FIRST DAY—THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11th.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9882, 12 November 1897, Page 5

FIRST DAY— THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11th.

The judging of the exhibits at the Metropolitan Show commenced yesterday, when there was a very oxcellaht attendance, considering that there waa not the attraction of the large crowd which no doubt to-day will throng the grounds of the Association, and gladden the heart of the Secretary. The weather was somewhat a sou'wester making the dost tiy, though the Association had taken care to have the various roads, &0., passiug through the grounds well watered.

The judges set to work with a will, and all the classes were well forward, enabling the judging to be concluded in most of the classes pretty early in the afternoon. The W.C.T.U. had their luncheon booth, where a very excellent lunch, with "the cup which cheers but does not inebriate" was dispensed by a number of ladies. The booth was fairly well patronised during the day. Mr Edwards has a large tea booth between the Secretary's office and the grand stand.

Though there is a slight falling off in the total number of New Zealand manufactures exhibited the produce shod oontains some very interesting exhibits, and no doubt it will, as usual, be one of the moat attractive portions of the show to-day, ty is gratifying to notice that the response of the exhibitors in the matter of entries to the efforts made by the Committee to establish a new class for tradesmen's horses and traps was a very libeial one, no less than twenty entries being made. A novelty on the ground was the very effective vamping apparatus for the piano invented by Mr R*. Thompson, of Milner and Thompson. Above the din and whirr of the machinery was to be heard the dulcet strains of " Love's Serenade," V Paradise Alley," and other popular ditties. i.'he comparison of tue entries for this year and last are as under ;— i 1896 1897 Sheep .. „ .... 511 626 Cattle .. „ ~ : .. 219 133 Horses .. .. „ .. 310 205 Pige ; .. « 42 Sheep Doge .. .. ..IS 11 Pairy Produce .. .. .. 109 103 Cured and Preserved Keats ..37 55 Seeds .. .. .. , .. 17 16 New Zealand Manufactures and Produce.. .. .. „ » 15 Carriage* .. .. .. ..52 60 Implement* w M „ 485 600 Teata „ „ „ -23 28 Grand Totals - .. 1885 ■ 1775 The entries in the different olasses of sheep, cattle, and horses are as follows ;— : SBBir. 1896. 1897. Merinos .. .. „ », 66 68 English Leicenters',, M .187 • 164 Border Leicester* «. ~ M 36 32 JLancolne .. .. .. ..65 86 Homney Marsh .. .. *. 29 82 Southdowns .. .. ..35 44 Shropshire Downs .. „ •» -71 65 Inbred haU-breds ~ .. „ 10 9 Crossbreds.. „ ..... 9 5 WensleyUales .. ~ .. 3 2 Fat sheep .. .. .. .63 70 For private prizes .. . «c .. — 72 Totals .. «. .. .. 11l "626 OATTLB. Shorthorns.. *. .. ..69 65 Herefords « m .. — 1 Polled Angus .. .. M 7 3 Highland Uattle . ... «, „ 4 — Alderney or Jeisey .. .. .. 16 17 Ayrshire .. „ .. ..57 7 Milking Cetde .. .. .. 14 7 Fat Cattle .. „ ..52 35 Totals. ~ „ .. .."219 133 . HOBBB9. .„ i Dnuahts ~51 49 Blood ..IS 6 Hackneys .. .. .. .. 48 25 liuulera .. .. .. ..27 23 Carriage .. .. .. ..78 31 tloba and Ponies .. .. ..85 42 Trotting .. •• .. ~10 6 Tradesmen's Horses and Traps .. — 80 Totals .. .- .. •• "So 205 Should thb weather-prove fine will no doubt be a large attendance of visitors. The Christchurch Tramway Company have made arrangements for frequent trams, and this, with the facilities afforded for getting to the show grounds by rail, drags and 'bus, will enable those desirous of seeing our bucolic festival of the year to do 80 quickly. His Excellency and Lady Ranfnrly and suite will visit the grounds to-day, and will be the guests of the Association at luncheon. They will be met by the Reception Committee and conducted round the ground. As will be seen elsewhere the Premier will net be present on the occasion of the show owing to the present state of matters in Wellington, but the Hon. W. C. Walker has been deputed to represent the Ministry on the occasion. Probably the same cause which prevents the Premier from coming down will also stop many of the members of both Houses who ordinarily put in an appearance at the show. Appended are remarks, on the various classes :— SHEEP. It is apparent that the colony and the district which the Metropolitan Show covers has not reached the limit of sheep production. Though it is a fact that a few years ago oheep freezing for export was unknown in the country, in the year 18961,505,969 sheep and 792,037 lambs were exported out of a total of 19,138,493 sheep, according to the returns for last year, of which number more than half, namely, 10,006,757 were in the South Island, and 4,301,300 in the Canterbury province. The colonial production of wool was 132,299,607 