and of the most efficacious and best adapted implements of husbandry. One prominent object of Lord Somerville is to difcourage the overfattening of cattle, by fhewing them in their moft advantageous state; a fact which ought not to be forgotten by the public, with whom it has hitherto been ufual, and indeed toe juft, to affociate the ideas of cattle fhews and exceffive and wasteful fat. His Lordship, in this important particular, has rendered great fervice to the country; and the example, we obferved with pleafure in the account of the laft Christmas Smithfield fhew, is about to be followed by that fociety, oxen for labour being nominated for the enfuing year's prizes, and fome of the formerly ftaunchest advocates for over-feeding very candidly giving in their recantation.

PREMIUMS AND CONDITIONS. For pairs of oxen that have worked together three years previous to their being turned to grafs, between April 28th and May 1ft, laft; aged between five and eight years, to weigh, when fattened, between 100 and 180 ftone of 8lbs; the state of the oxen as to flesh, on the 1ft of January, 1803, and of the number of days work done by each between that time and the 25th of April following, to be certified by proper witneffes; alfo that the oxen have eaten no corn of any fort, or potatoes, and that the ftraw they ufed was first clean thrashed; the exact weight of oil cake, if any were eaten, to be stated. The prize to the best pair 301, to the next beft pair 204, to be equally divided between the grazier and the farmer who worked them, in cafe they fhould be different perfons. The winning prize oxen to be flaughtered on the Friday evening enfuing the fhew, by pricking them in the fpinal marrow in the nape of the neck, inftead of the common barbarous and terrifying method of knocking them down by repeated strokes of VOL. I.

the axe. [Lord Somerville, in his Syftem of the Board of Agriculture, gives a particular account of the facility with which he faw cattle laid after this mode in Portugal, where he caufed one of his attendants to learn the practice. Since that period he has humanely used his influence and endeavours to extend it in this country, bringing up out of the Weft the perfon above mentioned every fhew, for the purpofe of killing the prize cattle, and fetting the example to the butchers. At Exeter, and in his Lordship's neighbourhood, the new method gains ground.]

For SHEEP, in pens of five ewes each, not in lamb, in a fair store ftate, that have not been taken from the flock more than ten days before the commencement of their journey to town, or forced beyond the average keep of the flock; the ages of the ewes to be not less than ten nor more than thirteen months, which must be certified with the keep. A prize of 30l to the breeder of the beft pen. Alfo a prize of 201 to the breeder of the best pen of five fat wedder sheep, of any short woolled breed, with or without horns, four or fix toothed; the exact age, duration of work in the fold, period of fatting, and quantity of food, to be certified.

For the best FAT PIG, of any age or breed, a premium of a piece of plate. The judges appointed were Sir John Honeywood, Mr. Aftley, Mr. Grafton, Mr. Wheeler, and Mr. Garment, whofe adjudication was to be read by Lord Somerville, after the dinner, at the Freemafon's Tavern.

The fhew excited its ufual interest

this year, and was fully attended by landed gentlemen, farmers, graziers, falefmen, butchers, woolftaplers, and agricultural mecha nics, from all quarters. The oxen exhibited were about twelve or four◄ teen pair, confifting of the Devonfhire, Hereford, Suffex, Glamorgan,

LI

that is to fay, of the chief labouring breeds. There were about fourteen pens of theep; South Down, Dor fet, Ryeland, New Leicester, AngloSpanish, &c. The pigs were of the chance-medley breed; all of the fafhionable tonky, or Chinese and Portugal croffes, and all pure lumps of fat, on which, perhaps, the lefs we fay the better, fince fo little can be juftly faid in their commendation.

