The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 1918. THE AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL SHOW.

Taihape Daily Times, 1 March 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 1918. THE AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL SHOW.

(With which is Incorporated The Taj hape Post and Waiisarino News).

The Taihape district may well be congratulated en the success of this year's Agricultural and Pastoral Show, for it was an exhibition that was approaching something worthy of the men on the land in this Highly'productive- and rich territory.' A gratifying feature was that iocai breeders of stock Set the ideal'so higii chat those from'other districts have at last realised that only the very best types of sheep and cattle can have any chance of winning prizes. This year's show was one of quantity, but it was also one of the highest quality. Men who judged . sheep and cattle were very profuse with their praise of exhibits, and it is such remarks that these men will make about the Taihape show wherever they go that will do. so much, towards putting up the value of every acre of - land and all sheep and. cattle running thereon. 1 This .district's great annual fixture is beginning to be regarded as its only real advertisement of what the men living and producing in it have to sell. If a fame for best quality is established at these shows that fame will very soon spread to districts far away. In fact, there are breeders in the North Island who are already coming here for an annual supply of rams. There are breeders here who remember the show enthusiasm of thirty years ago; the great controversy over the correct and best type of Romney sheep; how Mr. A. Matthews, of the Wairarapa, attended shows, exhibiting and advocating what he considered the true and best type of animal; they have seen crowds of interested breeders around sheep pens at Jhe Carterton show while Mr. Matthews has been advocating by voice and action what he considered imperative if best results were fo be obtained, and it is largely owing"* to such displays of interest and enthusiasm in those earlier days of breeding that this country now possesses thousands of Romneys that will readily fetch prices running into hundreds of guineas. The hundred guinea sheep oats no more than the ten-shilling one, and it is the annual show that helps materially in the evolution of the hundred guinea kind. The one great fault of the Taihape Show is that sufficient time after judging exhibits is not given for comparison and deliberation. The time has arrived in the development of this district's resources when a two-days' show has become essential to best results and further progress. After priZe tickets were affixed on Wednesday there was neither the time or opportunity for visitors to satisfy themselves, or to be satisfied respecting th e advantages of breeding with the types of animals that were successful. Very many only just visited the show pens and remarked, "Oh, So-and-So got first prize." Points were not discussed ai they undoubtedly would have been had there been a quiet morning on a second day. One only need attend the ram fair following the show to see what happens from the want of such discussions, comparisons and educa-

tion as the morning of the second day

of a show gives. Men have been accustomed to whatever has come along in the form of a sheep; they have not the type of the money-mak-ing animal mentally stored away, and they, are led to purchase by a little clever talk what the man who has a good showpen education would not take as a gift. Every farmer should know and realise that this produces animals that are only fit to gamble with at various saleyards. Weeds and wasters are not good for either the.farmer or the country, and this is amply proved in the fact that one breeder will make three times the money off one thousand sheep than another can, with average conditions, make off three thousand. If a penny on every pound of wool produced increases the Dominion's wool cheque by a million pounds, what would the wool cheque be increased by if sheep were so bred as to produce averagely one pound of wool per animal more? This also applies to freezing sheep; the Dominion wants fewer rejects, fewer scraggy fleeeea animals, better constitutioned, better framed, less of the stilty kind, and we are convinced that the show ground is the great medium for the improvement needed. If more time were given, more breeders would come to Taihape, and Ave might then hope to see similar discussions to those witnessed at shows of earlier days. No more convincing evidence in favour of a twodays' show can be tendered than the lateness of the hour at which judging was completed on Wednesday night. It is correct to say that thousands' of people left the show ground without seeing many events judged. We arc too much inclined to regard our show as an excuse for a holiday, while it should be looked upon and used as a business adjunct to the country's production that is of extreme importance and value. It is evident, at least, that judging cannot now be completed In time to allow people to see what they pay admission for. That is an aspect that will appeal to everyone, but the point we would stress is that £he one day show does not allow time for those discussions and comparisons by breeders and farmers at the show pens, which are essential to attaining the real aims and objects for which such shows were instituted. It is obvious that the time, of the oneday backblock show has gone by; Taihape breeders of high-class stock have become so numerous and experienced that they can invite competition from outside;' they can enter outside arenas, and emerge with highest honours. They ar e now compelled in their, efforts to gain the place in the sheep world to which they are fully entitled, to take "their samples into two-day show districts; why not invite outsiders to compete in Taihape? What we have to sell must be boomed; we are not ashamed of IT, nor do we fear the keenest competition. It is demonstrated that we have an increasing number of stud sheep breeders, and a greater volume of exhibits would rapidly result from a time of display that enabled our wares to be effectively offered. The few hours the animals are on exhibition after judging is completed is altogether inadequate for such observations to be made from which good business results. The Rangitikei Agricultural and Pastoral Association has reached a crucial stage in its life and progress that cannot be denied. There are some farmers who will say two days cannot be spared. May we reply that those farmers are something like the draper who has many thousands of pounds worth of stock, and says he hasn't time to let people know that h e has it. Every man on the land benefits by an increased value of products; the land itself becomes more valuable. Time cannot be better employed than hr lifting all values, because the betterment could not be temporary. Once the producing value of land is established there is no going back; the demand for it grows as population increases. The annual agricultural and pastoral show is the one great day of publicity for farmers' and pastoralists' sheep, cattle and other products, when they qnter into competition with products from other districts. The value of such shows has been proved and demonstrated for half a century. In Taihape we cannot get full value out of a one day show and we believe that leading breeders have how realised this and that next year a new era fn farming will be entered upon, signalled by the institution of a two-days' Show*