PEOPLE'S DAY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 435, 18 February 1909, Page 7

PEOPLE'S DAY.

ADDITIONAL AWARDS. - A NOTABLE SCHOOL EXHIBIT. • . ' . tBV TEIEGUAPJI—SI'ECIAI, KEropTElt.) ' Masterton, February 17. . Rain com© too soon to-day- for ■ tho Master--v . ton'slwv, and must hayo. greatly alfeoted i tho attondanbo of tto town pcoplo, . llic ram, which was just , thick enough and cold : enough to be unpleasant without eonstitu* ■ ting a downpour, began at about half-past two, and thero wero soon to bo smi l\ig« numbers of tho moro lightly clad gathered in ell availablo sho-is ,foi shelter. Probably when tho attendance if officially totalled a considerable dccieasc from tho numbers /anticipated will bo ro corded. \ A Striking Advanco. ■ The remarkable improvement in tho fat / ,stock oxhibits at: tho show has mado a-.deep impression upon, tho minds of the farmers hero to-dav. ' It is universally agreed thai tho fat caltlo—a hundred 1 and fifty of then : :; • —formed the finest: display of beef ever seen ■ '. .in' New• Zealand. .■ Some,: who know Australia, say that it:is- the-nnest ever' seen.iß . Australasia, 'It will be interesting to watch . for, tlio success, of-Mr,-Mooro'o ohampior •.1 23cwt. bullook at the Sydney Royal Show,-. ■v i-.; :■ Scarcely -less is - being. said of tho sucop. •: : . The more tho Romneys arc examined the /-' .more do' these farmer-judges assert that ■ great advances have beeiiimade by the Rodneys bred in New Zealand .in the last- few seasons. It is notoworthv that all_the fat beasta and sheep, by .which Messrs. Beetham . won tho two great cups had been fed on : : grass alone, ; .No rape and',.no/turnips nad ■ ..ever been>fe»d to.them. This is a • mony to tho virtues of tho soil and the pastures of Wairarapa. A Telling Exhibit. • ' Excellent work is done >in tho produce seo- . tions, and also in tho' industrial and schoo. sections. Very interesting indeed is a disrV:;;l'';;play ,ofgrainand';kohl;TaDi vfrojti\th©Ciars- . . .•' .ville School (arranged 'by. tho headmaster. • Mr. Drummond). The display shows tho re; ■ isuit of various manures,'. Jho manures usee wero well chosen, for.they enable proper do ductions to' bo drawn., ■ The chief. lessoi. which they teach.is that it is' phosphate: • which count. Horo nro tho results, whiot these school children have unearthed for thf benefit of themselves and older farmers:—. • Manures used :—(l) Superphosphate 2cwt. ..' - Bulphi>to of ammonia ;2cwt., sulpnato, of pot ; ash . lowt-. / (2) Superphosphate alone 4cwt (3) '.Sulphate of ammonia alono 4ewt, (4] ,' ' Sulphate of potash/alono 2cwt. . (5) manure. ' Comparative 'yields- from'/peas, kho rabi, and grain:— : ;V Vi: : S?e®^ : i : ' i IS' I v' :

. ' Actual weights were available only in the peas, the other exhibits speaking fori them: ■ ■ ■■;' ■ selves. All the. way through the superphosphate alono (No. 2 lot), 'though it was tho cheapest manure used, gave the' best: result, ; : 'Clareville ; isworkingon the' right lmcSj una, if 1 care is taken tq attaoh to wh manure 'its; total cost or- market value for; compare . '• • .sou tho results will-bo stillfurther; improved. For it is profit that .counts. ' An Age of Research: v'.These experiments' of Claroyille a'ro in ' iiig with-the spirit, of the. age, which .is'one :; rii^v'sTtaroiis.ewderit^in,:!^ for a thorough experiment farm, and hopo 15 '. ' enfertailipd that..'the'iiew' Minister for Agri r culture rwill\'talse ~';i; Vanaii's"offered gift'ofM' ■tho district, and that he may finally allow .the district to accept it. - i. • '• . lii $ho .horticultural classes excellent- fruit and vegetables wore shown, and in tho pre- ;■ '.\V serveV .the exhihitorsha veevidently begun to.'learn the. lessons; of tho canning expert, for' tbfere were vacuums .on many, ot r the ox-

