HAWKE'S BAY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY'S. SHOW.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3819, 12 October 1883, Page 2

HAWKE'S BAY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY'S. SHOW.

Wednesday, October 10. Tlie first clay of the slioav is devoted _ to judging sheep, and thero being nothing else on the ground, with the exception of some buggies and agricultural implements, the attendance is always small. AVednesday last Avas no exception to previous shows in this respect, but it presented other features that gave it a special character of its own. The chief of these Avas the quality of tho sheep on the ground, the Merino classes especially showing the caro and attention expended in bringing the breed to a high standard of merit. Four years ago it Avould have been impossible to havo got together so many excellent animals, and tho best compliment we can pay to the A. and P. Society is that it is due to its existence that Hawke's Bay can now shoAV as good sheep, both long and short wools, as any other district in the colony. One effect of the strides made in the improvement of stock has been to lessen the number of exhibitors ; breeders have learned the lesson taught by comparison and competition, and the many have ceased to regard themselves as the possessors of first-class sheep, with the result that tho pons are no longer crowded with inferior animals. Year by year this has been more strongly marked, till, as was seen on AVednesday, there were none in the pens that would not have done credit to a breeder. There were 95 entries of Merinos, and 108 of longAvools, a number slightly above that of last year, but tho number of exhibitors shoAved a falling off. The exhibitors of Merino sheep were Messrs R. D. McLean, D. Gollan, Royso and Anderson, T. P. Russell,- J. Anderson, sen., and the manager for Stokes Trustees. Of these Mr McLean took all the chief honors, being awarded the champion five-guinea cup for the best ram, _ and a similar honor for tho best ewe ,; and m their several classes his exhibits earned off eleven first, nine second, and flvo third prizes, and the two silver cups, special prizes, oftorcd by Mr M. R. Miller for the best pen of ram And ewo hoggets, ten in each pen. Mr Gollan, Avho on previous years has been a large prize taker, Avas at this show severely handicapped (by fch.o weather. His sheep had been driA'en in the ra|n, and across swollen creeks, and had then been put into dirty railway trucks, and consequently they

had anything but a show appearance, looking grimy and washed out. Mr H. R. Russell's longAvools, coming from AVaipukurau, Avere in little better condition. Messrs Royse and Anderson's sheep had been driven in the pouring rain all nightfromKereru, and, the wretched Aveather for rcmOA'ing stock it speaks highly for tho zeal of all those gentlemen that they sent sheep for exhibition. Messrs Royso and Anderson took tAvo first, two second, and two third prizes, while Mr Gollan took a second in class 71, and Mr Crosses special prize cup for the best pair of grass-fed Merino eAves. Mr T. T. Russell and Stokes' trustees wore aAvarded third prizes in classes 69 and 71 respectively. This year, for the first time, a distinction was made betAveen grass-fed, unhoused, and unclothed sheep, and those Avhich had been artificially fed and cared for. By this means a much fairer competition Avas instituted, andan excellent opportunity was afforded of seeing the good effects arising from a course of artificial treatment. In the long avools Mr T. Tanner was th? largest exhibitor, and in some of the classes he had nothing to compete against. That ho should have carried off all the principal honors Avas but due to him, and Avith one consent it was acknoAvledged that he had bravely struggled for and fairly won the fifty-guinea champion cups. These trophies had to be Avon three times by the same exhibitor before becoming his private property, and it is no small credit to carry them off against such enterprising breeders as Mr A. Mcllardy and MrDolbel, both of whom have held the cups twice. That Mr Tanner distanced all competitors may be judged of by the fact that in their selection from'the entries for the ram championship the judges took three, and those three Avere all Mr Tanner's. There Avere twclvo entries for this championship, but only seven came to the ground, and of these five were beaten in their classes, really thus reducing the competition to two. In addition to the cups Mr Tanner Avas aAvarded six first, six second, and five third prizes. Besides these he won the special prizes offered by Messrs Iloadloy, Lyon and Co., Banner and Liddle, and Murray, Roberts and Co. Mr Tanner's sheep, it is needless to state, Avere presented in tho very highest condition that artificial feeding and housing could bring them. Amongst the grass-fed exhibits those of Mr J. N. AVilliams Avere aAvarded the chief honors. There were no representatives of either Leicester or Romney Marsh blood. Mr G. D. Hamilton and the Rev. S. AVilliams Avere the only exhibitors of Cotswolds, of Avhich, however, there was but one class. Mr AVilliams took the first, second, and third honors. For the special prize offered by Messrs Hoadley, Lyon and Co. for the best pen of twenty ewe hoggets, the Rev. S. AVilliams entered Cotswolds, and a splendid pen of sheep they mado. The prize, lioavever, as stated above, Avas awarded to Mr Tanner's Lincolns. Mr Kinross carried oft the two special prizes that he himself offered for tho best pen of ten OAve and ten ram half-bred hoggets, and to Mr AVcltwood was aAvarded the special prize for a pen of twenty wethers most suitable for freezing purposes. There were seven entries in all for this latter prize, but only three lots Avere penned. Mr Well wood's twenty averaged rather over lOOlbs. each, and were a fair sample of a flock of 1000. There Avere no entries for Mr Bishop's special prize, nor for that offered by Mr T. Tanner, for tho best pen of twenty Lincoln ram hog-gets, and the best pen of ten longAvoolled wethers respectively. It Avas a noticeable feature in the judging for both Merinos and Lincolns that the preference was given in all cases to the strong stapled avools, and this Avas very apparent in the Lincoln ram class under thirty months old, in Avhich a splendid sheep of Mr McHardy's, having very fine avool, Avas passed over. As a matter of fact, howeA'cr, the awards in ncarlA/- all cases gave satisfaction, and undoubtedly the judges took tlie greatest pains Avith their Avork. The folloAving is tho prize list:— MERINOS. Judges — Messrs AY. Shrimpton, A. M'Phail, and J. B. Rolleston. NO RESTRICTION AS TO FEEDING. Class 58, Ram Hoggett, 18 months and under.—l and Champion, R. D. M'Lean; 2, R. D. M'Lean; 3, R. D. M'Lean; highly commended, Royso and Anderson. Class 59, Ram, 18 months and under 30 months.—l, Rovse and Anderson ; 2, R. D. M'Lean; 3," R. D. M'Lean; highly commended, Royse and Anderson. Class 60, Ram, 30 months and upwards. —1, It. D. M'Lean ;1, Royse and Andcrson ; 3, Royso and Anderson.

