THE CARRINGTON STUDS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 984, 26 November 1910, Page 18

THE CARRINGTON STUDS.

A FAMOUS SMRTMffII HERD.

IK'iiOWARD BOOTH'S THE STOCK.

M ; iiH^HLii^.

•::';■; ?;On the northern boundary of Carter- :;;;'•' -ton lies the Carrington Estatej now the . :. '. ;:touie of one of the leading and oldest •■'y^-'V..established- nerds of Shorthorn cattle .■;.i;:..:.: .in Nevp-.'-Zealand. . The property was ■^[.'/■;".' : first taken up by the late Mr. W. Booth }?'■:','-. in 4874. ' It was then covered in. heavy '>;"'--■ hush,- and was acquired for sawmilling : .I:.;:'-, purposes, the .well-known' mill of Messrs. v'i: ; ' ; ..Vi'...Booth'; and-Co. providing ; employj'ii...: ..rnentfor from-60 to 100 men , up to a ,:,:;.', :;'few;. years ago. ; :The.bush on tho six •?':;. .thousand acres of tue'property was.cuti;.;i:.. out in blocks, and when the heavy tim!j'-;;':.' v ber' had;been, removed frtiiri a block the i'si.v, ; -rest, bush was cut down and i;. , ',. burnt, off, and tie-land sown down-in fy.rfy'' English:grasses..' This process.went on !;.;;; : continuously.until about two years ago, I.; '■%-■■;■'-. when; the mill;finally cut-out, and tho 1^,;;.,; last ..block:was ■finished.;-;.,. Throughout' ['■■..'; the .whole time, therefore) farming was. ; ; - ■';-.; on in conjunction with , ,, the- saw-. - milling. -The fattening- bullockswas '('V, '.'started'thirty yearsV'ago," 'and /some- of ..the;' finest;'of -ithe:fat 'cattle, ever' driven [:j| : ..'.;■' over tho. hill: from tho .'Wairarapa-. to M-r-:' '-;'Wellingtentwere' grown;, and-. ; f aitened J <:'■] ■'.' on the ; Carrington ;Estatei-' v - y •,-■■• '■ ;;.:,: -.'..V-.Mr;, jWUliam'Booth), senior,, who.;.was f. ;\;k:,;for many. yearsCone/pf r .t^e ijaost prpin :[ , ; h; ,iiieht : jfi!.;£ ; i •'-;;,;. pefty has since "been'under "the'corl-Efbli f:4?-:-. :of 'Ws : . toly,,'son,.vJlr;Wit Howard 'Booth,i;");■; ■■;..who; was born v on.the' , ,place thirty-throp. years': ago; ;yinV;lpdß}thp;;:|Sdvernmejiti; f-;,.:-cbmpulsorily '.resumed:;-.tho.- estate,-;MKi ',■;=: •''-'. Booth .retaining* a ; 'block-of ibOO ; acres. ihill.--i , :' .'j'^'J \\'& :jv: : t i'i'■:'■■' .y A Big; Deal." : ■■ \ ■■'.-.■;V <i ..Two :years .ago .Mr. Howard Booth p'.;; ;; acquired tke Shorthorns whose winnings i^.:'.;'have figured ; so conspicuously in the | : ."V/V ?ipw ; reports since then. ; At that time k~:c. .:;the / i 'trustees;of--the- late. Mr.. D. D. j-';■■;. of Matawhero, decided 'to !':V. ; ..'. : dispose of ,the famous herd: which he i : '.;;. ;.Htid\heen breeding for.nearly half, a f ;■■;'; oentnry; ; At. a previous! sale the bulk ';:.:~:f; ■-. pijtlie/herd. had' been,sold, but somef;-.; ;':■ 40 of the , very (best animals.hadi .'been ■retained.;-- T These? were. se!ected : t : :<■■ ':.;; ipt i'only for. their) general appearance, f!v;Tj';tiiit;also;because ; pf the escellence'of the E •■''■';! C- E?PS* n y -. w bich ..had been obtained from |. - ■:;.^thein;:.'... ; lncluded . among.-this -nucleus ['■;■ i';y';oj. ; Jihe.:herd '.were t?ae : bulls Silver .King ;i; Vv (imp.); and Duke,.. Leo; 11, .bred by Mr. -of : arid Wv sV^' ; eiril 'younger"aninials".; \. It "ia rarely f^;;;.,|K'at;, an. opportunity 1 offers of-.purchas-[v;:v,. ling,"straight-out a'hierd.of this'descrip- ; I-'. i:iph.)-,- l consisting;;..:.€ntir,ely. , . , - .of specially ? j;>;:- : Booth decidwl. \k.f- 'ithat |the chance.was teo • good to bo jfrs> ;v/misse^,y : even': thpugh'. it 'inyplved 'tho i;'.; h : -..iiiassingVof- , an amount not far. short of |; ! ;. ; ;^oo0.'^::^%':.;;i; : :.;:;.-;/ 4 ■ •■-.■.-, : ; | ;; -ioX'V ; vA :Oliver; King.■.:■■■ : - : '";. felJ;':^;;The' , ,Carrington:' Shorthorns,. as .they I'.'",-; become) now.iiumber 40.cows, (v;j''and;the;sires ih';tisei include; Silver King, \'/ : ;;;:;, the 'i. bull;'imported;^by-: the; : M'Masters trustees frpm'Mr,\A. : J. Simpson, ofi |;V : .;!i. 'Lord lQ)nriaught';Vl, ! - bred .by p';,;;: :i jihe |ate .Archdeacon 'Williams, of, To; ;■;..:■': -'Aute; ; and ..Carrington Duke; 1,, a 'son f'c.-x.ot Silver King, bred on the property. fc;; , !;■';• Silver-King 'is a"magnificent red 'f: ; ; ; •:. roan, /showing great depth and finecon- [;:;,'; etitution. He has,a fine level top. a [=; '.: : etriong; arid.typicalhead, , and is, above [■,;>■) 'all,-a, splendid handler.; One of his fi;l!: .characteristic's, which-is v shown-also in {'-;■';. 'his/progeny,, is' his; coat,'an "important I)-', ;,i; point with cattle', that-.are to do well fh v; : .|h . tie winter. ,:Silver .King/has a h;':| coaii that is a. Teal .liaiidfull when one ;.;•::;!. gets hold'of it, a;good; thick skin with [•'■'-'.;; plenty of:. hair.,. At. the Hawko's Bay r,. :!: , Show of-1908 he was so well thought of ';.-;'.' ] J: bythe judges that he-'was- given pride v_.l'-!i'.-..0j .-.place in his- class, and put before