Draught Horsa;. •i: Tho draught -horses-all'round were; g<Oor- : 7 ally of a; hotter quality. than 'bag been seen . ! . for'isome 1 time : at. a . Masterton show:"?TJie- ■ : presence of: exhibits by l the Hon. J. D. Qr-. mond, J. W. Harding, and J. D. Mitchell :-" was no doubt.'r'espons.iMo in '» measure for this improvement. The judge, ,Mr. J. Baxter, ; ' v; of I'e Awannitu, said that there was no doubt iabout tbe quaUty,'. which was as good as apy ; ' wliicK might bo seon on any show ground in New''Zealand,-hilt tho 'classes lacknd the '..... numbers', . which"','go' tpwardq producing, fine . ' .-'competition. ;It'had boeii suggested to him., :.'fcha,tijthe'.lejSa"and'feet. of 'Wairarapa draughts Tyore not 'as- good- as thi?y might bo, • but'ho had':not found it .so at this .show.' Ho did notthink that.tho 1 quality was dete- . riorating'in. any particular,, although ho admitted that the autumn' was.'a . baa .timo to'' '. / show, draught horses. • • Special, mention was made .-'of thiT fcliampibn draught. stallion,' :■ : r. Knight of Empire (who vanquished such other champiohs' v a3 Bril? liant Boy), the Hon, J. D.' Ormond's Lady Glen, W.; D. Watson, Doctor; the three-year-old colt, class, t\vp?year-old- .lilies (a : splendid class), and tho . dry mares, which ; vyi the judge characterised asj 'a first-class lot. He thought that Mr. J. W. Harding's Queen . Agg; iii this class ..would bo. hard to., beat on '>• any showground... • .. . v ; - . Training Farmers to bo Judges. In. the judging competitions, instit'utecj; for.' -.y. the. purpose schooling youngfarmers in f£. 'bf fostimatithequaliti'es 'aiid■ . defects of'live, stock animals, 7 there were a . large number ,of entries;" .Tho judging --.of ,;: draught horses, in which-thero sixteen coin- ■ A-: -.petitorsi: was. won by, Mr. Jas. Maxwell,- with . 25 points; A. Swift (23 points).- 2; R,' G. Johnstono (22 points); 9. The judging of sheep wfi'sjwou by Sir.' A, Swift, •'witli Mr. J, A. Walsh second.'

Produce. «. ; ■ .Thequality/, of .the coreals . shown, was all dompetition Was-not guite. wliaji one should oxpeot from ; good grain-growing distriota like Masterton .andWairarapa. . Tuo judge, Mr. L.-A. Abraf'h'am,' remarked., upon:this:faot .wUh reference' ; to'\ the-'oats'.'shown,but;.'-it -appears that,:.in ; many instances, Woirarapa farmers are afraid '• to'sow" the South,' Island/geQtl, whioh is uiide'rstood to bo largely impregnated with'Qaliforniari thistlij. Tho principal prize-winners • in; the. classes wore MqsSrs. J, P. Crujckshank, Daggßros., 'and JF, W. Blatchford. •;.In* commenting upon tho • exhibits tho judge expressed a very favourable opinion regarding' tho oats, but there appeared, to be some. mis-. .;:uiiderstahding,>he;;said, regarding the long . and; short-.vvarietieß.. .; In a; district like .Wairarapa one expected at least twenty other ; entries, in oat classes, mention was made to Messrs, J.'D. Cruicksliank'B exhibit of oats, Capo barley,' ryo corn,- wheat, ,and grass ooody .wliioh tho judgo said was a ; credit to" tlie v district, "Abraham especi-; ally-singled. nut l the ryegrass and cocksfoot. ! which,' he said, > woro;.very' fine indeed. The potatoes, Early Bose; Beauty of Hebron, and Up-t-o-Dato varieties were a credit to the district. ' ... V : '"'.lThe Crand Parade. The grand parade of stock, which was cap- ; ably managed by,tho marshal, Mr. W, M'Ken"sslo, was about * tho , best : : ever: • seen: on -; the , though .Hhero, was only a : moagro showing:in the cattledivisions. The animals .»ero led;round in.two.lines, with tho oattle ill n stationary position inthe foreground., Tho feature .was tho the horses, who wore led by .the champion Conquoror. It may be. noted that in noi:o of tho parades of . stock at :■ tbc present season's shows, has the Wuirarapa Association • been beaten with its effort in November last. > ■■■.-■■ t( Government officials ;at: the Bhow included Messrs. J, D. Ritcbio (Secretary for Agriculture). C. J. Ruakes (chicf veterinary), Jajues

