334 On the Smithfield Prize Cattle.[Dec.

« The greateſt public and private benefits will be derived to

the country,” ſays this writer,“ from producing the largeſt " quantity of wholeſome food for man, at our public markets, at

the leaſt expence.’”‘This*is the very end which this Society has

had in view from the beginning, which it is purſuing by the moſt dire path, and which, if he will only wait a year or two longer, with the patience of a rational being, he will ſee fully attained.

I would aſk Agricola, before I take my leave of him, how it comes to paſs that the butchers who purchaſe this“ oily meat” do not thereby injure their trade? How it comes to paſs that theſe men, who have the reputation of ſelling blubber-like meat, do thereby not only procure more, but betrer cuſtomers? I have heard one of theſe butchers ſay, that he bas been a manifold gainer by repeatedly buying the above kind of beaſts at an enor mous price. I cannot help thinking, then, that if blame is at all due on this occaſion, that it ought to fall on the conſumers, rather than on the Society, or the providers of this extraordinary food. Though, by the bye, there were very few beaſts this year exhibited that were of extraordinary fatneſs. There were only two of the oxen that had any pretenſions to more than common fatneſs: and thoſe two, in my opinion, by no means equal in that quality, to two that were exhibited laſt year. The heifers were in general handſome, but not very fat; the ſame may be ſaid óf the ſheep. There was, however, one ſheep, the property of Mc. Walker, which very deſervedly obtained a prize; and which, on the fcore of real profitableneſs, was worthy of high com- mendation. This ſheep had all the boaſted qualities of the new Leiceſter breed, without its ſhortneſs of carcaſe, and ſcantineſs of wool, and did great credit to the breeder, who muſt have made ſome judicious croſs between the new Leiceſter and a larger ſort, probably the Glouceſterſhire breed. This ſheep had at leaſt ten pounds of wool upon him, which, at preſent, is no mean con- fideration.

I was very glad to ſee a valuable addition made to this year?s ſhew by the introdudion of two fat Hogs. The Berkſhire hog was very much admired, and though only ten months old, had at- tained a degree of fatneſs and ſize which will ſerve to ſpread HI more widely the fame of his family; and is likewiſe a ftriking proof that the hog is capable of bringing to market, in a ſhort, pace of time, more food for man than perhaps any other animal in exiſtence, Of the other, of the Guinea breed, I bave only to remark, that it appeared to me, from its diminutive Ze, tobe better calculated to amuſe the Gentleman, than to profit the Far< mer, or the Public.

At this exhibition were likewiſe to be ſeen the carcaſſes of ten fat ſheep, of different breeds, in order to ſhew the reſpe&ive improvements which each had made ſince the month of March

laſt. The weight of each ſheep, both when alive and dead, was