ft, and sheepskins 3,230,539 in number for the same period. The home consumption of mutton is 2.25 cheep per inhabitant. The return in cash for wool exported was £4,391,848, tallow and Skins £373,014, meat £1,327,654, therefore it can be easily understood that the cheep department forms » strong feature of the main show of the colony. The industries ivhioh are brought into existence through the golden fleece and the meaty sheep which our country produces are legion, and we cannot help thinking that a show like that of yesterday opens up a subject in which every colonist is directly interested in an immediately pecuniary manner. While we nota a diminution in the entries of short wools, the larger framed and longer woolled breeds more than made up a magnificent display. One class of Leicester ram hoggets was euoh, by reason of its size and importance, as to claim the attention of the judges for two and a half hours, and in respect of the English Leicester section we must suggest that where the entry is again so large the sets of prizes might either divide the male and female sheep, or the older and younger classes of sheep* and so facilitate the work of judging, and enable the prize fcickete to be put up within the afternoon of the first day. Very grand indeed were the exhibitions of South and Shropshire Down sheep, end competent critics pronounce the fat sheep sections as one of the grandest they have ewr aeen, MERIKOS. Against sixty-six in the fine combing section last year there were forty-two exhibits this, and while the Napier cheep were very good, the rest were not so well brought out. The award to ram above thirty months went to Mr F. H. Smith, Mona Vale, for an exhibit bred by exhibitor, with good frame bearing heavy dense wool; the second being placed to the credit of Mr J. Anderson, of Hawke's Bay, which was only failing in the point of wool, and his very highly commended sheep wae a fairly good one. Rokeby Estate and Mr C. Ensor were the other competitors in this class with serviceable exhibits. The best ram above eighteen and under thirty months was a very superior type of merino, bred by Mr J. Anderson, and to which was also awarded the silver medal; Rokeby Estate taking second with one of its two entries, Mr Ensor's three exhibits slightly goffering by comparison in the condition of the wool, which had been affected by weather exposure. Six entries were examined in ram hoggets under eighteen jnonths, all of which were not up to top condition, bat the first and second prizes were secured by Mr Ensor. Iα a new class for two ram hoggets of the asrne age Rokeby estate, won with two fine sheep, one of Mr Knaor'e very highly commended and Mr Smith's pen was ticketleee. There waaaa entry of ten flock rama, but the sheep were t npt j>reeent#i. Jfor •*«• above «£jbt*c D

months with lam'os Mr Ensor's exhibits-falls deserved first and second; the first being, however, an oid sheep, but they were more attractive than Mr Smith's pens. There were seven ewes above eighteen and under thirty montlis, and KawKe's Bay entry came in for medal, first, and second prizes, for very fine examples of the fine merino type, Mr Smith securing third place. A quartette of single ewes, under eighteen months, gave all ia favour of the RoKeby Estate, which had two remarkably good hoggets. Mr Ensor gained the prizes to. his Mount Grey fl"ck ia olasses for throe ewee above eighteen months with lambs, as well as for three young ewes of an excellent character in respect of symmetry and staple of their wool. The strong combing classes wore meagrely represented in numbers but there waa top quality in the twenty-two oxhibits as compared with twenty-fiva last Show. Mr W Gardiner's exhibits, of tjood frame and superior staple and dense clothing, received the first and second awards and silver medal in classes tor rams over thirty months, under eighteen months, and in all oj the classes for old and young ewes Mr F. EL Smith took the honours, namely, medal and prito for ram between eighteen and thirty months. The New Zealand Alford Estate Company gained the award of the Chrietchuroh Meat Company, of ten guineas for beat ten pure bred merino ewes moat suitable for breeding half bred lambs, shown in their wool, with a highly meritorious line of sheep. ENGLISH LEIORSTKRS. This magnificent class of eh cop kept up the prestige which it has gained at the Metropolitan exhibition with an entry ol 169, an advance of forty-two on the 1896 Show. They formed a special teature, and were well brought out, as there was not an inferior animal in the whole. In class for rams above thirty months the entry waa twenty-one, or.eight ahead of last year, and the keenest competition was displayed. The class gave the judges much anxiety so well were the good points brought out. Finally it fell to the lot of Mr Donald