OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 18 August 1909, Page 8

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER

(Faoat Our Speciat. Corbe3pondekt.) BRADFORD, July 1, 1909. SHEEP AT THE ENGLISH ROYAL.

Last week was the "Derby Day" for our English agriculturists, tho Royal Agricultural Society holding \jts annual show at Gloucester. It cannot be called a success from an- attendance or financial point of view, due largely to a vepy wet, cold week. Here in England the last fortnight has been excessively wet. and this season cold >ast winds have been continuously blowing. There was a very fine display of stock, all Great Britain's best breeders being on the ground. Naturally, readers will be most interested ,in the display of elieep, and here the exhibit was really gocd. Th<» entries totslkd -802, compared with 695 at Newcastle. . , It may interest some to know lhat when • the . Royal held its meeting at Gloucester in 1853, the number of sheep entries were 292 ; in other words, the number of sheep shown this year exceeded all the live stock exhibited in 1853, this, showing how great Britain's live stock has increased.

The number O of British breeds of sheep represented was 23— three more than at the great sho'v at Newcastle last year The three breeds included this season were the Exmoor, tho Dartmoor, and the Devon longvrool, three sheep practically unknown to colonial wool-growers. All the breeds were well represented except in the Scotch classes, and somehow or other neither the blackface nor the Cheviot breeders from Scotland ever appear at an English Royal in large numbers. The fact is this great show always finds the keenest battle being waered around the Lincoln. Leicester, Downs, and Romney Marsh pens, duo, no doubt, to the important export trade in thes-e sheep. On the ground were many colonials, and it is hard to think that there is any member of the pastoral world present In England in June but what pay* a visit to the Royal show. The King journeyed down to Gloucester the second day, and it was to the sheep pans that the royal carriage first went, the King's prize-\\ inners — Southdowns — being brought out for hi* inspection. Happily tlio sun bhone, and there was nothing like the humorous little scene that occurred when the merits of some of the sheep were being judged, while the thunderstorms were doing their \%or-t to make people unhappy. The .«-hcpherd-5 in some parts of the country (still per*."st in the curious custom of smearing the fleeces of the sheep with yellov. and red ochre. The men "who had charge of the South Devon longwools determined this year to outvie everybody in colouring, and they <lipped. or soaked, or f-tained their shc?p of a bright red. All the animals bore the appearance of na\in£ b-een &ent to a dyeworks, and stained to a bright vermilion coloxir. Such curious sheep were neier before seen. "When the judge, came in the rain to handle them they, too, soon began to undergo the process of dyeing. Some day this staining will be <v>Jc(l, but while it continues the judges, in order to protect their clothing, wear long white jacket ■> like cricket umpires. The theep are brought into the open from the pens to bs turned over and handled by the judges, for all the sheep at the Royal show are unshorn. Thus, in the judging of this class judges shepherds, and 6he3p began soon greatly to' resemble each other. They were all stained red from top to bottom, greatly to the amusement of the people standing by. At the other end of the pens, where brown ochro was used to stain some of the ftouthdowns, the judges had the appearance of men who had spent years in an Extern climate. Someihintr was caul

when the red men and the brown men met together ! The Lincoln class was a particularly strong one, all the old breeders being well to the front. The "Yon Moltke" of 'Lincoln breeders — Mr Henry Dudding — took first and champion for the best ram of the breed, a distinction well deserved for a real typical sire. Mr Tom Oasswell won in the old ram class, the sheep being a remarkably good one. This tup was also reserved for the champion 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 6howyard career in this partioular class. A further and equally well deserved success went to Mr H. Dudding when he won with a grand pen of five shearling rams. Second honours fell to Messrs 3. E. Dean and Sons, whose five rams were remarkably well grown, showing masculine type and character. Mr Tom Casswell was third, and then came a good pen, not quite so- evenly matched as the winners, from Mi W. B. Swallow as reserve.

A choicx Jot of ram lambs, were forwarded, Messrs S. E. Dean and Sons taking first and second honours with two fin© pens of typical lambs. Mr Dud ding was third and reserve. The yearling ewe class was a particularly choice one. The winners were of the highest " merit in respect to flesh, fleece, type, and character. They were owned by Mr C. E. Howard. Mr H. Duddkig's pen was correctly placed second and Messrs Dean, and Sons' pen third. Reserve went to Mr R. Dixon. The ewe ctass 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 pen which won first honours for Mr H. Budding was strong in these points, for in respect to size and 6cale' they were as good aa could be. No exception could be urged against them in respect to the quality of the staple nor the length of the fleece. Mr C. E. Howard was second with ohoioe pen of specially good merit and quality, equal almost in all respects to that notable pen that won first but somewhat lacking .its scale. Mr W. B. Swallow was third, and there was much to admire in tins ohoioe pen of evenly-fleshed sheep. Messrs Dean and Sons had to be content with reserve for a pen brought out in very good condition, and which were of considerable merit.

