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South Canterbury Times, Issue 2376, 28 October 1880, Page 2

Thk fifteenth Show of tiie Tirnam A. and P. Association being now a thing of the past a little criticism may be indulged in without the risk of interfering with the prosperity of the institution. The Show was i i many respects a success, the exhibits were tolerably numerous, and in quality they were a credit to the district, and the attendance on the grounds was not unsatisfactory. But it must have occurred to the casual observer, that prosperous as the exhibition was, there is plenty of room for improvement, and that a change of policy on the part of the management would probably devclope results far more gratifying than anything that has j'et been attained. A glance at the Association’s catalogue convinces us that the pastoral element is allowed completely to overshadow the agricultural. We are not finding fault with the amount of the prizes offered for sheep, but we think that the disparity between the amount of money voted for station stock and the small awards held out as an inducement for strictly agricultural exhibits is far too great. Another objectionable feature arises from the entrance fees being fixed at a rate that that must necessarily discourage competition. Exhibitors now-a-days look for something more than the mere empty honor of carrying off a prize. They are entitled at the least to an award, which, in case they are successful. will cover the actual cost of conveying their exhibits to and from the show yards. As an example we may instance horses, for which an entrance of £1 is required from non-members, while the first and second prizes are only £2 and £1 respectively. Under an}" circumstances the exhibitor, unless he resides alongside of the yards, must be a loser. It is too much to expect that owners of valuable horses will care to risk £1 in addition to the expense and trouble involved, for the purpose of gaining back their entrance money or, at most, £1 added. The amount, at best, is not sufficient to defray grooraage fees. Then as regards pigs, exhibitors are required to stake 10s, with the chance of getting 30s if they secure a first prize. In the case of poultry, the prizes are far too poor to induce much competition, and the same remark will apply to dogs, dairy produce, &e., down to the bottom of the list. "We believe that if handsome awards were offered the exhibition of dogs and poultry would become special features in connection with the show, rendering it far more attractive than it has hitherto been, inducing keen competition, and adding materially to the Association’s funds? The fact that South Canterbury is quite as much a fanning or agricultural district, as it is a grazing district, will,we hope, induce the committee in future to display a little more enterprise and liberality in arranging their prize lists. Wo have no wish to disparage the importance of pastoral exhibits, but we think the animal show might be very much popularised and improved if the agricultural department received a little more attention and encouragement than it has hitherto realised.