DROP IN ENTRIES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 18, 1 November 1938, Page 7

DROP IN ENTRIES

SHEEP, CATTLE AND HORSES. DECLINE OVER THREE YEARS. ALL EXHIBITS! TOTAL '2450. Though it is not to lie expected that a. show such as that at Ashburton can go on year after year increasing its total of entries, it is surprising to find that in the last three years tjiere has been a steady and large decrease in the number of animals exhibited at Ashburton.

The decline is beginning to show a big drop when the show totals over a number of years are compared. Granted that a special effort was made for the Diamond Jubilee Show of 1936 there is a big difference in the numbers of entries in the three main sections since then. In 1936 sheep numbered 479, last year they were 408 and this year they have fallen to 353.

Cattle entries in 1936 were 134, a handsome total, hut they went back slightly last year to 131, while this year sees only 75 in the catalogue. When it comes to horses, there are a number of things that might account for the drop, not the least important being the extent to which farms are being mechanised. For the Jubilee Show there were 479 horses of all kinds. This total fell to 320 last year, and for this Week’s fixture there are only 28/. As lias been said, the show cannot be expected to go on creating records, but the declines indicated need some explanation.

The Need for Showing Is it that owners and breeders, realising that! they are able to sell good lines of animals much more easily to-day than, was formerly the case, consider there is not the same need to show their stock for publicity purposes? If this, is so, it should be borne in mind that it is held in business that it pays to advertise, and nowhere should it apply with more force than with the man who breeds good stock and wishes to dispose of it at remunerative prices. Some breeders may feel that their success in the past has given them all the boost they require ; they are reaping the benefits now, but bow long can they rest on their laurels? Take any of the nationally advertised lines. They are selling by the tens of thousands, but bow long would those big sales last if the advertising ceased? The answer is verv simple: Not very long. The principle in regard to stock is the same. If the successful men cease to show in the rings at the annual exhibitions.) it means the wav will be left open to the showing of the poorer classes of stuff, which, will come to be looked on as the standard for the district. It is casv to guess the result. Buvers, believing, reasonably, that the show l ing holds the best stock of a. district, would soon be turned off that district in their search, and a bad advertisement travels faster and has much more effect than a good one. Other entries at the show reveal little variation on former years. The pig and dog sections are about the same as last year, and flu* general exhibits oxeeed

those of 1937 by 77. Details of the exhibits for three veais are: — 1938. 1937. 1936. Sheep 3.13 408 479 Cattle "5 131 134 Horses 287 . 320 479 Pigs 13 13 18 Dogs 29 29 46 ' General •• 1691 1614 1704 Total 24502515 2860