THE EXHIBITS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 334, 22 October 1908, Page 4

THE EXHIBITS.

A NOTABLE COLLECTION. . After a drizzling riibrniiig the weather cleared and a hot-, afternoon followed. The promise for a favourable people's day tomorrow is bright.' The comments on the wholo as to'the'-character of the stock exhibited are encouraging. It is noted howover that in respect to condition the Hawke's Bay sheep arc poorer than the outside sheep. "You can pick 'out this Hawke's Bay sheep," said one authority; "by this test in nearly overy class,!' Various reasons aro assigned for tho distinction. "The visiting exhibitors," said' one'- farirter, "are professional stud men, and they feed up their sheep, but the Hawke's Bay men aro simply woolgrowers and nothing else. Their sheep aro therefore only grassrfed," Another man suggested that the .local, exhibitors were chiefly nmatcurs at show work, and had a few points to learn. If grass counts for anything the Hawko's Bay sheep ought to be rolling in fat, for this . : is the. grass season of the district.

Kosn Contents,. Thoro were many keen contests. Mr. Wheeler unfortunately did not bring cither Royalist or Loyalist, a fact which lessened tho interest in the Romney fight, .but with other specimens both he and Mr. E. Short wero largo exhibitors. The champion ram was a three-year-old of Mr. A. V. Collins's, of Waipawa." Ho is a thorough New Zealander, bred by Mr. E. J. Riddiford of tho Hutt. He was Wanganui and Wairarapa champion last year, "first in his class at Hastings, and second at Palinerston. Tho champion Romney -ewe- is an animal of Mr. G. E. Allen's, of''Olareville, bred by Mr. W. B. Allen. These two results were triumphs for .local stock,. although perhaps the English showings, wero not quite so strong as at sonic' shows. The huge'progeny from' some of Mr. Wheeler's imported sires was greatly admiral, as was also a' big ram of Mr. Short's for exhibition only.. It' 13 said the reason this ram was not competing was that being only' a lato arrival 110 still carries English wool 011 his back. l : Mr. Allen was a great winner in this breed,..and- Mr. S. Standen also had a number .of.>successes. As io the Romney. sheep as a wholo, the judgo; (Mr., Mungayih) thinks tho size has reached itslimit. "These big sheep," ho says, , "aro less able to move about < the Country to,,btf good l\tility shcop, and after all we want' tliem for making money. Of course' for using Southdown '■ rams for the meat trade wo want the flock ewes to be roomy, but • that must not be secured by a sacrifice of vigour.'.' This view of tho judge's was reflected to some extent in his awards. Some Points for Breeders. There is another point in danger of being' overlooked in strainmg, for wool and frame and the other palpable qualities in respect to all breeds of sheep. That point is tho maternal qualities of tho ewe. Good milk qualities make for good lamb rearing; and in those days, when twin' lambs are being more frequently secured, it is well "that those' lambs shall have ample room to develop before birth,'and ample milk for nutrition afterwards. Not only tho constitution, but oven tho early fattening of the lambs, depends largely 011 the size of the mother's milg bag, and with twin lambs becoming fashionable this need will bo omphasised. _ i It was therefore satisfactory to find, in the decisions of Mi'. Mungavin and some other sheep,-judges, an appreciation of the value of roomy hindquarters, wide, set of the legs, and aeptli. 'A ewe sloping to'tho tail, and ; iianw'in width, can neither amply carry a. lamb nor amply suckle it, nor even get it a fair olianoo to-;find. tiro r teats,, at' all. These aro utility points th?t perhaps tho stud breeder, in Ins hurry for 'other qualities, might overlook, ajid it is well that our,show judges"mako it their business to'pay .attention to'-them. _ | : That twin lambs are becoming common in! the Itbmu'ey 'iias 'frequently beon commented upon'. : Mr. < Field;' a well-known Gisborno .authority, ":agroesVin"this, and says 110 considers the llomney .is fast outstripping tlio Lincoln. The twin" bearing is not, lie ; thinks, a result of special selection, but a result of natural circumstances common to all' Romney 'flocks in New Zealand, , A Tendency._to bo. : Oheoked. . Ono tendency" worth checking has reference to - tho efforts made to securo fineness of wool in tho Romneys., Mr. Mungavin and other oxperts commented on this, and warned breeders against sacrificing strength,, length, and weight to tho craze for fineness. The densest fleece is generally tho flccce of averago strength, t'iiiid this is a quality well in domand among';',wool buyers. Some of the Rdmiieys wero really like Corriedales. Some of tho sheep in all breeds were of striking inferiority, showing that'ioveii shoepowncrs. who aro keen enough to exhibit-have-much to learn, but equally marked -was the''excellence of tho winners. ;This was a special featuro of tho Lincolns, .where; Mr; I'erry's-two champions were far-, itjicr above i-tho-resti of tho section than is usually tho case. Southdowns wero 'either' worse than usual x or elso the .weather spoilt their .appearance. Mr. Lancaster's Champion Ram. ' Mr.. S. champion English Leicester ram Is so famous an animal as to ; be worth a;name for : tho convenience of the public.. He won.) six championships jast spring and:-three j last autumn -and seems likely ,to go on:winning for some years yet. Ho has bpgl.ins>yo]}vfbr the season." Tl'iere i ,: wero gootl'-sheop in this section, and .also .in bordersv-'V« Several wero represented in tho oxtra oxh'ibjts, and are worth criticism. Mr. Bernard Chambers showed a South Devon ram and ewo,- but the breed docs not look likely to gain favour, in Now Zealand. It is of great sizo and strong woolled, but the fleece ,is rather open. Messrs. Chambers Bros. which, though not so well woolled as tlio provious exhibits, pos-sessed-very, n,ice frames. Mr.-W, H. Small's Corricdnl'cs Avere' of 'good quality, and their size was fit for,'the frozen meat trade. Tlio .wool is jil^good. o ,j. The Fat Sheep. The fat sheep formed the best show of their- kind over seen at Hastings. . Tho ranges of crosses gave good information to visitors, although the utility purposo of some of tho crosses was .scarcely- apparent, such as Mr. - 0. Nelson's Shropshiro-Southdowns, in spite of their excellence. A singular cross of Cheviot Border Leicester Lincolns by Mr. Q. Nelson produced excellent heavy progeny. The shorthorn'c.attle and the Horefords made their usual brilliant display, and wero much inspected, , • ; THE CHAMPIONS. These are the chainpions:— Draught Stallion.—Mr. J. D. Mitchell's Knight of Wailii. Mare —Hon. J. D. Ormond's Lady Glen. Shorthorn.—Bull—Mount Horbort Estate's Lord Herbert. Cow—Sir. Douglas iM'Loan's Rose. Hereford.—Bull—Mr. Frank Moore's. Ensign. . Cow—Mr. H. M. Campbell's Polyanthus. ■ Jersey.—Cow—Mr, Paul Hunter's Magnets . Maid. Polled A. S. G. Carlyon's King of Sitanden.' C'ow—Mr. J. A. Macfarlaue's Hebe. : . Ayrshire.—Bull—Messrs. Slack Bros. CowMessrs. Slack Bros.' Princess May 4th. Lincoln.—Ham—Mr. W. Perry's Pcnroso sth. Ewe—Mr. W. Perry. Border Leicester.—Ranv—Hon. J. D. Ormoiid.-' Ewe—Nelson Bros. ' English Leicester.V-Hain--llr. S. R, Lancaster. Ewe—Jlr,.Douglas M'Lean, Romney. —Ram—Mr., A. V. Collins.. EweMr. G. E. Allen. ■j

