SHOULD AGRICULTURAL SHOWS BE CONTINUED?

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3060, 23 April 1917, Page 6

SHOULD AGRICULTURAL SHOWS BE CONTINUED?

Sir,—The. above is very mucli in front of the public at the present time: It seems to mo that the time is very opportune to make some drastic alterations in our agricultural and stock exhibitions. The thinking man. will admit that the average-farmer who is not an expert in. stock leaves the showground with little, if any, added knowledge.; Now I claim that with very little increase in expenses these exhibitions might he made highly educational to the man on .the.-land; Further that the educational part of the exhibition could be imparted, or exhibited in such a'manner that it would be'of general intorest to the jniblic. '■ And further of lasting benefit to the Dominion generally. If after the war the Empire is to be self-supporting, then it is the duty of all parts of the Empire to endeavour to incrfease its productions. I say in all seriousness that the average show does not fend to further this worthy goal. I will give a few illustrations, and they apply equally to the larger sliows of Australia in addition to A T ew Zealand. . , There are prizes offered for the best sow of twelve months old, fifteen months old, and above that age. .To any personal knowledge farmers who wished to improve their stock • have commission agents to buy their winning exhibits. Year after year disappointments are the result. The sows have been spoilt for reproduction. Yet it must be admitted that if a sow is past the baconer stage, and is young, she has one value—reproduction. The same applies to males. I. know of several instances where males which have been repeatedly shown were incapable of reproduction. ■'■..'■' A farmer visiting a show may admire a pen of porkers or other stock, hut he does not acquire the knowledge how the feeder of the animals obtains that perfection. These instances could be multinlied ad lib. To place before your readers somethins definite, yet practical and inexpensive, I would suggest, that educational exhibits be staged somewhat as follows—ln the pig section: The quantity and variety of foods which produce lib. of pork' when fed to the average pig. A small heap of grain weighing 41b., 161b. of boiled potatoes, 321b. ot mangolds, 2 gallons of skimmed milk, and "so on. There" could also be shown the class of foods to mix, or not to mix to obtain certain results. Does it impress the farmer to'tell him that a certain cow produces so many pounds of butter in the season, and another possibly only one-sixth of that amount? But if the quantity of butter produced was illustrated by blocks of wood or other material'.'painted ■■ ,to resemble, butter it would drive right home the necessity for improving '"stock. 5 If the number of eggs laid by, say, six.pullets in' a year (say, 1200) were placed in a heap adjacent to the birds, and their feeding value illustrated by placing against them four or five carcasses of sheep; in other words you are showing that half a dozen fowls in the backyard may produce in ftvelve months food equal to four or five carcasses, of mutton. Cobs of muize might be shown which taka seven months .to mature, other varieties taking only four. 'Yet they both have their Rood qualities in suitable.. districts. These are only a few examples, and I have .practise'd what I am now endeavouring to preach, having"on many an occasion made these education features the leading point of interest in the show, drawing, the largest crowds to those sections. Therefore I say do not discontinue these exhibitions, hut work them on practical lines. I am prepared to assist.—l am, otc, „„,,;- v - ROBERT J. TERRY. Late Department of Agriculture, ■>. .' Tasmania.