 30 years ago if they had had the means?
Now there were the means of emigrating, and the
labourer was enabled to carry his labour to the most
remunerative market. It was not incidental to the
rearing and fattening of cattle that there should be
a diminution of employment. He did not think the
people were emigrating from want of manufactures.
Neither those who were emigrating, nor the Celtic
population generally of the South and West, were a
manufacturing people like the Northerners, who
were many of them the descendants of the Huguenots.
The germ of manufactures was not in this country.
In the order of Providence it appeared to be ordained
that the soil of Ireland should be turned into account
as an agricultural country.
The LORD LIEUTENANT them addressed the
assembly in the following terms : —I have witnessed
the show which we have seen this day with the
greatest satisfaction ; but I should not be led into
inferring from that that the country is making any
satisfactory progress ; because, if I were to do so,
no doubt I should be met by the declaration that the
whole country is absolutely ruined, and that those
who would infer from progress in the breeding of
cattle that any improvement has taken place in the
general condition of the country would overlook a
variety of other questions, and that if they had any
knowledge of human affairs at all, they would
come to a different conclusion. (Laughter.) I can
only say this, that in so far as your show is con-
cerned, and restricting myself to those animals
which we have seen to-day, I think the society at
least hasreason to oongratulate itself on theimprove-
went which has been shown. The show of short-
horns was very good ; but the show of Herefords,
of Devons, and of some other breeds of cattle,
although there may have been some animals that
were far from bad, was not such as to prove that
there has been any very great attention paid to those
breeds in this country. Those who have been ac-
customed to see the beautiful Herefords and the
magnificent Devons that are to be seen at our great
shows in England would without hesitation say that
to those particular classes of cattle there has not
been any particular attention paid in this country.
But, at, the same time, I am convinced that you
have begun at the right end; for all men are of
opinion, without exception, that the principal breed
of cattle in the United Kingdom is the shorthorns ;
and, beginning with shorthorns, I have no doubt if
you find other parts of the country are adapted to
other classes of cattle, you will introduce the best
blood from England, and attain that eminence in
those classes of animals that you have attained in
the shorthorned breed. (Hear, hear.) As regards
flax cultivation, I will only make this observation,
that it appears to me to be of great importance to
this country, not only because a ready market can
be obtained for flax, owing to the extensive linen
markets in the North, but because I think flax culti-
vation is exceedingly well suited for small cultiva-
tors. The problem you have to solve in Ireland is
this, you have not merely to establish a system of
large farms, where the circumstances of the country
will permit, with large capital, the use of machinery,
the fattening of cattle, and other improvements,
but also, as far as you can, to take care that the

very small farmers, who predominate so largely in
this country, shall, if possible, find the means to

live. (Hear, hear.) Now, the small farmer, I be-
lieve, can cultivate the flax with considerable advan-
tage. It is the case in the North of Ireland, of
Belgium, and other continental countries; and there-
fore, I think, the Irish proprietors and the Irish Go-
vernment have done well to turn their attention to
flax. (Hear.) I hope you pay attention to the dairy
qualities of your cattle, because it strikes me that

there is a large field open to Ireland in dairy pro-
duce. For whilst you send animals to us which are

as good, and in some respects better, for fattening
purposes than cattle we can buy for store stock in

England, I truss you will not forget that we can
consume in England any amount of dairy produce
you can send us ; and that in some parts of Eng-
land we cannot attain that excellence in dairy pro-
duce which we do in cattle, and that those who will

supply uswith dairy produce will have a large field
open to them. (Hear, hear.) It has beeii observed
that this is not the time for judging sheep. Indeed,
to my unpractised eye, a sheep in the wool is an
animal that entirely puzzles me. (Laughter.) One
looks very like the other, and I think an experienced
judge would find it very difficult to say which of
any two animals was the more meritorious. As re-
gards pigs, I was glad to see that the white and
black factions have both their partisans, and I am
sure each is equally persuaded that his favourite
animal is the best. (Applause and laughter.) I
confess my prejudice is in favour of white, because
in that part of the country where I live such is the
gross obstinacy of the people that a black pig they
in not buy. (Laughter.) You may bring the
most beautiful animal to market, but the remark
will be, " That is a very pretty pig, sir, but I don't
like black pigs." There is no arguing against that.
There are other parts where precisely the opposite
feeling prevails, and where no white pig sells. (Re-
newed laughter.) lam glad that both white and
black are produced in this country in great perfec-
tion ; so that whether you hit high or hit low, you
arc likely to hit to our satisfaction. (Applause and
laughter.) I think I may say that those shows
arc a great feature in the present progress in Ire-
land, because you hare, at least, shown this--

that bearing in mind the great advantages that

Ireland possesses in producing cattle, you have
known how to take advantage of the qualities of
your soil and climate ; you have produced animals
which, in the opinion of the best judges, are
qualified to compete with any which we can pro-
duce in England ; all who visit our market
must observe that Irish beasts will be as highly