THE TIME FOR SHOWS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1002, 17 December 1910, Page 8

THE TIME FOR SHOWS.

'[ ft; K" : ; v AUTUMN • OR : : SPRING ■?■-■ : ' Taranaki.'iarnier, when.con- - ."ii'.rersmg with a .•Dominion.'-representative i,.; - ? ' ifccehtly, '".'raised.- "the. question' whether' ;'j:'or: hot'aiinost all'agricultural';' shows Ki'/shouldbo held in the; autumn. ; Thesub- . •■•;ieii- is not. ! entirely; new,. but,:it is' very . and may in the near future ;.;■ 'b'e.'.serioiisly discussed. .'At present, it ; ; V se^mS'that;the' arguments of'thosij'.whb' -;j.. favour'., autumn ..shows' ."".and'. ;". disfavour f -'spring -shows ;aro -inconclusive..' They ■,rr; are mostly'.right, so.'far as they : go, :V'';bu6'they;'do notprecliido the possibility' ; '''..of'argument being raised: to'show that ;;;.; notwithstanding the truth of what they ■'■'^'ipqntendi I '/spring shows', too,' are. desir-!-'V:able-3'nd'necessary.r Further, 'dairymen i ■t;had. not;.the money, to spend in the l ..J; : :spririg'tbat" they possessed in thoVau>^;vtumn..' ■ ~ " ,'."•■ ;;■■.';. .~' ■;';..'■ The farmer;referred to was- so posl-i.-'tive that his. views were the.right ones 1 V that\b'j declared ; -thai' for every argur '.«;;ment' : ,in. : favour..of a'..spring snow, ho ;.'■;■>; -ivould''put. sis against- them. •' , ' -■. : ".'. v;''. : 'rßeing'a Taranaki inau, he commenced. . "• :'liis"re'as6ning: by referring to. dairying; ■'.-■'. '' People cannot, leave their.cows-'now,". :..'ihe said, "to come'to,a show." ~...,' .V:': j : Then he dealt with sheep-farming, and , ;'.:'said that'.mahy farmers, were-just then ;■;'.''erigage'd .in shearing' operations", and ."•' therefore could not possibly get away. ; to go to'a show." It was the middle of r their.' busiest season, i'",!■■■

He reckoned horses wero nob fit to be sli6wn ;at tho /.early. spring., showsi. v They-bad then just .domo"through tho ••• 'winter,..and ,unless they had been_sper cially : cared for they; would- appear to > disadvantage in. the ring. -In - the 'au--4;uinn'horses he in much better ' ;'show* condition'.

■ "Respecting hunters, ho held that there I would be, greater-numbers shown at autumn shows : aiid.'that.they .would 1 bo in

;"/ rfcetter fo'rin.-' At tho'spring shows, many. j of; th 6. horses were right but of form.' '•/:(AutiLmn-showing would fit in with their [work during tho : hunting season better.' In the. autumn' !.-tlie' weather is nfpre." \/ .teeUled > than' in spring.

V'".He does.not think the South. Island i,would benefit'' much b'.v. autumn shows, : 'as:cropping .is '.sjich' a.'big item/there. •; ; . He, points'out, that if .shows, are. hold at- a time when many people cannot Yatterid'them, the. shbws arc hot.fulfilling ' the'irr. chief educational •purposo. ; • •. ; . Tarariaki, ' he . says,' 'the dairy ..farmer, is - of-so-great importance, that /•he-must, be-catfired. for. /If that, is' not . dprie, not only will it affect the',farmers, but also the shows. '"■•'Those are his' 'main "points, given briefly: • There'will bo arguments put .; forward.'against : him—such arguments ;. afc ' concern the showing of sheep in the wool, and so on. ''Autumn; shows have i been ; ; made. very : successful, notably." at Mastertan'aiid .Feilding. ' Fat stock are .-seen-, to'great: advantage' at the autumn shows.' 'Last' year's Masterton ; Show > TO's "said"to be'- the greatest ■. show of ! fat ; i^ttle;; : New Zealand'^has ever.'made.