(canning export), Gwillinv (dairy produce gra-' tier), ..Ward (stock ;inspector), (ind Taylor (Weraroa.Staw farm nurseryman).'. Following aro additional awards Cattle. : » Tho; principal section in tlio dairy cattle olass .was' Jerseys, with thirty-three entries. Ayrshires ; were meagre in.- .numbers, there being only four entries,' three of which were by-.-one .exhibitor, : while there were no Hoi-' stein-Fricsians'. The champion' utility dairy oow, Pride, owned s by F. Burling, of Carterton, was the object of much notice by farmers . ... Some ; comment was made on the champion award of judge W. V. Harkness, of Taranaki, in the purebred dairy; cow class. Thero was, howover, no mistake in the selection of Pride of Beaconsfiold as champion bull. This animal,' owned by Mr. John Short, pf.Taranaki, has now won his fifth championship, Ho was brought down to Mastcrton for the express, purpose, of meeting Mr. E. Eagle, juii.'s North Island champion, but Mr. Eugle was.not showing any cattle here to-day. .In purebred cattlo. olassqa Shorthornsj made no showing,; and: polled Angus-were . almost; as weak. Consequently, -there lyere. iio. ohaiupionships, awarded in either of these sections. • Grove 'Shorthorns looked, up. .better,'.but. ,in. the opinion of the judge' (Mr. Hugh Gillies) thoy Were in mauy respccts deficient in; qua}:, it'y, Herefords made a very good exhibition. Mr'.;.6.:• Fv Moore's imported: bull,-En-sign,, bred in 'Herefordshire,. England, which •has' quite- o• ; list of! championships' to'.his bredit,had jio difficulty in again securing l the oovetpd honours. 1 Mr, J. M'Gregor's ohamjnon'oow;.was described by the judge .(Mr. W. Howard Booth) as a good beefy beast, typical of the breed. Mr. A. J. Stone Wigg, a, aew;;W«irarapß (breeder, also showed;;some' very nice animals..

Tho Takings. ■ The total: takings,:.gate's,, stands,' and luncheon for tho two days, wore £371, which is £10 more than that taken last year. It is 'estimated that the.attendance was something t between 7000' and-8000 people. .''' ; A Visitor on Romneys. .; "Amongst tile visitors: at to-day's show was .Mr. H. K. T. Payne, a Ividderclale farmer, re--siding jigar Melbourne,who hiis conie over to New Zealand with the intention of purchasing Romneys.;-Asked his,opinion of New Zealand Romneys,?Mr. Payne stated, that, infTictoria, wheie the Romnoy,;breed was practically in its; infancy, the -popple' there' looked to Dor mini6h;;farmers;,'to; give them a lead. He admitted a liking, for'English-bred I 'sheep, but said, that; there'was 110 doubt that sheep like Mr. G. "Short's!•^had.-denser. wool, .and .were better' backed than, some English, sheep.'.; It 'seemed; to him; that English breeders were .r.cglccting wool for carcass. Ho would like to see soma of Mr, Short's sheep oompcting in England. So far ..as-lie, ag a breeder v.;as ■ doncerned, he was trying to get. his r ewes; corroct to typo. With .this idea . following. tlie,procedure of putting English rams. • w 'th; his." New Zealand ewes.,. Jjater, he. hoped,to :iniprove.' y the;;dchsity:.of the! wgol and the quality of •constitution-by fino wooled sheep. ■Theye..wa3,bn'e thing which'he could not understand on: to-day's judging, He had al- 1 ways understood, and it was laid down in' the' Ne>v .Zealand Romney-Marsh : Stud Book that tho.. true .type, of Romney-Marsh .sheep should Possess. and black feet.: To-day some qf":the awards weijt to sheep with'white feet;; Mr; Short's explanation was'that white . not debar sheop, froiji a prizß if . the- animal .'pros • ptherwise Buperior to its compotifcors'. J Mr. Payniwill leave Wellington for; Sydne,v.'ou;February 19, Next .year, he says, he; : hopes.:; to - put in '.threo. 1 in - a : trip through' New' Zealand,

Manure v lb. oz. Kohl rubi. Oats. Barley. No. 1 2 5i good good good No. 2 < 3 6 ' better .' best best No. 3 1 31 i.as good ' medium poor No. 4 1 4} } as good' bad bad No. 5 1 i as good bad bad