;':;,/ithe r , exhibits of the- great' breeders 'of: s>l:'that province. ' He is leaving his stock j " ;, light, and his sons have been winning k'e'rii jqany honours at the shqws. One of r v."; them, Carrington Duke I,- for. instarico, f : '.■:.'.'-. was ! first and champion Uast- summer at \rt. ;iMasterton as.a yearling; first as a twoj....'': ye»r-old at Hawke's Bay this. Bpring,; (i..!: ,:I:.6rat at the recent.Carterton Show;, and fiV.'.. % int and reserve, cbampibn 'at Palmer[m!:. Ifston.North: : : Another of Silver King's t, .;;; jviOiJS, ; Carrington Duke' XI, . was also ft:; 'tfifjirt.i"- thWyear atPalmerston as a yearf/iy $iiit&! beating! animals from some of. the. !■'•; •• ;:' : moBt ; noted herds, in. New, Zealand. [>!'-;..'i;darnngtotf.-I)nieVl, it is worth -rioting, |! .■V;;^took ; cxactly ■ ihe same prize in Hawke's; '■;,l': iißay.'.tKat'.hie.sire'did two years ago.. [• ,; !;.4 : -'Aβ!a.great number , of people are prelV i Jadiced against. white cattle .or light fi'! '-. , Troans, .Mr. 'Booth ' bought. the i red ;bnll I :onke of Connaught VI from Te Ante, I vith the.obJfiot qf-..keeping■Ub.flr.j colour \y ■;;;■ '■■-■'. V- •"■' ;' : ' : ' ; '' : ''^ ; !'- ■■/!'-■

of tho lieid, as far as possible, either red or red roan. Nearly all tlie cows in the herd are reds, except some red roans, which will, be mated with the red bull.. " . . ... Carrington Duke I is almost the same bull as his father, all of whoso good qualities are present in him. The same can be said of Carrington Dute XI, this year's popular winner at Palmerston North. -Hardly'ever 'has''a yearling bull at that shdw attracteiTso much attention, ■' 'and throughout the whole period of-.the show'thero was almost always a knot gathered around the pen. Rivalling Hawkc's Bay, ; The. Carrington herd has been taking prizes for many years, and has long been • the greatest • rival -of the Hawke's Bay herds. At Hawke's Bay this year a two-year-old heifer, by Silver King .was given second;:prize j in~a' class ,of fifteen entries, which formed one. of the

