The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-08 00:00:00

THE SMITHFIELD CATTLE CLUB

SHOW.

The growing; competition which our farmers and
graziers are now called upon to sustain with their conti-
nental rivals renders it more than ever necessary that
they should continue to improve their breeds of cattle
and other stock, with the view, above all, to endeavour
to diminish the cost of production. The science of
breeding must now take a more practically useful and
economical direction, and agricultural societies will be
much more advantageously employed in teaching the
small farmer how to obtain certain given results with
the least possible outlay, than in demonstrating by means
of their wealthier members how much fat a monster ox
can manage to live and groan under—without ex-
piring. We have never ceased to protest against
the wasteful system of feeding beasts up to a degree
of obesity at which fatness becomes a disease, and
we are glad to perceive that the Smithfield Cattle
Club have at length recognised the justice of these
opinions, and done something to discourage the
practice of which we have on various occasions com-
plained. In the exhibition of the present year (which
opens to the public to-day) the judges appear to have
taken into account, more than they have hitherto done,
the general kindliness of the stock, and their aptitude to
thrive and fatten, and they have, in more than one in-
stance, passed over the fattest and heaviest beasts, and
awarded the prizes to cattle less overgrown, more
healthy, and which have attained a due and profitable
proportion of flesh and fat with the least expense to the
grazier. Judging from the exhibition, it would appear
that the exhibitors themselves have been content to
diminish the amount of their annual contributions to the
dripping-tubs of the metropolis. Hugo animals there
undoubtedly are, with patches of unwholesome fat upon
their hind-quarters, who have been fed upon corn that
would have furnished a meal during the late famine for
half an Irish barony; but there is a decided falling off in
the general obesity of the animals exhibited; and next
year we may expect to see results still more satisfactory
from the decisions of the judges.
One of the finest animals in the show is an ox, to
which the gold and silver medal of Class 2 was awarded.
This animal, bred and fed by Mr. Manning, of Rothers-
thorpe, near Northampton, shows an admirable deve-
lopment of fleshy points and a sleekiness of skin indi-
cating health, without a single lump of superfluous fat.
The back is extraordinarily broad and well shaped, and
if the hind-quarters are not quite square and full
enough to satify the connoisseur, yet the general me-
rits of the animal will be held to entitle him to the
prize. This steer was fed with 2,1001 b. of oilcake, 20
bushels of barley, 10 bushels of beans, carrots, hay,
turnips, and mangel-wurzel. Its age is four years and
four months.

Another animal, which in the opinion of the best
judges is all but perfect, is a heifer bred and fed by the
Earl of Radnor, at Coleshill, Berkshire, to which the
gold and silver medal were adjudged. This heifer is a
cross between the Hereford and long-born breeds, and
has come so early to a ripe maturity that, although only
two years and eight months old, she has carried off the
prise against much larger animals of the five-year-old
class. She has been fed on hay, corn, roots, and cake,
and the total cost of her keep since she was calved has
been 28/. 3s. She is sufficiently fat, although not so
much so as many animals shown against her, and ap-
pears to be lively and in perfect health. This animal
promises to be one of the principal attractions of the
show.

Prince Albert is again a successful competitor for
some of the society's prizes. An ox of the Highland
breed, belonging to his Royal Highness, has gained the
prize of 101. in class 6. It is five years old, and has been
fed on oilcake, beanmeal, swedes, tares, and hay. The
fat is not so equally and evenly distributed as upon the
two animals last mentioned, but the back is broad and
straight for the breed, and the animal is considered a
very good one. _

An of the North Devon breed has gained the prize
in class 5, for the Earl of Leicester. It is a beautiful
animal, well fed in every part, but with no exuberance
of fat, and entirely symmetrical. The number of oxen
shown last year was 135, and the number at the present
exhibition is 108. Although there is a falling off in
the quantity of ,animals exhibited, there is said to he
a considerable and satisfactory improvement in their
quality.

