The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-08 00:00:00

THE SMITHFIELD CLUB CATTLE SHOTT,

As the clocks of Islington chimed forth file hour of nine
on Mondaymorning, a privileged few were admitted to the
Agricultural Hall to view the operations of the judges in
the task of adjudicating upon the merits of the cattle,
sheep, and pigs entered for competition at the 70th
"annual show of the Smithfield Club. This process,
involving much rib-digging, flesh-pinching, girth-
measuring, and—for the first time this year—weight-
scaling, conducted by Messrs. G. Bedford, Blake, and
Role, for Devons, Herefords, Norfolk, or Suffolk polled,
long-horned, Irish, cross, or mixed cattle ; Messrs. Ladds,
Robinson, and Thomas, for short-horns, Scotch and Welsh
cattle ; Messrs. Borton, Bennett, Game, Keeling, Clay-
don, and Woodman for sheep ; and Messrs. Carver,
Sexton, and Inskip for pigs—occupied until two o'clock,
when the opportunity for inspecting the exhibition was
afforded to those of the general public, and they were
many, who cared to pay ss. by way of entrance fee.
At a quarter-past twelve the Crown Prince of Prussia very
quietly entered the Hall, and attended by Viscount Brid-
port, Lord Hardwicke, and Mr. Gibbs, inspected the
various entries. The Princess of Prussia was expected
to accompany his Royal Highness, but, for some reason
which did not transpire, failed to do so.

