The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-11 00:00:00

THE GREAT CHRISTMAS

CATTLE MARKET.

This being the day appointed for holding the Great
Christmas Cattle Show, the usual bustle and excitement
invariably witnessed on this occasion were apparent at an
early hour. The great difficulties experienced during
nearly the whole of the present year in rearing adequate
supplies of what may be termed fat stock fer this and
ether markets, and the unusually bad condition in which
the beasts have come to hand during the past six months
—indeed, we may state that fully two-thirds exhibited
here since the latter end of June have been beneath the
middle quality—led many parties to conclude that there
would be a great comparative deficiency in the supply for
Christmas consumption. Although there were some defi-
ciencies to which we shall presently allude, the show,
taken as a whole, was a ♦ery good one, and kept up its
long-established -character. In bringing the leading breeds
under particular notice, we may observe that the changes
in the mode of exhibition in the show yard in Baker-street,
have been productive of a great amount of benefit, because
they are keeping pure blood amongst our stock, and thereby
enabliug us to fall back upon a reserve—in the event of
cross-bred animals becoming deteriorated—the ♦alue
of which can scarcely be estimated. Tu-day's market
strongly illustrated these remarks. In former years,
we have been accustomed to witness a good
supply of beasts from the west of England ; in other
words, the number of Devous has formed a heavy portion
of the arrivals. To-day, that breed reached us to an ex-
tent seldom before witnessed, and of weight and quality
which surprised the most experienced breeders. This we
look upon as one of the results arising from placing the
Devons as the first-class beasts in the show-yard. To
show the strength of the supply, we may observe that there
could not have been loss than 1,600 pore Devons on sale
many of them weighing from 180 to 200 stones, and very
few under 150 stones of 8 lbs. The prices realised fir this
particular breed were nearly on a par with those obtained
in the corresponding week in 1853. We now come to the
Herefords. This portion of the supply was, if anything,

far superior, taking weight, condition, and quality into
consideration, to most former seasons. Many of the beasts
were of enormous weight; indeed numbers of them were
superior to any shown in the second-class n the yard last
week. The high prices paid for this particular breed dur-
ing the whole of the present year, and the almost total ab-
sence of disease amongst it, have operated as a great pre-
ventive to the breeders, whose gains have greatly exceeded
almost any former season.
But we have yet to enlarge upon. another portion of this
great exhibition, viz., the shorthorns. From nearly all
parts of England, but more particularly from Lincoln-
shire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, and Norfolk—
noble, well-proportioned, and bulky animals reached us.
The value of this portion of the supply it would be impos-
sible to estimate ; and we congratulate the feeders in
having forwarded so splendid an addition to the aggre-
gate numbers. This breed has certainly lost none of its
excellent points from being placed in the third class by
the Smithfield Club, and here we would remark that the
heavy breeds of beasts have this season failed to come up
to their accustomed weight from reasons already explained.
More than the usual number of wonderfully fine Scots
bred iu England and Scotland were in the market. In our
opinion they formed one of the most interesting features,
notwithstanding their colour, and, when we consider the
great value of this breed—indeed a more valuable one does
not exist—we are led to tie practical conclusion that it
has never received fair play at the hands of the Smith-
field Club. If the commitsee can point out to us a supe-
rior class of beasts we will at once admit that we are
wrong, but not before.
As regards the various other breeds shown this morning

_
we may intimate that they did not exhibit any points
worthy of particular observation. However the show in
this respect was a good one. There was about an average

eupply of foreign stock in the market, but its general con-
dition was very inferior. And it is a remarkable fact that
little or no improvement has taken place in it since the
passing of the present tariff laws, notwithstanding that we
have paid the Dutch graziers high prices for both beasts

and sheep.
Last week's imports of foreign stock into London were
5,831 head. In the corresponding week in 1853 we received
4,795; in 1852, 4,869 ; in 1851, 3,628 ; in 1850, 5,734;
in 1849, 3,720; in 1848, 3,155; and in 1847, 1,913 head.