OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 586, 14 August 1909, Page 14

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

SHEEP AT THE ENGLISH; ROYAL. . (From Our Speoiai Correspondent.) -, Bradford, July 1, 1909'. ■ Last week was the "Derby,' Day" for out English agriculturists, the, Royal Agricultural Society, holding its annual show, at Gloucester. It-cannot be called a success from .an' attendance or. financial point .of . view*.due largely to a.very wet, cold week. ' Hero' iii England, the last fortnight' has,been .excessively:,wet, and this . season cold east; winds have been continuously blowing: There : was a very fine display of stock, all Groat. Britain's best breeders being ' on. the ground. .Naturally, readers vrill- be most- interested inithe display of sheep, and here, the exhibit was really good. The number of-British breeds of sheep represented was- 23—three more than at .the gteat show at Newcastle last year. The three breeds included this season wore-the .Exmoor, the Dartmoor,' and the Devon longwool,- threepractically, unknown'sheep '.to. colonial wool growers. All the breeds were well, represented, except in the Scotah-.-classes,/and-somehow or other neither the ' blackface .' nor the Cheviot breeders from .Scotland ev-ei-iappisar' at an/EnglisM Koyal in large numbers. The fact is; this great show always finds -the; keenest' battle being waged around.the. Lincoln,;; Leicester, Downs, and Roinney-Marsh: pens, : due; ; nti-doubt,-to the important export.trade; in-these sheep. On . the, many-/colonials, and it is. ' hard to think-., that there is any, memberof the pastoral world'present-in.'England in June, but .what; pays, a visit to Jthe Royal .Show. The King journeyed down to- Gloucester the seoond da/, and it;was : -to the -sheep. pen?.that- the Royal .carriage "first went,; the .'.Kings prizewinners— Southdowris—being brought * out.' for his. inspection.-. The.Shepherds; .ini 6ome parts . still/ persist ■ in ;-'tho "curiotis. custotn or smearing the fiecces of the sheep-yellow and- red ochre. - -The; incn, ,who-'-had .charge - of the South Devon .longwoolsi determined; this year to outvie everybody; in ' colouring! and 'they •.dipped,', or soaked, /or-;stiiiried -th^ir.- : sheep of a bright-red. , All bore the appearance, of having-, been, sent; to a , dyeworks, • andstained; to a bright '■■ Vermillion colour. -Such curious sheep'; were' never , .before seen. -When the; judges;'came,in':.the-.raiiil.to'.handle them, they too soon began to undergo the process. of ! . dyeing.-..Some' day : 'this staining will be, ended, but while it continues ■ the'. judges, in .order to protecfe'their clothing, wear long w liite jackets- umpires./ The sheep 'the open' from the pens to 'be. turned over and-hanuledby the. judges, for' all tho sheep, at the Royal: Show are'. unshorn. Thus,' in the judging pfjthis class, judges, shepherds, -and sheep, began, 'soon/greatly-to- resemble, each othpr. .They ' were all stained red ;ff om' top' to bottom, • greatly 'to - tße amusement of the people standing by. / At. the tther end of . the pens, where-brown ochre'is used to stain some/of- the Southdownsi. the judges - had' the appearance of .men who had:spent years in an Eastern,climate.'/ Something ;was said:.when' the rednuen. and' the brown men met" together! . jThe Lincoln class was : a. particularly strong one,'all the old breeders being well to,the front. That. "Yon. Molke''; of Lincoln:breeders—Mr. Honry Dudding—took first and champion for the best'.ram of ithe breed, a distinction well deserved: for-a real'typical.sire. • Mr. Tom Cass- . well , won: in the 'old -ram "class/, the sheep- being a. remarkably good. one.This tup was- also- reserved .for .the -'champion i.prize;' -'Yearling '-rams saw first, second, and third,'all. owned by Mr. H. Dudding; who by. his : . victory secured. these places ; for the: third time -during. His.; showyard career, in this particular,.'class. .A further and equally'-well-deserved success" .went to -Mr.'. H.. Dudding when-he won r with a grind pen of five -shearling rams. :■ Second honours, fell to; Messrs. S.'E."Dean and/Sons, whose; five rams, were- remarkably- .well 'grown,(showing:. type 'and. character. : Mr. • Tom Casswell i was third, came a'good' pen, hot quite so. evenly matched as the winners,/from Mr.' \V. ;; B. Swal-. low. as' reserve.',;./;■■//•;■.-// /i t''.// '.-/,/?. -...- .A'choice'lot of ram lainbs.'.were forwarded, Messrs. ■ S. -E.- Dean and 'Sons' taking first and second ; -.horiburs.rwith --twb .fine pens, of typical, lambs. ' . Jlr. 1 ; Dudding was third and reserve. The; yearling ewe class: was a particularly choice one.' The .winners were of tho highest'merit in .rfespecc;;.to:"flesh,-. fleece, type, and 'character. They .were, owned by, Mr. C. *13.-. Howard, Mr. H. Dud ding's pen was correctly placed! second,- and, Messrs.'. Dean aiidj Sous'. pen * third.',; Reserve' went - to-.Mr. 'R. 'Dixon., r The' ewe class 'in .full fleece-Was, as' usual, one of the most -interesting;;.:/No;class shows off. to so good, advantage! the two/great .merits ;of this breed, • viz., -."its mutton-., and ~wool, production.., The pei which won first honours for Mr; ■H. Dudding was strong WSfiCVBj&Wor; in.,..respect to!.size';-an'd scale they-.were -as-good as could be...- No exception' could .be urged against them'in respect of the quality' of, the staple nor tho length' of - tho fleece,-/ Mr./ C; Broward With/a of specially, go'od-ymerit'and .'qiiality, equal "in all respects to that 'notable pen that won -first, .but -lacking its' scalo." Mr. : iw. B. ..Swallow/was .third,.-and :thero was much: to • admire in this choice', pen of evenly-' fleshe'd/shoep.;. Messrs/ Dean and Sons' Had to ■be':content .with; reserve for a. pen brought out in yery;.gpbd-' condition, and .whioh was "of "coin■siderable: merit. . /■. '/ ' . "■