- The sheep are excellent, and the pens of Southdowns,
in particular, will not fail to justify the preference given
for these sheep in the London market. The Duke of
Richmond has this year carried off the prizes for South-
downs over his well-known rival, Mr. Samuel Webb.
A judicious cross between the Oxfordshire and Hamp-
shire has obtained the prize in class 12 for Mr. J.
Hitchman, of Little Milton, Oxon. Perhaps the prettiest
sheep in the whole exhibition is a pure Southdown,
shown as extra stock by Mr. G. S. Foljambe, to which
the silver medal was adjudged. It is a model sheep for
breadth of back and beauty of symmetry.
The pigs apprise the visitor of their whereabouts afar
off by wheezing and snoring through every note in the
gamut. A man may have scruples in seeing beasts
and sheep too unwieldy to stand or walk, but your pig
appears to fulfil his destiny in becoming fat, and no
portion of his carcase need run to waste. The gold
and silver medal for the best pen of pigs has been
awarded to Mr. E. Whitfield, of Snaresbrook,
Essex, for his improved Essex breed, which
appear to have descended from the well-known stock of
Mr. Fisher Hobbs. These interesting animals are only
IS weeks old. They have been fed on " middlings, bar-
ley, meal, and milk," and do no discredit to such gene-
rous diet, the mere recapitulation of which would, no
doubt, make many mouths water in Skibbereen. An-
other tender nursling of this family (the porcine) 21
weeks old, of the improved Sussex breed, and fed on
" meal and milk," by Mr. Peto, of Heston, extorted the
silver medal from the judges as extra stock. His skin
appears bursting " like a ripe gooseberry," unable to
retain the oleaginous and unctuous substratum beneath ;
and if you make him walk, he screams with the most
wilful air long after he lies down, like a spoiled child.
An enormous pig, near this, of the Berkshire breed, bred
by Mr. Pusey, is as large as a young Scotch bullook,
and would weigh nearly two of those animals. This
monarch of the sties has the grunt of a lion ; and, if the
flitch of Dunmow at all resembled his, it was well worth
obtaining upon such terms. Prince Albert has gained the
first prize of 101., in class 17, for a pen of three pigs of the
Bedford and Yorkshire breed. Their age is 39 weeks, and
they have been fed on barleymeal, peas, and skim-
milk. The pigs in the next pen are fatter evon than
the Prince's, and have wonderful pretensions to blood
and breeding, the blue veins being as distinctly visible
through their thin skins as upon the bosom of a fair
maiden. These pigs are a cross between the Suffolk and
Essex breeds. The Apollo Belvedere of the porcine
family is said to be the Chinese pig, who is unfortu-
nately unrepresented at the present show. But there are
two pens of the improved Middlesex breed, shown by
Mr. W. Barker, of Uxbridge, which is a great fa-
vourite of ours, and should be of the farmers, since
it always commands a high price in the London
market.

There are some fine Durhams and shorthorns among
the extra stock.

The exhibition is held, as usual, in the Horse Bazaar,
King-street, Baker- street, which is well ventilated and
lighted by gas. • The arrangements are excellent, and
reflect much credit upon the committee and Mr.
Brandreth Gibbs, the Honorary Secretary. We have
.no space to notice the agricultural implements, seeds,
and roots, which are displayed in the upper story of the
building.
Subjoined will be found a list of the awards:--
OXEN OR STEERS.
CLASS I.
The first prize of 201. is adjudged to No. 17, viz., to
his Grace the Duke of Rutland, of Belvoir Castle,
Grantham.

The silver medal to the breeder is awarded to his
Grace the Duke of Rutland.
The second prize of 151. is adjudged to No. 3, viz., to
Mr. Joseph Stratton, of Manningford Bruce, near
Pewsey, Wilts.
The third prize of la is adjudged to No. 6, viz., to
the Right Hon. Lord Portman, of Bryanston, near
Blandford.