LEICESTERS.

I Leicesters have done a great deal to bring the colonial crossbred sheep and wool industry to its present state of perfection, I hence a few notes about that breed will I be' read with interest. The entry here ! was a typical one, but numerically email, and the competition was not very general, for the number of exhibitors was but three. In the yearling rani class, Mr G. Harrison, with an entry -of four rams of high merit and quality, took first, second, reserve, and commended, one thoroughly well deserved* The winner came to hand well, and so also did the second, the fleeces" of both being very even and uniform.' In the ram lamb class, Messrs Simpson, with a very good pen of lambs, true to type and character, [ won first, followed by Mr Harnspn's entries as second and reserve, both of whicn -under hand and out proved' themselves to be of good merit. In the corresponding class for ewe lambs, Messrs .Simpson were again, to the fore with a typical and uniform pen, their second entry baking the reserve, leaving second prize to the very f useful- aacl well-brought-out pen owned by Mr G. Harrison. Messrs Simpson led in a small but strong class of yearling ewes, wherein two pens from that well-known flock of Mr E. F. Jordan, rip© and mellow in flesh and true to type, secured second and reserve.

KENT OR ROMNEY MARSH.

Any reference to the Royal show without giving some particulars about the abovp popular breed would be incomplete, and here we saw a record entry, while the oldest breeders on the ground agreed tihat not within their memory had there been such a meritorious selection of sheep, the quality being very high. In the old ram class, a stud ram that has proved his worth, owned by Mr J- B. Palmer, won first, and wa6 made reserve .-for champion honours. This ram was bred by Mr G. Buley. Second and reserve went to a notably good pen of rams owned by Mr J. Egerton Quested. Third place was filled by a choice stud of rams of true type, owned by Mr ,W. Millen. In yearling rams Mr Charles FUe secured a success of which any breeder would be proud, and one which very few breeders ever obtain, for he was winner of four prizes offered in this class-; striking evidence of bhe uniform merit and quality of his very choice yearling rams this season. The winning ram, in addition, won also champion prize for the beet ram of its breed. In the new class for pens of Bye shearling rams there was a good entry. Mr W. Millen won with fivo rams, having bone and substance and meritorious type and character." Mr C. File was only beaten by a narrow margin again, for his rams were of real good merit and quality, and some thought the best matohed five in the class, but they were not quite so masculine as the winners. Th 3 executors of the late Mr E. Ascherson were third, and a uniform typical pen won reserve for Mr <5. B. Palmer The ram lamb class was one in which Mr v\. Millen was well to the fore. He won nr/st with a pen showing type and character, followed by a choice pen of merit, owned by Mr J. B. Palmer. Third place . ww fiiled by the exhibit owned by Mr J. J^gerton Quested, Mr W. M.- Gazalet taking fourth prUe, and "Mr Charles File reserve. The yearling ewe class was an exceptionally strong one, and its winning pen, owned by Mr W. Millen, came to hand remarkably well, having an even fleece, with good substance and type. Second honours went t o Mr J. B. Palmer, "whose placing over Mr F Xeames choice pen was somewhat questioned. Mr J. Egerton Quested was lUorvc. The whole of this class was noted in the award list, a.9 was also that grand da-* of ewe lambs, in which there were 11 cntrits present. Mr J. B. Palmer won here, after a clo^c contest, with an almost pqually good pen, having beautiful ««<**«• Mr F. Nea-ine was second, and Mr J. Egerton Quoted third. Mr W. Millen wits fourth, and Mr W M. Cazalet reserve.

SHROPSHIRES.

My space is up, but the Shropshire breed of sheep waS the largest entry in the lot, and an excellent one from first to last Ml the old bi-.ee d«>v«, ipcluiling Sir Richard P Coor^r. Lord Rk-hard Cavendish, A. S.

Berry, T. S. Ninton, 0. T. Pulley, and F. G. Clark, were among the first prize winners. This breed of sheep shows no signs of decay whatever, and is still popular.- All the Down breeds seem to have come well to the front, and for crossing purposes both the Shrop. Hampshire and Dorset Horn breeds are being used.

A SLACK MARKET.

The market has turned extremely qui«t, and erossbreds are the tut/* cheaper. The news from the Antwerp wool sales speaks of prices being about 5 per cent, down, and in Bradford the situation is characterised si ssauisnq pue 'suopipuoo mojs £j9a Sq extremely limited. At the same time there is no falling off in consumption.