SHOW STOCK. [Canterbury Times.)

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1295, 16 October 1880, Page 2

SHOW STOCK. [Canterbury Times.)

In the show grounds of the " old country " cases of doctoring and show yard dodges are far from being uncommon. If we are to believe statements in some of the Home papers this manipulation of the animals exhibited has been carried to the extent of false horns and tails, artificial hair, and compreSfing the udders of milking cows in fashionable shape by means of boxes. These are, of course, among the more glaring instances of " doctoring," but are nevertheless only petty cases of dishonesty in comparison with the offence of falsifying or fabricating pedigrees. Most people who take any interest in stud shorthorns are well acquainted with the facts of the case of false pedigree at the shorthorn show of the Birmingham Agricultural Society, It is gratifying, and also, reassuring, to know that the culprit was brought to book and severely punished, so that offences of a similar nature will be exceedingly scarce in the future. Dishonesty in pedigree strikes at the foundation of all good breeding. In the getting up of stock for the show yard, however, it is not always an easy matter to draw the line between fairness and unfairness. There can of course be no doubt as to which heading such purely artificial improvements as false horns and tails should be placed under. Altering the lines of a sheep by unfair shearing, and the compression of cows udders, or tufts of false h:iir attached to the fetlocks of Clydesdale horses, are measures of an equally questionable character. No honest man would dream of having recouroe to any of these dodges, but then is not every exhibitor justified in using what may be termed all natural and legitimate means for bringing his stock out to the best advantage. Anyone who has been in the habit of attending shows, must have heard the remark times out of number, round the pens and yards, that if a certain exhibit had been in condition, it would have taken first place in its class, and implying that the judges had been misled, or had allowed themselves to be over-iufluenced by mere superficial bloom. High condition covers mauy defects, and to any but critical eyes imparts n. misleading air of quality, but if high feeding covers defects, low condition is apt to exaggerate them, and it is scarcely to be expected of any exhibitor, that ho should bring out the faults of his stock in the strongest light. And more than thw, whatever may be the intrinsic qualities of an exhibit, low condition, which implies inatt°ntiou and carelessness, shonld tell against its chance of taking honours. If one exhibitor brings out his stock in good order, and another exhibitor shows his in poor and rough condition, then the former should have at least one point in his favour in the consideration of the judges, unless perhaps, in the latter case the stock had recer.tly come a long jouruey, or sea voyage. Low condition is not an intrinsic defect, but a long continuation of low feeding and want of proper attention has the ultimate effect of depreciating the character of the stock, and should therefore be discouraged on the show ground. With ragard to over-feeding, which has been classed among the inadmissable artifices of exhibitors, we shonld say that no breeder who really understands his business would make this mistake. Masses of fatty tissue are no improvement to an animal in any respect in the opinion of a ppeftator of correct eye and judgement. In this Colony it is not usu.il for societies to make any stipulations as to gra»s or artificially fed stock. In this respect exhibitors are generally allowed full latitude. The breadth of natural grasses in New Zealand ia .slowly diminishing before the .spread of cultivation that grass feeding, as the term is understood in some of the neighbouring colonies, is not an important desideratum. Most of our beef and mutton Is produced on cultivated food, and in the future the bulk of our wool will also be derived irom artificial pastures and turuip fields. In Australia, with its comparatively small extent of cultivated grasses an<l great scope of natural pasture, it is often a matter of grave consideration and debate as to whether a sheep has been entirely grass fed or not. We are acquainted with one noted Australian sheep-breeder who confines his stud flock entirely to native pastme, ami will not admit of artificial food in any shape. His rams are always in good demand for station flocks, and are well represented in this colony, but his exhibits have of late years often been beaten on the show ground by sheep originally derived from the same stock, but fed up artificially. The reaso)i given by this breeder for confining his sheep exclusively to native grass is that he intends them for practical use, and not for fancy purposes. He holds that if a ram artificially fed is removed to a part of the country where only natural food exists, and put to a station flook of ewes, the circumstances are so differeut that it is a matter of doubt as to how the progeny will turn out, whether the arti ficial feeding of the sire will not render the stock unsuited to the natural conditions under which they exist. But probably he is not supported in this by many stock owners or breeder?. It will be pretty generally conceded that whatever class of country the stock may be intended for there is nothing to be gained by restricting the sires to the same character of food on which the progeny will be compelled to subsist. A sire, if well kept will be all the more likely to impart a vigorous constitution to his descendants, just in the same way as a plant springing from a well filled seed will, other things beinur equal, b6 stronger and more flourishing than one derived from a grain or seed in which there if a deficiency of those substances required in the earlier process of vegetation. Nevertheless it should not be forgotten that stock are highly susceptible to exterior influences and what may be only an accident or a custom at first, acquires, in the course of time, the force of a hereditary quality.

Putting Hl3 Foot In it. — A f air young mother with a crying baby in her arms sat in a Silver City stage coach, says a Nevada paper. On the opposite seat was a well known politician of engaging manners. By and by he said: "Let me hold your baby. Perhaps I can soothe him." " Oh, no ; I'm much obliged ; you couldn't help me any," was the answer, "But " he persisted, " you had better let me try." ♦Tou are very kind," said the lady at last, " but I know you could not help me ; for he is hungry." A light seemed to dawn on the politician's, mind, and he abruptly broke of? the, conversation.