best exhibits'ever. made, in,the province,

Eighteen months ago all addition was made to. the. herd by the purchase of ■seven•c6ws-at''tho''disposal sald f <bf tho' Mount Herbert; : Shorthorns. Several of the cows bought, on this occasion had been prize-takers, at the principal shows. 'Ono'liid carried off :secorid:-prizo atthe • great, Christchu'rch Exhibition Show of 1906; while another had been, first as a two-year-old at'Hawke's Bay. , : Mr." Booth states that his'reason for going in-for Shorthorn's was.that many who had been, breeders and supporters of cattle,'in jibe, past..',had been giving?, ilicm upland, goirjg -in ',i or - other breeds, . some ;for the Polled Angus, and others for the Herefords. The Shorthorn,' he felt, must always be in demand, with its quick-fattening properties,.for crossing with other cattle. While admitting that the Polled Angus and Hereford were expert foragers in high country, the Shorthorn would always be wanted on the flats and in the fattening 'paddocks. A Shorthorn bull and a Polled Angus or Hereford cow, Mr. Booth thought, was about as good a cross as could be got for beef-produc-ing, purposes, and for giving a quick return to the farmer. . The Southdowns. Besides his Shorthorns, Mr. Booth

shows in the island. His greatest success was,at Christchurch in 1906, when some particularly good prizes were being offered at tho Exhibition Show. These tempted Mr. Booth to'have a ehot nt boating tho Canterbury, breeders ■ on their ground, and for once in a while to put the famous' "prime Canterbury" in tho second place. Ho accordingly made four entries in the fat sheep classes, and with theso ho gained no less than seven awards —three • firsts, three special prizes, and orio second prize. This brilliant performance at tho biggest- southern show of many years was made by sheep got by Southdown rams (bred by Mr. James Stuckey, of Bangitumau) out of English Leicester-Lincoln ewes. The remarkable success which has attended.his showing Mr. Booth attributes to tho careful management and picking of the stock by his manager, Mr. Macdonald, who has been continuously on the Carrington Estate for the last seventeen years. Mr. Macdonald is generally recognised to be one of the best judges of stock in the district. Longrltigo. After tho Government had acquired the bulk of tho Carrington Estate. Mr. ! Booth began to look about for a property where he would have more elbow room, and which he could work in conjunction with the thousand acres, of fattening country remaining of the old estate. His choice fell on Longridge, a. fine block of the BrancopetE property, which Mr. Algar 'Williams was relinquishing. This lies between twenty-

five and thirty miles away over the Maungaraki Range, and here Mr. Booth is running a flock of Romney-Lincoln sheep—now!'well rinto the /Romney— which he fattens at Carrington. Mr. Booth, like his father before him, holds many interests in the Wairarapa, and is president of ttfe Wairarapa A. and P. Association, which, curiously enough, held its first show in the year in which ho was born, Mr. Booth, senior, being treasurer at tho time. The"" Late Mr. W. Booth. ■ The late Mr. ■ Booth was. born' at Pilkington, Lancashire, in 1837. and cated at L'a'ncashiro College, Manchester. He came to New Zealand at the age of thirty-five, and in the following year, 1873, started business as a eawmiller in the Ohariu, Valley, behind 'Johnsonvillo. Subsequently tie busi-. ness was transferred to the Upper Hiitt, and in 1874 Mr. Booth'commenced cutting in Carterton, having obtained timber rights over several thousands of acres. The freehold of this land was afterwards obtained, and gradually, as described above, the Carringtoa Estate was cloared and grassed, and larger and larger drafts of prime stock turned off it, as one block after another of the timber was cut-out.. Mr. Boothi senior, heldso many pub-

has' also' lately 'gone'' in '' for" breeding Southdown "sh'cSp; arid'he''founded a stud last year by the "purchase of 100 ewes from Mr.'Thomas 'BrooksJ' of Brookside, Canterbury, and three rams, one bred by Messrs. NelsQii.Brotliors, ono by Mr. Brooks, and a third from Messrs. fijiis Bros!/ of '/Balls. The flock is, of. course,,.only. in. its infancy, but doubtless a good deal will,bo heard of it as time goes on., Mr. Booth says that, as with .the Shorthorns, several breeders had,.boen. giving up their Southdown studs,!.and iit bad seemed to him that it' Was liigh timo'.sbme ono else started,'- as'tho-"brced-wou!d-always bo wanted for fa'tJamb producing. .A Notable Win. achievements in the ductipn of fat Jambs,' are' already considerable, :Bndv;bave:enabled>him'!to parry ioff'! orizti' r f^ter"'- r priaß v ' : ftt ,: ilie' ; principal

