SCOTCH CATTLE AT SMITHFIELD GREAT FAT SHOW.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 773, 20 May 1881, Page 2

SCOTCH CATTLE AT SMITHFIELD GREAT FAT SHOW.

Scotchmen have reason to be proud of the results of the-recent great fat Btock contest (says the North British Agriculturist of the ISlh December). If at every show the hero of the day was, not a Scotchman, the animal, by'whioh'the championship-in-'--every case was-carried waßbred not only in Scotland, but, narrowing it further, in Aberdeenshire. This is'indeed a great honor to that premier catf.le-producing county, and to Scotland. Besides extra'prizes, many, first.prizes in the different chases .were won by Scotch exhibits. Only indeed in-a few instances did the Scotch bred beast fail to get to the front wherever it appeared. Perhaps in no former year-have so many honors fallen to Scotch beasts in proportion to the number exhibited," May this be taken in some measure as.evidence of what we have frequently stated—that agricultural distress has not been so severely felt in Scotland as in England 1 Or is it duo to the superiority of the Scotch—or, more, properly speaking, Aberdeen, Banff, and Moray system of cattle breeding, rearing, and feeding ? Part of bothin all probability. Any how it is no ordinary achievement even for Aberdeenshire to have produced —though not in every owe finished and perfected—the champion animals at all the leading shows, These celebrated beasts were all within a few months of four years, and wore all of the common northern cross—between the Bhoithorn bull and polled Aberdeen or Angus cnw. They were not in every case first crosses, but they trace thoir origin to the mating of the shorthorn sire with the northern polled female. Those in the north who have given close attention to profitable beef production and early maturity have Ion? been of opinion that this is the best of all crosses for that purpose, if not indeed the best material that could be employed for beef raising. The results of this year's shows, and the appearance before admiring crowds of tlireo such oxen as Mr Reid's champion at Hull, Mr Dunn's at Birmingham, and Mr Colman's at Smithfield, should convince many practical men in the sunny south .of the undoubted superiority of the shorthorn and polled cross. But Aberdoenshire has'more to bo proud of. It has.the credit of heading what was termed the ' juvenile classes'— those under two years, of the shorthorn and cross breeds—both at Birmingham and Smithfield, with a rare pair of youngsters, bred,-fed,-and shown byMrMersnn, Craigwillie, who is one uf the most painstaking and careful practical farmers in the country, Thoy are an exceedingly pretty pair, and are to all appearance as well worth going on with as anything 'out' this year. We may ndd that Mr Colman's blue bullock—a cross between the Bhorthorn and the polled Angus breed—although not four years old, gained the One Hundred Quinea Cup for tho best animal in the Hqllshow, in addition to the, £ls prize as the best in lua class, After theshow he was sent to .Vindsur Castle, to.be inspected by the Queen, the Prinoess of Wales, and the other members of the Royal Family. He also gained the champion prize of £IOO at Norwich, and was afterwards to be killed in that town and distributed anion'" the poor of the city, Mr Colman the head as a souvenir of his victory. A two year old Aberdeen orossbred steer was sold after the Smithfield Show for 100 guineas, whioh shows the early maturity of this class of cattle,