As to the OXEN, the Devons this year made a moft confpicuous figure, fully establishing their antient character as the quickest feeders in England, and being most completely ripe in all points. The writer of this faw them with wonder in their fat ftate, having infpected them the preceding July, juft out of work, and off a journey of 150 miles, drawing a waggon, when their bones were far the moft prominent parts. There were alfo fome good Hereford oxen, and a very beautiful Suffex cow, belong ing to Mr. Ellman; but as to the Suffex oxen, they by no means made a favourable difplay, running fo much to leg and bone, and to fuch an exceffive flatnefs of form; a circumftance to be wondered at, confidering the well thaped and fhort legged bulls often produced in that county and in Kent. We trust the Suffex breeders will pay a due attention to this defect, in a breed of cattle radically good, and defervedly celebrated. The Glamorgans, or Pontipoolers as they are called in Smithfield, like the Suffex, have much length, and are high on the leg, with fome favourable exceptions; and thofe of that breed, which his Majefty fent, were faid to have great fpeed at work. His Majefty alfo exhibited a good pair of Herefords, which fhewed much aptitude for labour.

The moft attractive article among the SHEEP was a pen of the Somerville or Fitzhead variety, confifting of five ewe hogs, from Ryeland ewes,

by one of the Spanish rams which Lord Somerville brought over with him several years fince from Portugal. Thefe were fmall, but fingularly well fhaped, contrary to the ufual idea of ftock from the Spanish crofs, and apparently as likely to take on fat as any breed whatever; which, indeed, was experimentally corroborated by a two year old wedder of the fame fort, grafs fed, and weighing about eight ftone, a moft convenient fize, killed for the dinner: it was full of fat, remarkably ripe, and gave the higheft fatisfaction at table. The thick, level, and fine fleeces of these ewe-lambs, on feparating the ftaple with the fingers, exhibited a rich pile, and beautiful glofs, extremely pleafing to the fight and touch. This wool was adjudged, by the wool-ftaplers attending, to be worth three fhillings and two-pence per lb. ; that of he South Downs, two fhillings. Lord Somerville alfo fhewed a fine fullfized ewe, Spanish and South Down, well fhaped, and remarkably full on the fore flank, or lower extremity of the fhoulder. Mr. Bridge's pen of Dorfets, both on account of form and wool, were, in the opinion of the writer of this, deferving of high diftinction, which ought to be allowed them, fince they did not prove winners. One pen of South Downs feemed to fhew, by their form and the length of staple on their wool, a fashionable Dishley or New Leicester crofs; a practice in use of late, in order to bring the Down lambs forward in growth and fize. Of the South Downs fhewn, it may be generally faid they were excellent; the fuccefsful pen of Mr. Coke, of Holkham, fuperlatively fo: in fine, the high character of this juftly celebrated breed was well fupported this fhew. Mr. Coke's largest South Down wedder, being flaughtered, weighed twenty ftone two lbs. Mr. Wakefield fhewed his Suffolk cart ftallion and a mare. They are moft active and

afeful draught cattle, but not of the genuine old Suffolk breed, which is nearly extinct in that county.

The IMPLEMENTS OF HUSBANDRY fhewn were by Mc Dougale and Lefter, thofe of Mr. Cook not arriving in time. Amongst others, Lefter's fmall (wingling or thrashing machine; Lord Somerville's two furrow and fingle shared ploughs; a Somerfetfhire waggon with a friction drag; harrows, chaff-cutters; a fimple and convenient turnip drill.

Mr. Gibbs of Piccadilly attended, as ufual, with famples of natural grafs feeds; and Mr. Bridge with thofe of the potatoe oat, now coming into pretty general ufe. Mr. Garrard, the cattle painter and modeller, and Mr. Mayburg, were alfo prefent, in order to take the likeness of various high-formed animals. Several expected lots both of oxen and theep, in confequence of accident, did not arrive; to fuch caufe alfo was owing the abfence of feveral celebrated amateurs.

The exhibition did not clofe until near five o'clock on Tuesday evening; and about fix, nearly two hundred and fifty perfons fate down to a very elegant and very excellent dinner, provided by the liberal hofpitality of Lord Somerville; who, although he must have been confiderably fatigued by the exertions of the day, prefided at a festive board, fo numerously attended, with his accustomed spirit, cheerfulness, and ease; apparently fenfible, in his own breaft, of the higheft fatisfaction, and communicating the fame feeling to every individual of the company. Nine elegant, and fome of them, indeed, maffy filver cups, were now placed before the noble Prefident, who, after feveral appropriate toafts, proceeded to the material business of the day,---the declaration and diftribution of prizes.

