MASTERTON SHOW

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 124, 19 February 1919, Page 3

MASTERTON SHOW

OPENED IN FINE WEATHER

EXHIBITS OF GOOD QUALITY

(By Telegraph—Special Reporter.)

Masterton, February 18. Beautiful .weather favoured the- holiday of the thirty-second annual show of the Masterton Agricultural and Pastoral Association, which opened at the Solway Showgrounds to-day. Early in the morning, the public began to wend their way to the grounds, and by noon the attendance was good. Numerically speaking, the entries of stock are not quite up to the standard of previous years. Several factors were accountable for this. In the first place the influenza epidemic played havoo in the country districts and seriously retarded stockraising operations. Then again, the prolonged spell of broken weather prevented farmers from getting their erieep ano cattlo,ready: for exhibition under the best conditions, consequently, many who usually entered in former years are not in evidence this year. A general shortage of farm labour has als.o been experienced as the result of the calling up of so manymen for military service, and farmers have ndt all had the necessary assistance enabling them to get their etock into-good condition in too for the show.'One farmer, who is acting in an official capacity at the show, stated that his property was 600 acres in extent, and the only help be had was that of his--wife. "For some of the labour that is' obtainable just now," he said, "a man can get. through more work by doing everything himself Before I could, get away this morning I had to milk' ."tie w*< feed, the calves, the pigs, and the fowls, and do a good deal of other work besides." This is just one instance indicating the difficulties under which farmers are working. — In the produce, horticulture, nnd the home industries classes the entries were larger than was the case last year, and the quality of the exhibits was also very high. .. • The sheep classes contained some very good entries; particularly Lincoln nnd Eomney Marsh varieties, but the English Leicesters were somewhat inferior. In the breeding classes there were no entries of Shrqpshires or Border. Leices- , ters, but there was a fair number of Southdowns. - The farmers' classes were well represented, and the , exhibit of longwoof cross ewes, by Mr. J. S. Holmes, was described-as tip-top. ' The numbers of cattle on show are very fair, but dairy cattle aie not 60 numerous as last year. There are-some, splendid exhibits of fat cattle in the pens, however. Frieeians are. a very good lot this year, and. have come in ,ior high praise. . • • Visitors.to the show expressed admiration at the quality of ttio purebred Hereford cattle, practically all of which were deemed; to be worth prizes. Some of the Polled-Angus exhibits were also really good!.; 7 Mr. Fred. Bambor, oi Wairoa, judge of Shorthorna, described the female stook as being ivcrthy oft exhibition anywhere in. the Dominion, He expressed the opinion that a bettei clasa of animal could not be obtained anywhere in the country: The bulls were not of "a very superior quality, being of tlliQ ..'ordinary type, but the judge considered that the high standard of the'female stock showed that tht .Wairarapa still possessed good cattle. Although there have been greater entries of'fat'.cattlo in the pnst, those that are on show are of a pretty good /'quality, and. considering all the circumstances 'and; difficulties that breeders have been..'; labouring under !for feome time the entry may be regarded as being very fair. Mr, D. Kirkpatrick, of Gisborne, who judged the Eomney Marsh sheep, was somewhat disappointed at, the fact that there was not very much competition in this class. At the same time he-said that those on show were of an! exceptionally ...fine .standard. The two-tooth ranis', were''among, the - best he had ever handled. In.the pen of four rams, under 21 months, there were only three entries, those of Messrs..W. Howard Boot)i, of Carterton, William' Eayner and William Perry, of Masterton. i Had there been a greater number of entries the competition would have : been i. more" jjirit'erestiiig, '■■ 'but. ' the animals ehown. were of ■ an. \ excellent stamp." ' Mr.'. ; ;Pefry's . rani> Chancellor 4th,; which was lambed •iu 1915, and which-.took the championship of it; class, Hs the .sire of the., remainder of/ Mr. Perry's exhibits '-of, ~tvotooth rams. The.display of* Lincoln 1., sheep came .in ifor-a-good' dealof 1 praise, and was oliaracteiised' "generally as'i splendid line. Thera Avas-niore competition in this class than, in the Bomneys, and the. judge (Mr. G. V. Smith, 'of Gisborne), was : set-some tough problems in deciding the merits of the. respective exhibits, One- prominent breeder remarked that all the lines oi Lincolns were quite good enough • tc show anywhere in New Zealand. . .A very good class of horsa is being- exhibit ed at the show, particularly hacks. The draught horses are a little lighter thai those that have been entered in previous years, but at. the same :time they" are all" of a- good utility type. .- Tliis afternoon the sky bpcame over cast and the atmosphere,, which during the' morning had been very sultry, became much cooler. At the time oi writing the.outlook .for io-morrow from the , meteorological standpoint is not altpgether. propitious. •. To-day Ims been devoted mostly to the judging of stock. To' r morrow will be People's Day, when it'-is anticipated that there will bo a very large attendance should the weather prove favourable. •■•• ~