BANKS PENINSULA EXHIBITION.

Press, Volume XIX, Issue 2705, 1 January 1872, Page 3

BANKS PENINSULA EXHIBITION.

The Banks Peninsula Agricultural and Pastoral Association held its annual show on Friday last, the 29th ultimo, at DuvauchelU's Bay. The attendance was very good, being fully up to that of last year. We have bo doubt, however, it would have been considerably larger were it not that the Elleemere show was held the day previous, this preventing maay, who would otherwise haie been present, from attending. We shouU like to throw soat a hint to the variois associations as to the necessity of so timin* their chows ac not to interfere with ona another. This we should imagine could bj done without great difficulty, and, moreover as we heard remarked by several, if thj Christchurch Exhibition took place % a later period of the year, s» as to allow the various district showi to take place beforehand, we think it wouU be a step in the right direction. We make the above remarks for the consideration oi the various associations, believing, if they were practicable to be carried out, ther would result in advantage to all conneotei with the breeding and rearing of stock. D, instead of being bo many isolated bodiet, each working for its own particular districf, they all agreed to work in unison for tife common welfare,;: more practicable good would be atttaioed. Regarding the shov more immediately under consideration, k was on the -whole a success. The day w* remarkably fine for the occasion, and the arrangements of tte committee very gooc. We think, however, that the catalogue migljfe be very much fullerin the description of thfe $tock, and perhaps Ijetter arranged. Wβ a&

awaje, however; that inthis turin all matters,' requiring communication with town there musj.begreat allowances made, wht rathe distance is great aud the communication so diffi&ilt. On the whole the committee did their,work well, and we must congratulate thenion the result achieved. In one or two of tie exhibits —more particularly in the cattle —there was a marked increase over last year. This would have been still more marked were it not for the difficulty of moving stock over fhe hilly roads of the Peninsula ; and until that is remedied—and we think some consideration should be giveu by the Provincial Council to the peculiar natureof their case—we can hardly expect to see any very gTeat improvement in the number of the stock exhibited. Breeders will not go the risk of sending valuable stock for exhibition in the state in which many of the roads leading from the various Bays are. We do not intend to make many detailed remarks on the varions classes, but we would particularly wish to impress upon the farmers of the Peninsula the importance of the chairman's remarks at the dinner, regarding the necessity of improving their stock. As a rule the quality of the exhibits was much inferior to that shown at the Christchurch Exhibition, but there is no reason why this should be the case much longer. The Peninsula will enjoy many facilities—when the country is once opened up by roads, &c. —which other parts of the prorince cannot have, and it therefore behoves the inhabitants to take advantage of them. Theshowof sheep was remarkably good as far as quality was concerned, but as regards the number exhibited we were much disappointed. The show of cattle was, as might be expected, the best on the ground, and in one or two instances would do credit to the Christchurch show. On the other hand thffe were one or two very indifferent entries, but the exhibitors deserve credit for coming forward at all, when so many who, with a little trouble, might have done the same held, aloof. The show of horses was not so goou as we expected to see. Mr Inman's Malton caiae too late on to the ground, and though doubtless a superior animal to Mr Brough's Shamrock, was thereby disqualified. The entries for dairy produce were very few considering the position the Peninsula has allalong held in this. The following is the prize list:— SHEEP. (Judges—Messrs. Page, Matson, and Gebbie.) LEICESTER BHEED. Class 1. Earn above eighteen months old. Naentry. Class 2. Earn under eighteen months old. No en try. Class 3. Three Ewes, any age. No entry. Class 4. Five Fat Wethers (shorn). Two entries. Ist prize, H. Piper & Co. ME.BINO BREED. Class 5. Earn above eighteen months old. No entry. Class 6. Ram under eighteen months old. No eutry. Class 7. Three Ewes, any age. No entry. Class 8. Five Fat Wethers (shorn). No entry. LINCOLN BREED. Class 9. Bam above eighteen months old. No entry. Class 10. Ram under eighteen months old. No entry. Class 11. Three Ewes, any age. No entry. Class 12. Three Ewes, any age or breed. No entry. Class 13. Five Fat Lambs, of any breed. Tivo entries. Ist prize, B. Shadbolt; 2nd, H. Piper and Co.