DISTRICT LAMBS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 November 1938, Page 6

DISTRICT LAMBS

MEAT PRODUCERS’ BOARD COMPETITION JUDGING ON THE HOOKS. QUALITY BETTER THAN LAST YEAR’S. The judging on the hooks of. the entries in the Wairarapa district lamb competition, organised by the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board, took place at . the Waingawa Freezing Works yesterday afternoon, in the presence of a large gathering of district farmers and others.

During the luncheon adjournment, Mr J. Fisher, president of the Wairarapa P. and A. Society, congratulated the exhibitors on the excellence of their exhibits. He also thanked Messrs T. Borthwick and Sons for thenhospitality and the judges for their good work. A vote of thanks to Messrs T. Borthwick and Sons was carried by acclamation.

Mr P. J. Borthwick said: “The only thing wrong today is that there are not enough people here. Next year try to persuade your friends to come along. New Zealand breeders do not realise what a wonderful advertisement this competition is for New Zealand lambs. This is one of the best advertisements that the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board puts on. Not only does the trade see the exhibits, but later on the public also. We must take off our hats to the board for what it is doing.” The result of Mr W. Drysdale’s judging on the hooks was as follows: —Pen No. 22, Wairarapa Training Farm, East Taratahi, 1; Pen No. 18, P. R. Welch, Upper Plain, 2; Pen No. 17, P. R. Welch, 3; Pen No. 12, McKenzie Estate, Pigeon Bush, 4. In 1931 and 1932 Mr Welch won the first prize for the best individual pen in the competition when judged at Home.

The fifteen pens selected to represent the Wairarapa in the district display at Home were as follow: —T. Moorcock, Carrington; R. R. Tilson, Grey town; C. Campbell and Son, Clareville; Mrs L. E. Barton, Featherston; S. Campbell, Clareville; McKenzie Estate, Pigeon Bush; P. R. Welch, Upper Plain; P. R. Welch, Upper Plain; Sir W. Perry, Penrose; Wairarapa Training Farm, East Taratahi; Wairarapa Training Farm, East Taratahi; McKenzie Estate; P. H. Nathan, Upper Plain; Cooper Bros., Gladstone; N. McKay and Sons, Gladstone. Commenting on the lambs on the hooks, Mr Drysdale said: “I am more than satisfied with the quality of the entries which, on point of view of numbers, were most gratifying. The qualify was well ahead of last year. I am quite satisfied that the final fifteen pens will be well up to last year s standard and will make a good showing in London. The exhibition is the best I have seen this season. In the whole of my experience I have never seen three more perfect lambs than the first prize winners. They are small boned; full of meat, short legs, beautiful conformation and no waste. If the Wairarapa could produce all its lambs like that nothing in the world could beat it. The Wairarapa certainly produced the goods this year and I hope that the district will again distinguish itself at Home. Your breeders deserve success because you produce the stuff. I have tried to do my best to please everyone, but I have also got to please the people at Home. And sometimes it is necessary to be cruel to be kind.” Mr Drysdale said it was a privilege to judge such .a magnificent show of lambs. He said he had never seen a more consistently uniform exhibition anywhere in New Zealand. It was a wonderful tribute to those breeders who had gone to the expense of importing stock to improve their flocks. There was no doubt that our sheep were getting far too high in the leg. It was necessary to cut off an inch or two.

The entries were as follow (Y.F. signifies member of Young Farmers’ Club):—Thos. Moorcock, Carrington (2 pens); R. R. Tilson, Papawai, Greytown (2 pens); C. Campbell and Son, Clareville (2 pens); Papawai and Kaikokirikiri Trust, Greytown (2 pens); Mrs L. E. Barton, Featherston (2 pens); Stewart Campbell, Clareville; McKenzie Estate, Pigeon Bush (2 pens); J. F. Sadler, Clareville; Meat Export Co., Waingawa; P. R. Welch, Upper Plain (2 pens); Sir Wm. Perry, Penrose; W. A. C. Perry, Penrose (Y.F.); Wairarapa Training Farm, East Taratahi (2 pens); G. Blatchford, Homebush (Y.F.), (2 pens); H. Evans, Upper Plain (2 pens), p_. H. Nathan, Upper Plain (2 pens); D. McGregor, Wangaehu (Y.F.); Jas. McGregor, Wangaehu; Pat Borthwick, Masterton (2 pens); Cooper Bros., Gladstone (2 pens); J. G. Mitchell, Gladstone (2 pens); R. N. Clarke, Matahiwi (2 pens);. G. F. Candy, Masterton; C. Holmwood. Mount Bruce; John Laing, Upper Plain; O. Wyeth, Kaituna; W. James, Upper Plain; Estate R. Cooper, Gladstone (2 pens); N. McKav and Sons, Gladstone (2 pens), Stewart. Campbell, Clareville; Meat Export Co. __