' I.EICESTERS. - .' . • ' Lei castersh aye' done a* great deal to brine the/colQuial orossbred sheep,and wool industry to, i.ts'.present-state, of ■;perfection,'heiice a few notes .about' that, breed■ will s be read with interest. .-The' entry, here .was a typical one,, butnumerically small, and the competition "was:not .very, general, for (ihe' nutnber' ot;exhibitors was' but; three. In the yearling ,ram'class, Mr./G. Harrison, with" an entry of four rams of high'' merit and ' quality,' Joolc first;- second, - reserve, and" commended, one thoroughly well deserved. 'Iheiwinneri'came well, and. also'di'd the'second,''tho-fleeces of both 'being Very even and. uniform.-In - the, ram lamb-class, .Messrs.;. Simpson, -/jfith a. very .good- pen .of lambs, true tv typo' and'character, .' won firsts followed by : Mr.-; ,as .second. and, reserve, both of.which undorhand and'out,proved.themselves to be of good merit,-Iq' the corresponding class - for ewe- lambs,;.; Messrs: Simpson.' .were again the fore with a typical and uniform! yen, their, second entry ..taking, the reserve; leaving secohdvprize. io- the 'very useful and well-brought-out pen owned' by .Mr .G. - Harri&n. Messrs.' Simpson led in. a. small,-but .strong class of yearlingjewes, wherein two pens from that well-known flock, of-Mr. E. IV Jordan, ripe and .mellow in flesh, and ti-uo to .type, secured' second and reserve. "" !, KENT OR ROMNEY'MARSH., i

;Any -reference _ to the Royal Show '. without giving some particulars, about, the ' above'- popular, breed' .wouls- be; incomplete, / and-' here we. I;Saw a record, entry, whilst the"; oldest breeders on-'the' gronhd agreed, that- not;, .within ; -their . ihempry, had :, there been, such.' a I selection ■ of sheep, .'the quality .being,'very. high. In the':old ' rani class, :a'stud.: ram that " has i proved 'its.-worth, - owned;by- Mr. J.vß. Palmer, *won. nTst, atid was/mad©'reserve for charnpion 1 honours."' '..-This.; 'rain.>. ;wa9. bred by Mr.- G. Buley.'';Second.and reserve ;went to a notably jgopd; p6a/;of-;rams_.' owned ..by Mr.;, j. Egerton •Quested. •?; Third place' !was filled ;by . choice stud,; of-ram of- true owned' 'by;- Mr/ W. Millen. ; 'In yearling , rains,' ' Mr.'.'Charles File secured;a success,?of which any breeder;would be pro lid, and one; which' very few' breeders ever obtained,'for he was winner of four prizes ■ offered in this 'class; .striking evidence of • the uniform merits and quality ; of- his-;;very choice yearling ;rams . this, season. The' winning rain, in addition, ; won also champion" prize" for; the best ram' of its breed. In the new class for pens of .five shearling rams, there .was a .good entry. IMr. W; Millen won' .with five rams, having -hone and substance . and :meritorious type . and , character. Mr. C. File was only & a ten by a narrow margin again,, for his rams twere! of. .real' good '.."merit: and quality, and some, thought the best matched five' in. the class, but they were not quiW so ■ masculine as the winners. The executors of the late Mr. E. Asoherson were third, and a Uniform typicil pen, won reserve . for,- Mr. .'Jv;B. Palmer. The ram lamb class was one in Which Mr. W. Millen was well to the fofre. t He won first with a pen; showing type'and character, followed by a choice pen of merit," oiyned by Mr. "J. B. Palmer. Third place was filled by the exhibit owned by Mr. J. EgertonlQuested, Mr. W. ,'M: Cazalet.: taking fourth-prize,, and Mr. Charles Pile reserve. The * yearling ■ owe class was. an exceptionally strong one, aind its winning ipen, owned "'by Mr. W. Millen, came to \hand remarkably , well, having. ,an even flecce, with -good substance and type. Second honours went'to Mri .T. B. Palmer, whose preference over Mr, -P. .Neame's choice pen was somewhat questioned: Mr. J,' E?erton Quested '.was.-roserve.\ ,'T.he whole, of .this class was rioted in the award: list, as was also that grand class of ewe lambs, in which there were | ,'Mr. J. B- Palmer won here, after a dose contest, with, an almost equally good pen, having beautiful'fleeees. Mr. P,- Neame_ was. second, and Mr. J. Eeerton Quested third. Mr. W. Millen was fourth, and Mr. W. M. Cazalot reserve. SKROPSHIRES. ;

Mr space is up, but the. Shropshire breed of sneep was the largest entry in the lot, and an excellent one'from first to.last.. All the old breeders,-including Sir Richard,P. Cooper, Lord Richard Cavendish, A. S. Derry, 'T.' S. Minton,' C. 'T. -Pulley, and -F. G.i-Clark were all among the'first prize-winners. This breed of sheep ; shows no signs of decay whatever, and it is still'popular. All the Down breeds seem to have come well to the front, and for the Slit-opslu'res, Simp-ahi-50.' aad' Dorset' juiiu used,