Grant, of Temuka, to receive the firat prize and medal, and from that out this gentleman's luck in this section seemed to develop, foe not only did he take the first and second honours but in young rams and for two , rams he waa not to bo dented the premier Elace in the lists. P. a and P. 0. Throleld with Lyndhurst sheep wore third, very highly commended, highly commended, and commended, presenting some very supertax sheep. Messrs G. G. Russell, H. E. Peryman, James Little, J. M. Furze, F. 0. Murray, F. Wright, T. N. and W. Nixon were all in the competition with well selected stock. There were a score rams above eighteen months and under thirty months, showing au increase of five on 1896. Here, after Mc Grant had taken what he wanted, Mr Marcroft secured very highly commended, P. 0. Threlkeld, Inglewood stock, highly commended ; and R. Wright, Irwell, commended. It may be noted that Mr Little nnd Mr Grant divided the honours of the class on the previous occasion. The tug-of-war was fairly on when the judges, Messrs W. Hay and 0. Newton, faced the thirtytwo exhibits of ram hoggets, when it waa seen that an eight hours day with a spade or at the tail ot a plough was trifling with the labour and responsibility cast upon them. Having finally selected a very fine ram, the property of Mr W. B. Andrew, of Greenpirfc, tor the first ticket, Mr Grant's sheep came in for second and third, the firsb prize-taker adding very highly commended to bis Kst, Mr Furze's scoring highly commended and commended. Against these wae Messrs Russell's (imported sheep), James Little, 0. Withell, B. Wright, F. Wright, P. 0. and P. Ck Threlkeld, W. Nixon and Jonathan Brown, all with choice representatives of the class. The next class, for pairs of ram hoggets, gave but little breathing time, as there were fifteen awaited the verdict of the judges. Mr Grant had his turn served again with prizes, Mr F. Wright coming second, Canterbury Agricultural College third. For ten flock rams the contest waa keen, but Mr H. Overton's half score were not to be set aside, MrF. 0. Murray getting second and highly commended, there being a' long parley as to where Mr P. C. Threlkeld's should be placed. In the ewe Mr Grant held the trumps, taking first, second and third and silver medal to the credit of his Tenmka flock; Mr Withefl highly commended in a class of eighteen, equal to the same entry as at last show* There were twelve pens of three ewes, and Mr Grant having had his say, Mr Threlkeld wae awarded third place in a very cloaa contest. From sixteen single ewe hoggote Mr Grant was placed firab, Mr James LittU second and third with really nice sheep, Mj( Grout highly commended, and Mr Wright commended. If the judges bad large classes to begin with, they, had a stiff one of thirty ewe hoggets as a finish about 6 p.m. In this contest Mr Grant was first, second and third for a type which there was no ; beating ; Mr Nixon's received very highly commended and commended, and Mc F. Wright's highly commended, the re* mainirig exhibite being Messrs Buesell's imported stock, Sprim/bank Estate, J* Little, Withell, Furze, Threlkeld, Nixon, and W. B. Andrews. BORDER I/EIOE3TER9. Another great advance in large-framei sheep was seen ia the Border Leicester section, which rose from thirty-six for 1896 to the cheering ontry of 118. The rams, about thirty months, formed a grand class,. and Mr John Little, of Montserrat, wee able to carry off the first and second prizes with silver medal and the President's prize for the beet ram of his kind in the yard. His exhibits were bred at Montserrat, from Kelso, bred at the Agricultural College form, presenting both frame and good character Mr J. B. Waring claimed th» highly commended and Little Bros, commended tiokets in that class. For rams above eighteen and under thirty months Mr J. S. Holmes takes the first and second prize for very choice cheep bred by ex» hibltor. There were five rams shown under, eighteen months, and Little Bro3. was able to take bc'th the principal prizes, Mr J. S. Holmea's exhibit highly commended, Ws John Little's cheep commended. Xβ the newly added class for two rams Mx Holmes was a good first, although the Canterbury Agricultural College ran up second and Little Bros, ware able to obtain highly commended and com' mended tickets. Mr W. Boag's ten (Joels rams, which were greatly admired for theii evenness and quality, came in for first prize. In ewes above eighteen months with' Uurbe, Little Bros.' Border Queen, bred by exhibi» tors, gained .first and silver medal, Mr Joan Little second, Mr W. Boag highly com. mended for a sheep bred by Mr Twentynuuij of Hockrigg, Scotland; Mr Holxneu com* mended. In classes for three ewee above eighteen months, three ewes and one owe under that age, Mr John Little's exhibits were not to oe denied the three principal prizes, and