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METROPOLITAN SHOW.

THE FARMERS'

FESTIVAL.

INCREASED ENTRIES AND MANY ATTRACTIONS. r "Bigger and hotter," it is safe to predict, will be the general verdieu upon the Canterbury A. and P. Association's 61st Metropolitan Show to bo opened to-day on tho Addington Show Grounds, These two attributes do not always, or of necessity, go hand in hand, but this year's farmers' festival at Addington can justly lay claim to both. The analytical statistician will, of course, challenge the statement that this year's Show is-bigger and will quote figures to show that, as regards total entries the 1924: Show is a few hundreds behind the International Exhibition Show of 1900, and that even in 1921 and 1922 the entries were slightly more than this year's total. But the Exhibition Show was on a scale that removes it from the scope of common comparison, 2nd thd figures for 1921 and 1922 are, comparatively, so slightly in advance of this year's as to be practically negligible. As to this year's exhibition being better, it may "be left with safety to the experts to confirm this statement when they Jiave, inspected the best that Canterbury can produce in sheep, horses, cattle and pigs. Great Display of Tents.

' Almost th© first tiling that will strike the visitor on reaching the Show Grounds'will be the manner in which practically every available inch of ground is occupied. . From the Lincoln road entrance to the band stand, with an overflow to. part of the motorparking place, the grounds are a veritable. "tented field." Big tents and small tents of every shape and kind monopolise all this space, the implement and machinery displays occupying most of the area formerly taken up. with the sheep pens and extending almost to the new entrance from Westenra street. The secretary of the Association (Mr G. G*. Denniston) has accomplished the seemingly impossible in providing over six chains of additional frontage for the New Zealand ,and othor manufactures, and. the tent exhibits.- A bigger problem seems to be aheai of him to provide'room for the big crowds that may be confidently expected to visit , the Show on People's Day. The newspaper scribes who, indulging in some : factious comment regarding the 1863 'Show (held on the .old Sydenham grounds), remarked that owing to the exhibits bping confined to a comparatively small area, the grounds conveyed the im.pression /'of a picture that was mostly, frame,would. be. dumbfounded probably to find the opposite state of affairs obtaining now. The prophet who' 'predicted", that* the Sydenham grounds would not be fully occupied till 1900, if he were able to visit the Show, this 5 year, would probably repent in sackcloth and ashes, and for evermore forswear prophecy. More Boom Wanted.

• -Last-year the Association's Metropolitan Show was its Diamond Jubilee Show, and next year it is to Lave the privilege' of' conducting the second Royal Show, when it is fully anticipated that,/-just as the South, Island exhibitors made the sheep section of th.e fitst .Boyal St.ow a success by the number and quality of their exhibits, the North; Island will reciprocate next year bv making the cattle section the best, ever, witnessed at Addington. The North Islanders' have the dairy herds to draw upon and have the • nieaits, if l they so desire, to make the cattle" section eclipse in number • and quality " any exhibition of such stock ever seen at Addington. The possibility not only of greater entries in' the cattle , section noxt'year, "but of" increased entries in all the stock sections is not looked upon with perfect equanimity by the Canterbury Association*; Beference has been made to the

crowded appearance of the portion of the grounds devoted to tent displays and" side-shows, but the existing accommodation .for almost every, section .of stoek-rrespeoially for sheep and horses—is being taxed nearly to, its utmost. It needs no, prophet to foretell .that the 'Association must» very

soon-take into serious'consideration the question of providing additional ac : commodation. Tho high reputation enjoyed by the - Association over a lengthy period for the completeness and adequacy of its arrangements and appointments for its Metropolitan Show must not be jeopardised on the occasion of the Royal Show next year. This: is a question that concerns not only the Association, but every farmer and .' every business man in Canterbury, and it. is to be hoped that if funds me -.needed* for; extensions the required financial support will bo forthcoming as-.-readily- and as liberally on this- o<}«?aion as it":has been in the past.-.".-- " -. • • "■ Entrance. V ■! v.... ' ' Prom the-poipt'tof view "of the publie generally the most important improvement in conußxjum with this year's Show is tho pjrovisionof a new entrance r from "Westenra-street. This has been carried out chiefly, in the interests and for the -• convenience of those who go to the, Show by tram. " The improvement has ' u«jt been effected a day before it was required. Those who have attended" the . Show for' the past four or five years cannot fftjl to have noticed how dangeronsand •inconvenient the arrangements >•.. were arriving o> leaving by : -tram. Onarrivalfrom town, tram pas- : Bqngers got out on the side of the road opposite tho entrance, and were under ■ the necessity "of crossing the road and -dodging tho fairly continuous stream^of it ..-niQtor and other vehicular traffic. ■ Mat"were not much better when it came, ! .|?;i,tpj'tioarding trpas for tqwn—the danger ; vehicular traffid' was almost as By the alterations in the layout tramway- line in Westenra street JaaWrJino has beep moved nearer to the i on the Show Ground side—and j p>*s3Ji ; entrance to tho grounds ] tho danger; to ,tramway passen- > iOhj

the Show who travel by tram will do so now in greater comfort and safety. Another advantage of the new entrance is that visitors arc landed practically in the heart and centre of the grounds.