lie positions at different times that to set them all down would perhaps weary tho reader. ' He was chairman of directors of tbo Wellington Meat Export Company for many years, and also was a director of tho Bank of Now Zealand, and a member of tho Wellington Har-, bour Board. Mr. Booth was long associated witli tho Wairarapa P. and A. Association from its inception onwards, holding the presidency and various offices from time to time. Ho was chairman of the county council for twelve years, and was a member of most of the other public bodies iu the district, over many of which ho presided. "When tho question of federating with' Australia was in the air, Mr. Booth was ono of tho Commissioners appointed by the Government to investigates tho question. It is,stated to have been principally, pwius to. tho feht £ui us hj

him and the late Colonel Pitt that a report was brought in' by the Commission adverse to federation, and tho matter more or less removed from practical politics. Had the Commission brought in a favourable' report, the first step towards union would have been taken, and it is interesting to speculate on what might have been the position of New Zealand to-day.

The late Mr. Booth also took a great interest in the development of tho dairying industry in tho district. Hβ was ono of tho founders of the Dalefield .Co-operative Dairy Company, and followed its rising fortunes with the keenest, interest. Speaking of the Wairarapa from a dairying point of view, Mr. Howard Booth said he did not think the great natural endowments of tho district were always fully appreciated. Tho continued success of the Wairarapa in the cheese classes at tho National Dairy Show were, of course, largely due to the skill in manufacture, but, at the same time, there were other agencies not to be overlooked. Tho light, warm soil on the western side of the valley was admirably suited for tho production of the milk solids necessary for cheese-making. The quality of the soil was quite different from that in Taranaki, and to this he attributed the unusual distinction attained by Wairarapa cheese at the dairy shows. , . >

J. JONES AND CO., EKETAHUNA. In the year .1881 the foundation-stone of what, is now known as Messrs. J, Jones and Co.'s grocory and. drapery establishment ,\vas laid in Eketahuna. Tho building which was then erected was a very-small one, but;, at that time' Was considered to be fairly large. An ex-tensive-alteration was made in 1893, when tho store, which was previously off tho edge of the road, was.shifted to tho position that it now occupies. In 189G further additions were made, and in 1902 tho bulk store, was considerably increased, and the grocery department converted into twice its original 6ize. In 1905, three years'later, tho v drapery dcpartnaon't, which bad hitherto .been carried "on on a small scale, was added to, tho building, then being double the size' it was-in 1890. Since,then the establishment has -been gradually added to, the latest additions being the block of. build* ings known as' Jones and Co.'s, a portion of which is by' the Bank of New South Wales.- The managing partner's (Mr. Haswell's). private: office is at the back of the drapery depnrtmen?, and anyone requiring an interview with that gentleman can obtain it -without much fear of interruption. Just behind tho main building is installed an acetylene gas generator, with sufficient power to feed 80 lamps, The windows in tho front of the shop are all of plate glass, totalling 550 square feet. A 9 showing tho increase of the business sinco its inception, the firm in 1881 only employed two assistants, while at the present time no fewer than 14 are- employed. >

There is alwnys a fascination in a wellappointed jeweller's shop. As Christmas approaches many will be delighted to visit Mr. A. Henderson's establishment at Mastcrton'.. Hero goods are displayed , in beautiful and exquisite variety, and Mr. Henderson, who takes a pride in the- business which has been established for a. quarter of a century, offers many alluring', presents at prices to suit all his: clients. A perusal of advertisement appearing in this issue and a visit to this leading houso will bo very satisfactory. The Wairarapa Farmers' Co-opcrativo Association, Ltd., .with branches at Masterton, Groytowh,' Martinborough, Cartertou, Ekelahuna, and Pnhiatua, invilo residents of , tho Wairnrnpa to mako'their purchases now at either of tho towns mentioned. An advertisement appearing in this iesuo notifies that exoellont valuo is being given in all lines offered, and any branch is well worth a visit. '■ Mr. A. S. Judd, motor and cycle engineer, High Street, Carterton, advertises in this issue that ho stocks all motor and cycle accessories. Eoliablo motoroa.ro''can be Uirc4 at the esjago, irlioro