The entries in the various classes reach 477. Sick-
ness caused by transit, and a growing conviction
on the rart of some exhibitors at the Birming-
ham Show that they could not hope to take a prize at
the Agricultural Hall, have made a small reduction
in the number of animals actually put in competition.
Devonshire, as usual, sends a large and admirable contri-
bution in the shape of 41 of her famous steers and cows.
The Herefords number 33, and the short-horns 59. The
Sussex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Scotch, and mixed breeds are
amply represented ; while the pens of sheep—Leicester,
Cotswolds, Lineolns, Kentish cross-bred long-woolled sheep,
Southdowns, Hampshire, Shropshire, and mountain
breeds—contain specimens which for weight and breed may
be fairly contrasted with those exhibited in previous years.
The most attractive lot of sheep is that belonging to Mr.
William Guerrier. These are Hungarian strangers, and
their splendid wool and curiously-shaped spiral horns
will not fail to elicit the notice of all visitors. The pigs,
white, black, and otherbreeds, are well to the fore, as fat and
as uninteresting as ever. Her Majesty contributes to the
show two Devon steers, two Devon heifers, three Hereford
steers, one Hereford cow, one Hereford heifer, one cross-
bred heifer, two pens of pigs, and a solitary pig, Prince
Albert's Windsor breed, which has the honour of a class
all to himself. The Prince of Wales has in the show a
Devon steer, a short-horned steer, a Norfolk polled steer
and heifer, a cross-bred steer (from a Norfolk polled cow
and a pure Devon bull), a pen of first cross-bred sheep
(from a Southdown ewe and improved Lincoln long-
woolled ram), a single sheep of the same breed, and a pen
of small young white pigs. The first prize of £2O, with
silver medal to the breeder in Class 1 of Devon steers, not
exceeding 2 years and 6 months, was taken by Mr.
William Smith, of Higher Hoopern, Exeter, for a beast
bred by Mr. George Turner, of Bamford Speke,
Devon ; the second prize, of £lO, going to Mr. W. G.
Nixey, of Slough, for a steer bred by Mr. Richard
Mogridge, Molland, Southmolton, Devon. In Class 2,
Devon steers not exceeding 3 years and 3 months, the
first prize of £3O, and silver medal to the breeder, was also
awarded to Mr. William Smith, of Higher Hoopern,
Exeter, for a beast bred by Mr. J. Tripp, of Twitchen,
Southmolton. Mr. W. G. Nixey, of Slongh, took the
second prize of £2O for a steer, bred by Mr. William Smith,
the winner of the first prize ; and the third prize of £lO
fell to the lot of Mr. John Overman, of Burnham-market,
Norfolk. The steer exhibited by the Queen in this class
was commended; that entered by the Earl of Eldon highly
commended. In Class 3, Devon steers or oxen above
3 years and 3 months, the first prize of £3o—silver medal
to the breeder—was awarded to Mr. John Over-
man, of Burnham-market, Norfolk ; the second prize
of £2O to Mr. W. Barrington, of Thorley, Yarmouth,
Isle of Wight ; and the third prize of £lO to Mr. 'Walter
Farthing, of Bridgewater, Somerset. The first prize of
£25, silver medal to the breeder, in Class 4, for Devon
heifers not exceeding 4 years old, was awarded to Mr.
Charles Gibbs, of Lydeard, Taunton ; the second, of £l5,
to Mr. Nixey, of Slough ; and the third prize of £lO to
her Majesty. Mr. Richard Burton, of Broadelyst, Devon,
succeeded in carrying off the first prize of £25, with silver
medal to the breeder, in Class 5, for Devon cows above 4
years which have at least one live calf ; the second prize
of £l5 going to Mr. Smith, of Higher Hoopern, Exeter ;
the third prize of £lO to Mr. William Farthing,
of Bridgwater, Somerset ; the entry of her Majesty
the Queen being highly commended. It is under-
stood that a protest has been entered against the
award in the case of Mr. Burton, who took
the first prize at the recent show at Birmingham with the
same beast which he now exhibits. In the opinion of
those best acquainted with the subject, the show of Devons
is remarkably fine. In these, as in the classes generally,
shape rather than weight seems to have been made the
standard of merit. In the class for short-horned steers
not exceeding 2 years and 6 months old, the first prize
of £2O, with silver medal to the breeder, was secured by
Mr. R. N. Morley, of Grantham ; and the second
prize of £lO by Mr. James Bult, of Taunton, Sir William
de Capel Brooke's entry being highly commended. The
first prize of £3O, with silver medal to the breeder, for
short-horned steers not exceeding 3 years and 3 months,
fell to the lot of Mr. Butt, of Taunton, and the first prize
of £25 for short-horned cows above 4 years old -which
have bad at least one calf, was awarded to Mr. J. S. Fol-
jambe, of Worksop, Mr. Robert Searson, of Market
Deeping, Lincoln, carrying off the second prize
of the value of £l5. In the class of Here-
ford steers not exceeding 2 years and 6 months, the
first prize of £2O, silver medal to the breeder, was taken
by Mr. Robert Wortley, of Aylsham, Norfolk ; and the
second, of £lO, by Mr. Richard Shirley, of Stretton. The
steer exhibited by her Majesty was commended. The
first prize, of £3o—silver medal to the breeder—for Here-
ford steers not exceeding 3 years and 3 months, was also
awarded to Mr. Wortley, the Earl of Darnley's entry
coming in for high commendation at the hands
of the judges. In the classes "of Scotch cattle
Mr. M'Combie, of Tillyfour, Aberdeen, whose
Black Prince last year created so great a sensation, carried
off the second prize of £l5 for a Scotch polled steer (any
age), which steer is a son of the famous beast mentioned
above. The Duke of Sutherland was unsuccessful in
obtaining any award for his contribution to the class of
Scotch horned steers. To Lord Berners, of Keythorpe
Hall, Leicester, was awarded the first prize of £2O,
with silver medal to the breeder, for fat wether
sheep of the Leicester breed, 1 year old (under 23 months).
The second prize of £l5 went to Mr. William Brown, of
Jlolme-on-Spalding. Lord Berners also took the first
prize for fat wethers 1 year old (under 23 months), each
!Lee? not to exceed 2201 b. weight. Mr. Bradshaw, of
Cakham, Rutland, gained the second prize of £l5, and
Mr. William Brown, of Holme-on-Spalding, the third
prize of £5. In the class of fat wether sheep of-the Lincoln
breed, 1 year old (under 23 months), the first prize of
£2O and a silver medal to the breeder was awarded
to Mr. Carswell, of Quadring, Spalding, Lincoln. The
first prize of £l5, with silver medal to the breeder, for fat
wether shep of the Kentish or Romney Marsh breed, was
carried off by Mr. James Newport, of Ashford, Kent. For
fat wether sheep of the Southdown breed, 1 year
old (under 23 months), the first prize of £2O, with
silver medal to the breeder, was taken by Lord
Walsingham, of Merton, Thetford, Norfolk ; the
second prize of £lO by Mr. Hugh Penfold, of Chichester;
and the third by Sir William Throckmorton. The entry
of Lord Sondes, of Elmham Hall, Thetford, was highly
commended. The class of fat wether sheep of the South-
down breed, 1 year old (under 23 months), each sheep not
exceeding 2001 b. live weight, was generally commended.
The first prize, £l5, silver medal to the breeder, was
awarded to Lord Walsingham, of Merton Hall, Thetford.
The second prize of £5 for pigs of any white breed, not
exceeding 9 months old, was taken by the Queen for pigs
of Prince Albert's Windsor breed. The first prize,
value £lO, with silver medal to the breeder, going to M;
Melville Cartwright, of Lady Bank, Fife. The silver cu •
of the value of £2O, for the best pen of pigs in any of the
classes, was awarded to Mr. Thomas Chamberlayne, of
Cranbury Park, Winchester. The silver medal for 'the
best Southdown wether sheep in extra stock, was given to
Mr. Henry Humphrey, of Ashrington Hurst, Sussex. The
silver medal for the Southdown ewe in extra stock was
awarded to Lord Walsingham. The silver medal for the
hest steer or ox in extra stock was awarded to Mr. Heath,
of Ludham Hall, Norwich; for the best heifer or cow in
extra stock to Colonel Townley, of Burnley, Lancaster ;
to Lord Berners, for the best Leicester wether sheep in
extra stock ; to Mr. Brnwi, of Highgate, for the best
Leicester ewe in extra stock ; to Mr. Francis Sandeson,
for the best lon‘- "oiled sheep (not Leicesters) 17. extra.
stock ; and to, Arr. Thomas James, of Ce:',le, Bedford, for
the bes!, ehurt-woolled. sheep (not ;:sOuthdowns) in extra
stock,

'The Illanchater Courier says that the Conserva-
tives of Stockport havo decided upon presenting a petition
against tho return of Mr. J. P.

THE NATIONAL COTTAGE HOSPITAL FOR CON-
SUMPTION AND DISEASES OP THE CHEST.—Owing to the
prompt and liberal response of the benevolent public to
the appeals made by the general committee on behalf of
this charity, the erection of the first pair of buildings is
&ready far advanced, at Vcntnor, in the Isle of Wight.
Upwards of 2,000 valuable shrubs for th•> grounds of the
hospital have been generously presentt.d by Mr. William
Rogers, of Red " Lodge Nursery, Southampton ; Mr.
Anthony Waterer, Knap-hill Nursery, Woking ; and Mr.
Undo Yowg, 4141fati_Movies. Q 0 41,134,z.