ROYAL SHOW OPENS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 141, 11 December 1929, Page 21

ROYAL SHOW OPENS

GOVERNOR'S SPEECH

BCS^S FOR THE LAND

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

INVERCARGILL, 10th December

Long weeks of arduous preparation and active co-operation culminated to-day when the Royal Show, under the auspices of the Southland Agricultural and Pas-' toral Association, opened on the spacious and picturesque grounds adjacent to the town. The weather was overcast but fine, and the attendance for the opening day was quite satisfactory.

At the opening ceremony, Mr. W. Perry, president of the Royal Agricultural ' Society, presided. Their Excellencieal, Sir Charles and Lady Alice Fergusson, were present, also the Hons. G. W. Forbes and P. A. de la Perrelle, and Mrs. B. B. Wood, who represented her father, Sir Joseph Ward. In the course of his speech the Gov-ernor-General said that it was an extraordinarily painful thing to him to notice in going round the schools how few boys were going in for farming as a vocation. Instead, they all appeared to be going into professions, into occupations which would keep them in town. This he felt was due to the terror felt by boys for something of which they knew nothing. Personally he felt that more instructional schools might lead more of the boys of the Dominion on to the land, where the prosperity of the country really lay. There was he knew'a great opening for properly trained boys on the land. It meant hard work, as everyone knew, but hr could not feel that that would deter New Zealanders with the traditions of the pioneers behind them. Mrs. B. B. Wood read a message from Sir Joseph Ward expressing regret for his non-attendance, and best wishes for the success of the show.

A. feature of the show is the cattle section, in which competition was extremely keen, and which is described by some judges as the best they have seen in New Zealand. The cattle entries total G3B, as compared with 490 at Palmerston North in 1928, 497 at Christchurch in 1927, 568 at Auckland in 1926, 479 at Christchurch in J925, and 55S at the first Royal Show held in Palmerston North in 1924.

The sheep section is also a particularly strong one, and is considered to be easily the best both as regards numbers and quality seen at a local fixture. The total entries this year number 2120, compared with. 1263 at last Southland Show, and 2057 at the previous Royal Show. . The fallowing are the champions in the selections judged to-day:— Sheep. Border-Leicester.—Champion ram, William Kennedy (Otautau); reserve champion, William Kennedy; champion ewe, T. S. Little (Oamaru); reserve champion, William Kennedy. Corriedale.—Champion ram, J. A. Johnstone (Bushey Park, Palmeistdn); reserve champion, F. L. M'Gregor (Temuka); champion ewe, J. A. Johnstone; reserve champion, Hugh Ensor (Rangiora). English Leicester.—Champion ram, James Reid (Riversleigh, Darfield); reserve champion, Sir R. Heaton Rhodes (Otahuna, Taitapu); champion ewe, James Reid; reserve champion, Sir R. iHeaton Rhodes.

Lincoln.—Champion ram, the. Canterbury (N.Z.) Seed Company, Ltd. (Leeston); champion ewe, the Canterbury (N.Z.) Seed Company, Ltd.; reserve champion, the Canterbury (N.Z.) Seed Company, Ltd. Merino.—Champion ram, Mrs. Watson (Shennan, Dunedin); reserve champion Robert Jopp (Chatto Creek); champion ewe. Sir George Clifford (Stoneyhurst, Christchurch).

Romney Marsh (open section) .—Champion ram, Trustees of late T. L. Barnhill (Castlerock); reserve champion, Trustees of late T. L. Barnhill; champion ewe, William Kennedy (Otautau); reserve champion, Adam King (Balclutha). -"■ Natural Conditions Classes.—Champion ■ram, J. Thayer (Maitland); reserve champion, E. p Kirk (Kelso); champion ewe, .William Kennedy (Otautau); reserve

champion, R. Hardley and Son (Mao Flat, Heriot).

Kyeland.—Champion ram, H. C. B. Withell (Ealing); reserve champion, W. O. Kennie (Doylestown, Canterbury); champion ewe, H. C. B. Withell (Ealing)reserve champion, H. C. B. Withell (Baling).

Shropshire.—Champion ram, Cochrane Bros. (Ashburton); reserve champion, William Kennedy (Otautau); champion ewe, Cochrane Bros.; reserve champion, Cochrano Bros. ■Southdown.—Champion ram, James Knight (Feilding); reserve champion, James Knight; champion ewe, James Knight; reserve champion H. J. Andrew (Maheno). : Halfbred.—Champion ram, Sir George Clifford; champion ewe, Sir George Clifford. Pigs. Berkskires.—Champion boar, J. D. Galpin (Canterbury); champion sow, J. D. Galpin. Largo Blacks.—Champion boar, D. and S. Ross (Te Puke); champion sow, D. and S. Eoss. Large Whites.—Champion boar, R. J. Browne (Pukemaori); champion sow, J E. Ashworth (Domett). v Tamworths.—Champion boar, D. and S. Ross (Te Puke); champion sow, D. and S. Ross. Yorkshires.—Champion boar, G. Storey (Ryal Bush); champion sow, D. J. Lock (Invercargill). Cattle. Aberdeen Angus—Champion bull, W. A. M Farlane (Hastings); champion cow, W A. JM'Farlane. Hereford.—Champion cow, A. S. Holms tWaimahaka). Shorthorn.—Champion bull, J. A. John stone (Bushey Park, Palmerston); reserve champion, J. A. Johnstone; champion cow, W. A M'Farlane; reserve champion, J. A Johnstone. , : Milking Shorthorn.—Champion bull, John -Bateman (Invercargill); reserve champion, William Bowis (Doyleston, Canterbury); champion cow, John Bateman; reserve champion, C. R. Keir (Gore) Red Poll.—Champion Bull, John Donaldson (Stirling); reserve champion, G. S. Young (West Plains); champion cow, G. S. Young; reserve champion, James Clay (Mokotua). Friesian.—Champion bull, G. H. Hassall (Kaiapoi); reserve champion, T. R. Eades (Edendale); champion cow, W. Y. Dickie and Sons (Gore); reserve champion, R. K. Maedonald (Edendale). Ayrshires.—Champion cow, A. M. Weir Menzie's Ferry); reserve champion, R. S. Weir (Menzie's Ferry); champion bull, A. M. Weir; reserve champion, Bisset "os. (Wangaloa). Jersey.—Champion bull, Charles Adams (Purakaniti, via Ratanui); reserve champion, R. Maddren (Winchester); champion cow, Robert Gibb (Menzie's Ferry); reserve champion, William Archer (Invercargill).

Guernseys.—Champion bull, James Price (Invercargill); reserve champion, James Price; champion cow, James Price; reserve champion, James Price.