Class 61, Ewe Hogget, 18 months and under. —1 and Champion, R. D. M'Lean ; 2, R. D. M'Lean ;3, R, D. M'Lean; highly commended, D. Golbin.

Cbiss 62, Ewe, 18 months and under 3 months, with or Avithout lamb. —1, R. D. M'Lean; 2, Royse and Anderson ;3, R. D. M'Lean.

Class 63, Ewe, 30 months and under, with lamb at foot.—l, R. D. M'Lean; 2, R. D. M'Lean.

Class 61, Ewe, without lamb.—l, R. D M'Lean. Only exhibit.

ORASS-FED, UNHOUSED, AND UNCLOTHED

Class 65, Ram Hogget, 18 months and under.—l, R. D. M'Lean; 2 R. D. M'Lean ;3,T. P. Russell; commended, R. D. M'Lean.

Class 60, Ram, 18 months and under 30 months.—l, R. D. M'Loan ;2,R. D. M'Lean ; 3, Royso and Anderson.

Class 67, Ram, 30 months and upAvards.— 1, Royse and Anderson ; 2, R. D. M'Lean ; 3, R. D. M'Lean.

Class 08, Ewe Hogget, 18 months and under.—R. D. M'Lean ;2,R. D. M'Lean ; 3, R. D. M'Lean.

Class 69, Ewe, 18 months and under 30 months, Avith or A\ r ithont lamb.—l, R. D. M'Lean; 2, R. D. M'Lean; 3, T. P. Russell; commended, R. D. M'Lean.

Class 70, Ewe, 30 months and upAvards, Avith lamb at foot,—l, R. D. M'Lean ;2, Royse and Anderson ; 3, Royso and Anderson.

Class 71, Ewe, without lamb.—l, R. D. M'Loan ;2, D. Gollan; 3, Stokes' Trustees. SPECIAL PRIZES. Class 72, Mr M. R. Miller's prize, cup value 7 guineas, for best pen of ten Merino ram hoggets, no restriction as to feeding. R. D. M'Lean.

Class 73, Mr Miller's cup for best pen of ten Merino ewe hoggets, same conditions as above.—R. D. M'Lean.

Class 73a, Mr T. Crosses cup, value 5 guineas, for the best pair Merino eAves, grass-fed, unhoused, and unclothed since last shoAV.—D. Gollan.