Shropshire.—Ram—Sir. R. R. Pitt. EweMr. J. R. Corrigan. Southdown.—-Ram—Messrs. Ellis Bros. Ewe —.Messrs. Nelson Bros. Berkshire.-—Boar—Messrs. Slack Bros. Sow i —Messrs.- Slack Bros. . Yorkshire.—Sow—Mr. E-. White. ■ Tamworth.—Sow—Mr. E. White. CENERAL PRIZE LIST.' In the general prize list 'prominent winners were the following :— ■ Draught Horses. —Mr. j. D. Mitchell, championship, first and second. Hon. J: D. Ormond, championship; and three firsts. Mr. J. W. Harding, three firsts, six seconds, and three thirds. i . , Shorthorns. —Mount Herbert Estate, championship, gold medal, five firsts, four seconds, ono third. Mr. AV. T. Williams, five firsts, six seconds, six thirds. .Mr.. Douglas M'Lean, championship, one' first, ono second, three thirds. '•• . ' . Horefords —Mr. Frank Moore, cliampio'nship, three firsts, two seconds, ono third. Mr. 11. M. Campbell, championship, three firsts, two seconds, and two thirds. Mr. G. C. Wheeler, ono first, one third. Polled Aligns.—Mr. A. S. G. Carlyon, championship, tjiree firsts, three seconds, one third. Ayrshire^.—Two cnampionships, seven firsts, three seconds, and only exhibitor. Jerseys.—Mr. Paul Hunter, championship, five firsts, ono second. Border-Leicester. —Hon. J. D. Ormond, championship, four firsts, two seconds, two thirds. Messrs. Nelson Bros., championship, five firsts, four seconds, two thirds. English' Leicesters.—Mr. S. R. Lancaster, championship, one first, one second, two thirds Mi. Douglas M'Lean, championship, seven firsts, five seconds, two thirds. Romnoys.—Mr. G. E. Allen, championship, three firsts and three seconds. Mr. A. V. Collins, championship, ono first, one third. Mr. E. Short, two firsts, ono second, two thirds. Mr. Standen, two firsts, ono second, one third. Southdowns.—Messrs. Ellis Bros., championship,' two firsts, three seconds. Messrs. Nelson Bros., championship, six firsts, three seconds, sevon thirds. Shropsliires.—Mr. J. R. Corrigan, championship, six firsts, five seconds, two thirds. Mr. R. R. Pitt, championship, four firsts, five seconds, two thirds. Best Pony Driver. —Mrs. Alison .Wcnlojv first. , . Ladies' Jumping. —Miss M. C. Burke and Miss H. Hassell, equal, firsts. Ladies' Driving—Tu Tiokitai, first. Hunters. —Mr. E. Short's Bhie Ribbon, first; Mr. F. A. Piper's Haerekimoa, second; Mr. W. C. A. Mackenzie's Wherearoa, third.