For 140 years it has been the custom of to exhibit the pick of their at the Smithfield Fat Stock Show hich is held just before Christmas. culture has seen many changes and at period, but despite all vicissitudes the field Show has gone from strength to and this year's Show proof of the unsurgush beef. In spite ad been exi-mouth disease, there 1,109 entries, h is over 100 more Most of the honours went to Angus breed of cattle, whether -bred class: T largest al in the Show was an ox w measured over six feet in height, had a girth of eleven feet and a length of thirteen feet, and must have weighed nearly 11% tons; in spite of its size it was a most beautifully proportioned a. Thi is a unusual size nowada; and' it served as illustration of what was looked upon as a good beast 100 years ago rather than as an indication of present-day taste. Since the Smithfield Club was founded 140 years ago the fashion in beef has changed to such an extent that whereas a century ago five or six years was considered the ideal slaughter age for beef cattle breeders had managed, about ten years ago, to mature cattle for the butcher at the early age of about ten months, Since then it has been commonly agreed in England that the best slaughter age lies between and three years, and the aim now is to breed an animal which can produce the small fine-flavoured joints most suitable for present-day small families,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.