The Evening Mail. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 1879.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 871, 30 January 1879, Page 2

The Evening Mail. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE NEW ZEALAND AGRICULTURIST. THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 1879.

We have road m the Hatha Leader of the extraordinary attainments of Mr. U. Ct.VRK, Kiltend. as a tattle breeder. There can be no doubt that Mr. Ct.JtRK has done welt in a Ctntha or Tofcomatriro Sense: and, as great hetievers in giving every encouragement to laudable enterprise, we say to that gentleman go on and prosper., Mr. CiURK has "kept his eyes about him," in the tanguage of the Ctutha Leader, the result of which is that he has succeeded in taking some prizes. Breeders generally have to keep their eyes about them in order to do this. We have some men in this district that keep their eyes about them too : and were it not for such awkward customers the Ctutha Leader's laudation, of Mr. Cork's stock would be quite in place. But the writer in that paper, tike many other newspaper men. is equal to an emergency nr two.. We trill not tay ourselves open to the charge of being jealous of our brother ot Ctutha. and wilt, therefore, candidly confess that it has made a clever attempt in the following paragraph to throw dust, in the eyes of its readers, and give Mr. Cr.ARK an overweening opinion, of hims.df and his animals.. This is what the Leader says :—'' At tast Ctutha Show Mr. Cf, irk secured 3i> points—that is calculating a first prize three points, second prize two points,, and third prize one point. As a contrast to this it may be mentioned that at the tate Oamant Show Mr.. MP.stove and Messrs. FteattS*; and If Etas? contended for the cup awarded to: the largest 1 prize-taker. It was secured by the former with only 3t points., the tatter only scoring 1H points. These- were the targest prixe-takers in drartght stock at the (Qtotnant Show." This is the first occasion on which we have been treated to such toyie. At the tate Oamant Show and Messrs. FtKVttJJii and UKf>t.F.T waty scored 3't and t* points respectively. We wwtnter what would bave been the scorr of Mr.. CtARK had his animals been fonnd En the same yard with those of Mr. Mkslovf. and Messrs. Ftewtsn- and HF.K.EY. It is impossible to ! imagine, becattse Mr. Clark had not the temerity to enter the arena with these gentlemen at Oamaru. He might have scored ten. or even fifteen, points h;ul h*> done s« : Intt we nvttsf confess tf'uat wo prefer the ordinary method of judging of the respective merits of animals to that which has been adopted by the Ctutha Leader. Clark might have been king at the Dtmedtn .Sttow, brtt had he been at the Oamarrt Show he wonld have volnntarity let the sceptre fall from his hands.. His "•*'<• points wontd not have euabtert hinv to hotd the citadel against the forces of Oamant.. Onty.-mptriiot merit wowhl do that, and that t.writ canonly be gangett »n the spot, ft wonht avail Mr. Puwt nothing to bring frotn Dun«din a repntation whtcli, althottgh great in comparison to- that of his "Dunedin opponents, wettld be insignificant in Oamaru-. Ctrtuvitß was a giant in I**l- - tipxrt. bat he- waa a pigm-y in Brobdignag. : Th«» »wif« needs n» explanation—its 'meaning wffl fee apparent. Again, the Leader says :—" Miss Watt," 3 years oM, bred by Mr. JottJf W*rt. Inch Clntha. Primus: First at Ctrttha as a yearling: first at Tofcomairir*> as a two-year-old : and second at Clntha in same class. At the late- Dunedim Show she was commended in the three-year-old class, it having been a tosa-wp between her and Mr. Menleve's two* hundred gainea mare. Sj%tj Wits awarded first prize as a three-year-old at both the Tokoniatrirvj and Clntha Shows." Here again we should institute a comparison in order to afford some idea of the merit of Mr. C'tAfcßS '"Miss Watt." We loam fron» the Leader that she was commended in the thrce-year-oW class, it having been a toss-ttp between her and Mr. Mesiove'r two huttdred gainca mare. Wnllsi we acknowledge that this is Q*t bad for Donedin, we, for the parpwse* pf comDariroost not emit to mention tha| the Clwtha Lead«r t* in error, and that Mir; MMStovv did not send his

two hundred guinea mare which he parchased from Mr. Bate to Dunedin, bat a fourhundxedond fifty guinea animal, named the Countess. TTe can imagine how the writer in the Leader will regret that he was not aware of this fact, that he might Have been able to crow louder for Mr. QtMfK, But we think that there is no rujeeaaity for thrit gqniianan to wait far tho crowing of bis champion, and that he might reasonably take to himself additional credit for having necessitated a toss up amongst the judges at the Dunedin Show as to whether his animal or a 450 guinea —and not a 200 guinea one—possessed the most merit, the 200 guinea mare mentioned by our contemporary having been in clover in the vicinity of Windsor Park, oblivious of the terrible te3t to which one of her companions was being subjected in Dunedin. What we cannot understand i* the omission of southern breeders of horse stock to send exhibits t>» the shows of the North Gtago Agricultural and Pastoral Society. That Society floes not offer chests of tea and boxes of soap for competition, as they do in the .South—but thirty guinea cups. It cannot he satisfactory to a gentleman like Mr. Clark to be celebrated as a breeder of stock only in the estimation of the writer in the Leader. He would surely desire something more tangible, more permanent, and more profitable. Mr. Clark has taken honors in Dunedin. He has now only to do the same in Oamaru, and he will be included amongst the successful stock-breeders of the Colony.