The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-26 00:00:00

proposed by the Hon. J. Napier; "The Literature
of Great Britain," by Mr. Reresford Hope, and re-
sponded to by Mr. H. Merivale; " The Travellers,"
coupled with the name of Mr. Kennedy, President
of the Alpine Chfb, by Mr. Merivale; " The Lite-
rature of Foreign Countries," by Mr. B. Bell, &e.

- -
.ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

GREAT INTERNATIONAL SHOW.

The Battersea meeting of the Royal Agricultural
Society is considered to be a complete success. So
far as the quality of the show is concerned nothing
is left to be desired. All that is now wanted is the
attendance of those who are bidden to the feast.
A spectacle such as never was witnessed in the
vicinity of the metropolis now awaits the public eye.
The chronicles of the society have no records of
such a varied congregation of animals domesticated
by man for his own use. It• is fairly astonishing
to think of two miles of shedding devoted to these
classes. Men of considerable experience in these
meetings seem to be taken by surprise, whichever
way one turns the eye sees so much of what is ex-
cellent and novel. From the lordly shorthorn to
the tiny Breton—from the noble Cotswold to the
crop-eared, sheep of China—from the obese, palpi-
tating pig to the grunter of tender years—from the
sleek,'graceful thoroughbred to the ponderous dray-
horse and the Exmore pony—every class is full of
attractive forms and extraordinary merit.
Yesterday was given to the public adjudication
of the prizes, and the opening of the terra incognita
of the cattle-yard was marked by the visits of his
Imperial Highness the Prince Napoleon and his
Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. The for-
mer, accompanied by M. Rouher, the French
Minister of Agriculture, and suite, left the yard
just as the Prince of Wales arrived. After a cor-
dial greeting, these two distinguished visitors
chatted for a few minutes and then parted. His
Royal Highness, accompanied by the Prince Louis
of Hesse and suite, was received by the president,
secretary, stewards of stock, and the hon. director
of the society. To-day is the ss. day, and ladies
may depend upon finding not only plenty of space
for the most extensive of dresses, but also abundance
of countenance from members of their own sex.
This is not a fat stock exhibition; that) is nothing
to disgust, for the animals are shown in as near
their natural condition as is possible.

The predictions ventured upon with respect to
the horses seem to be quite confirmed. The classes
are well filled. Early yesterday morning every-
body who was fortunate enouBh to possess a
member's ticket, or a guinea to spare, together with
a taste for the equine model, made his way to the
ring where the thoroughbreds were showing off
their silky coats, arching necks, flowing manes, and
graceful paces. No genuine lover of the field could
resist the temptation to sit and watch the process
of adjudication. The twelve horses which comprise
the thoroughbred class are well known. Their per-
formances have distinguished many of them, and
yesterday quite a sensation was produced as one
and another was trotted out, recalling to the on-
lookers a certain day at Ascot or Epsom. Elling-
ton, the winner of the Derby in '56, was at once
recognised, and bears now about his neck the riband
of honour as the winner of the race at Battersea.
Marionette, with a better loin, is second. The
hunters are capital, with plenty of substance; the
carriage horses are stout, but of too small a mould;
the roadsters are decidedly clever, and the ponies
are present in unusual numbers, and distinguished
by unusual excellence. His Royal Highness the
Prince of Wales made a purchase in this last class
of Mr. Frederick Branwhite, whose Pretty Girl is
thus transferred to the Prince's stables for a consi-
deration of £2O). The agricultural horses also sur-
pass themselves. The Suffolks were in public
favour. Compact massive frames, clear legs, and
active stepping, are the requirements of our steam
age.

The great backbone of the cattle classes is the
shorthorn breed. Year by year it is extending its
influence, and new men, attracted by the advantage
to themselves and the country of cultivating it, are
daily being added to the ranks of the pedigree
breeders. There are some 250 animals, divided into
eight classes. Two sets of judges were appointed to
award the prizes, and finished their duties about 1
o'clock, having commenced at 8. When the first
animals in the male class were placed side by side
for the award of the gold medal, great excitement
was visible. Mr. Webb's bull calf, First Fruit, Mr.
Marjoribanks' yearling, -Whipper-in, Mr. Sterling's
2-yr-old, Forth, and Mr. Wood's aged bull, Lord
Adolphus, all first prize animals in their respective
classes, occupied the ring. The ages being so various
it was difficult to balance merits. The contest at
last lay between Whipper-in and First Fruit, and
a bar sinister down the nose in the elder decided
the matter in favour of Mr. 'Webb, who therefore
takes the principal honours of the division with a
calf 10 months old. After having carried every-
thing before him as a breeder of South Downs, he
now seems likely to run the same successful course
amongst the breeders of shorthorns. The award in
the class for aged bulls is open to decided objection.
We do not think many persons having an eye for
form will agree with the judges in the award of the
Ist prize—Mr. Langston's Prince Frederick, which
stands third, and his Lord of the Harem, which is
second, are both far superior; indeed, there are few
of the class to which we should not accord a prior
place. The bull classes show the best blood. Mr.
Ambler, Mr. Balfour, and Mr. Sterling receive prizes
in the 2-yr-old bull class. The yearlings also repre-
sent some of our first herds, Mr. Majoribanks, Mr.
Ambler, and Lieut.-Col. Towneley with a red and
white 10th Butterfly taking the honours. The
gold medal in the heifer and cow classes is
awarded to Mr. Booth's beautiful red and white
Queen of the Ocean. The cows, always a re-
markable feature of a shorthorn show, are super-
lative. The animal already named stands first,
Lady Pigot's light roan Pride of Smethwick
second, and Jonas Webb's Lady Elizabeth Yorke
third. This latter is one of five cows, from Babra-
ham, all possessing special excellence. Lord Fever-
sham, Viscount Hill, Viscount Strathallan, Messrs.
Stratton, Mr. Crisp, and Lieutenant-Colonel
Towneley, are all exhibitors. The next class, for
heifers under three years of age, contains some
very beautiful animals. May Morn is the pride of
the class, a white heifer bred by the Duke of Mon-
trose. Mr. Lane's and Lord Feversham's are second
and third. The royal farm at Windsor sends a
milk white heifer of specially good character; and
Lady Pigot, Mr. Holland, M.P., and Lieutenant-
Colonel Towneley are again competitors. The
yearling heifer is a very large and superior class.
It consists of the unprecedented number of 42
entries, most of the principal herds contributing a
favourite beauty. No casual observer can fail to be
struck with the uniform character of the class, the
symmetry of the moulds, and the early maturity
evinced. Nothing can excel the perfection of Mr.
Booth's, Lieutenant- Colonel Towneley's, Lord
Feversham's, the heads of the class, or the com-
mended animals belonging to Messrs. Marjoribanks,
Atherton, Lanford, Hill, and Howard. The whole
of these short-horn classes are commended by the
judges, and we commend them to our French
friends as something more worthy of the breed
which has done so much for the production of meat
in this country, than what they saw at the Liter-
national Show at Poissy in April last.
The Herefords occupy an important position in
the midland and western districts of Englund, and
The two-
are better represented than ever before.
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The two gold medals lodge with Mr. Davy,
and a 6-year
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old cow.
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