Improved Lighting. To the large numbers who will be present at the carnival entertainment on the Show Grounds this evening it will be welcome news that a big effort has been made to improve the lighting of the oval, and it is believed that the effort will be successful. Last year the demands made on the supply of current bv the side-shows ancl i'or other purposes had the effect of diminishing the light given by the arc lamps surrounding the oval. This year steps have been taken which will entirely remove the possibility of a recurrence of this state of affairs. A portable transformer has been installed at the Whiteleigh avcnucj, entrance which will serve the oval lighting system alone, and will maintain the full load necessary to brilliantly illuminate the oval. The lighting for the other departments of the Show will be provided from the existing mains at the Lincoln road entrance to the grounds. In addition to providing the independent sub-station, four of the 10'00-watt arc lamps have been replaced by a similar number of 1500-watt lamps: these, with the fourteen IOO'O-watt arc lamps, should provide for an ample and perfect illumination of the oval. Increased Entries.

A noteworthy feature of this year's Show is the gratifying increase in the entries in most of the stock classes as compared with last year's entries. The entries for the Show, with those for 1923 and 1922 for comparison purposes,

2384 2098 1988 This year the entries' for the judging competitions are post entries, which explains the absence of any figures relating to them in the above table; the photography, art, and art handicratt sections are new features which were included in tho prize schedule for the first time this year; entries received in 1923 and 1922 for timber, gates, and wool were included under the heading '' Dairy produce, etc.'' It will be noted that the Metropolitan Show is maintaining its past high reputation in respect of its sheep exhibits, and the appended table is interesting as showing the increases and decreases in the different breeds: — 1924. 1923.

Noteworthy, also, is the increase in the number of horses entered, particularly in the draught classes. The entry of draughts, in 1923 was not so numerous as at the Shows immediately preceding it. Possibly the increased entries in tho draught classes this year forecast, the intention of Canterbury farmers to devote more attention than in recent seasons to the tillage of the ground, to the extent at least of raising sufficient wheat for the requirements of the Dominion. More tillago is required, also, to provide green feed and forage for lamb-fattening., General Arrangements. As the result of a brief visit to the Show Grounds yesterday, it was ascertained that all the arrangements were well forward. The Railway Department has completed the now permanent holding pens, and these have proved a great advantage in unloading stock, and will, no doubt, prove equally so in loading them after the Show. From all appearances, and as far as could be gathered, the unloading v of stock and exhibits was effected quite" satisfactorily yesterday. The exhibitors were assisted by a lorry and by the Association's own horse and dray;

I TO DAY'S PROGRAMME. , I To-day is a busy day for the officials and judges, as practically all the judging has to be done. In conjunction with the judging, the judging competitions, open to young farmers, or farmers' sons, will be conducted. In the afternoon, on the oval, 'starting at 2 o'clock, the jumping events will be decided: these include maiden hunters, pony jumping (two classes), handicap pony trot (two classes), the go-as-you-please, best-actioned horse, and the high-jumping competition. In the evening, from 7 o'clock to 10 o'clock, a carnival entertainment will bo given consisting of a number of horse events, and. a fine display by the Boy Scouts of Scout work: it is expected that close on 200 Scouts and 100 Wolf Gubs will take part. The side-shows, of which; it is claimed there has never been a more numerous or more varied collection, will be in full swing during the day and evening. v Derry's Band is to give a programme of selected items at the evening carnival. Her Excellency Lady Jelliooe will .visit -the Show, during the day.

are as follows: — 1924. 1923. 1922. Judging competitions — 22 16 Sheep 1033 021 901 Cattle 322 360 365 Horses 593 489 462 Pigs 58 62 63 Dairy produce, etc. 28?. 244 179 Timber and gates .. 11. — Wool 12 — ' Art, photography,- etc. 72 —

Merino 153 / 87 English Leicester .. 102 115 Border Leicester 89 94 Lincoln .« — 38 32 Bomney •« 4>« 24 44 Southdown ... ' »-« 95 Hi Shropshire «• 49 57 •» 44 Corriedale M .. 2H5 203 Half-bred • « .. 47 3G Fat Sheep .. 53 33 Wool and Mutton Competitions •* 75 75 Totals . , 1033 921

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19241113.2.122.3

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18229, 13 November 1924, Page 14

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,763

METROPOLITAN SHOW. Press, Volume LX, Issue 18229, 13 November 1924, Page 14

METROPOLITAN SHOW. Press, Volume LX, Issue 18229, 13 November 1924, Page 14

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