In the first place, his Lordship announced his refolution to continue the fhew and premiums with

the following alterations: to fubftitute pieces of plate of the fame value as hitherto, for money; to admit corn fed oxen, and to allow a premium of two and three guineas to fhepherds who fhall have raifed and preferved the greatest number of lambs in the year. A fervant attended with the printed conditions of next year's fhew, or which is fixed upon March the 5th and 6th next. The allowance of corn-fed oxen is a judicious meafure, confidering the prefent and probable price of barley; and the premium for fhepherds, fuggefted by Mr. Ellman and Mr. Smith, gave univerfal fatisfaction.

The first prize was awarded to the Devon OXEN, fed by Mr. H. King, jun., who, as feeder, was intituled to half, or fifteen pounds, in lieu of which he made choice of a filver cup: the second prize was carried by Mr. Webber, for his Devon oxen, who alfo chofe a cup; the worker of the oxen doing the fame. An extra cup was affigned to Mr. Hudfon, fen., as the exhibitor of the best fingle ox, the partner of which had been taken ill.

For SHEEP, the first prize was adjudged to T. W. Coke, Efq., whofe falefman, Mr. Payne, made choice of a capital filver cup, in lieu of the 30l. Sir Thos. Carr won the fecond prize with his South Downs likewife, and made choice of a cup inftead of the money.

The prize for PIGS, was won by Mr. Mark Duckitt, fon of the late celebrated agriculturist, to whom was affigned a handfome filver cup. A fmall cup was also prefented to Mr. Froft, the King's Bailiff, with fome very well merited compliments for his exertions on fo poor a foil as Cranbourne Farm. Mr. Bridge was complimented with the remaining cup, as an acknowledgement of the merit of his Dorfet lambs, and on account of the great expence attendant on bring

As the two races increafed of the murderer and the other fons of Adam, by degrees affinities were made between them. No regular government feems to have been eftablished: confufion and anarchy prevailed; and violence, not juftice, established each man's rights. To fuch fcenes of confufion an end was put by a flood, but not till a hundred and twenty years had elapfed from the first notice given of the approaching event, and repeated exhortations had been made to mankind to correct their impious and cruel proceedings.

Quest. II, What is an epoch, and what is the ufe of it in chronology?

The

An epoch is a point of time on which a paufe is made on account of fome important tranfaction that then took place. Thus the birth of our Saviour and the flood are called epochs, because in them we reft and accuftom ourselves to date from them other tranfactions. ufe of them is great in chronology; becaufe fuch a variety of events has taken place fince the creation of the world, that if we had not, as it were, refting places, the memory would be overburdened, and hiftory would prefent to us nothing but confufion. By making the birth of our Saviour the great epoch, a diftinction is made between the heathen and chriftian worlds, and we can easily refer a tranfaction to the period before or after that event.

In the fame manner, by making the flood an epoch between the creation and the coming of our Saviour, the mind has a refting place, and by remembering the date 1656 can eafily bring within fome compafs the diftance of an event from the creation. Other epochs will then be formed, and the great art is to have very few grand epochs, and of numbers eafily to be remembered: inftances of this kind will hereafter frequently occur, and in their courfe thall be pointed out. The great epoch in the English hiftory is the reign of Alfred; and as his death took place in the year 900 after Chrift, and the number.is easily remembered, that number, both from the importance of the event connected with it and the eate with which it is remembered, should be particularly committed to memory.

Quest. III. What are the objects the moft worthy of our attention between the invafion of this ifland by the Romans and the reign of Alfred?

The chief objects worthy of our attention are the religion of the Druids, the introduction of Chriftianity, the rife and fall of the Roman power, the introduction of Popery, the establishment of the Saxons in England, and the union of their different governments under one fovereign.

The religion of the Druids was fpread over the whole inland as well as in Gaul and the northern part of Europe. The remains of this fuperftition ftill appear in our cuftoms, particularly at Christmas, when the churches and kitchens, and in fome places the parlours and halls, are adorned with green branches, and from the centre of the hall or kitchen is fufpended fome mifletoe, having its appropriate rites. The miletoe dates its place in the feftival to the cuf tom, at this time of the year, of the Druids going in great folemnity to