that gentleman lias certainly caoae to remember his good fortune at the show of 1897. Mr J. S. Holmes secured second place for three ewes; and highly commended for single ewes in this section, UKCOMTB. A strong feature of the Lincoln elassei' was the beautiful symmetry of the eheop presented to the judges and the abundance and sound quality of the fteefceg. In a section of eighty-six strong, compared Wit* sixty-five last year, the N Z. and A..Land Company, Moeraki Estate, was able to gather in both the silver medals for ram and ewe exhibits, aa well as a whole sheaf of the prizes, with very large framed aaimalSf whose constitution coiua not be gainsaid, and the wool of which wae lustrous ana long. In the olass of twelve rame, next te the Company came Mr John Reid for a third, Mr J. S. Holmes very highly commended and commended, Mr C. Withell highly commended, the exhibitors beaten off by sheer merit on email points being Messrs J. B. Button, T. N. Digby and G. Sutton. In the twenty-one rams above eighteen ana under thirty months, after the Company had taken the main prize with magnificent ex« hibits, Mr Holmes took third and commended, Mr John Reid for one of bia two pens highly , commended, ana Mr J. B. Sutton vary highly commended, this being a very heavily fieeced sheep. Mr F. Safcton showed in five pens, and Mr Witholl also competed. There were eighteen rams under eighteen months, and here Mr C. Withell came in foe the pick of the prizes with superior large sheep beating off the Land Company to third place* Mr H. Overton taking the highly commended and Mr Holmes commendfed card*, Lack of space alone forbiog our going into a more critical notice of th» olaae. In the now class for pairs of rams, .&$ && Md A» Ljuui Cofflje&aye Meai***

•fltato came well into the honours Hat with fcheop possessing beautiful staple and large size, Mr WitbelF's meritorious exhibits third, enci Mr Ho!me3 commended, the remaining exhibitors being Messrs F. Sutton, HT Overton, J. B. Sutton, and Canterbury Agricultural College. Mr Withell had an exhibit of tcu flock rams that would be hard to beat anywhereoateide of Canterbury, and secured the highest award. The N.Z. and A. Land Company having taken the cream of prizes in ewes above eighteen months with lamb, left the remaining award* to be taken by Messrs Withell third, J. Reid highly commended, and Holmes commended ; in three ewes, Mr Withell getting second and highly commended. For three ewes under eighteen months with lambs and single ewe of the same age scored both firsts, the Land Company in both classes being content to be second, Mr J. Reid receiving the highly commendeds. ROMNEY MARSH. Prom twenty-nine entries last year there Was a falling off of seven, but the weight cf the sheep, judging from the size and wellmatted fleeces, were even seen to better advantage. Messrs Bealey Bros., with a grand upstanding Romney bred by Mr J. S. S. Goodwin, of Kent, were credited with the silver medal and first prize, taking second with a sheep bred by Mr H. Bigden, of Kent, and scoring first for youn? rams in two classes with part of the Qook bred by exhibitor. Mr J. Reid cam* third in rams over thirty months, but first and second in rams above eighteen months and under thirty months bred by exhibitor, tho cheep being of an admirable type and excellent form. The same gentleman received second for two rams and third for single ram hogget, Canterbury AgricultnraJ College being second in the latter contest. In ewes over eighteen months with lamb, Mr Reid justly received the Bilver medal and first and second prize, likewise taking firsts in pens of three ewes and Binglis ewo, each under eighteen months, Dealey Bros, being second in the first contest and Mr W. Nixon second and third in the single class with as good a class of sheep as anyone might wish to see. WESSLETDALES. A ram and ewe respectively of this breed was shown by xVIr W. B. Clarkson and each received a first award. 80UTI1D0WK9. Here again there was a manifest increase »n last year's show, donoting progress in the breeding oi the sheep eminently suited for export and the demands of the British public for prime Canterbury. The entry for the section forty-three was about two above tho previous show. In the olase for rams shown, but not. eligible to compete for the medal, but for a special priz» given by Messrs J. T. Foi-d and Co., Mr S. Garforth's, bred by exhibitor, took the honours, and is all round a very grand sheep, a second exhibit from the same farm at Spreydon being the roimor-np, Mr J. Deans'* plump sheep highly commended. In the class for sheep over thirty months Mr Deans was able to secure first prize and the silver medal, beating the exhibit of Mr Garforth, which took that potrit.jon on the previous show. Mr H. Pannett's fivo sheep received highly commended. In class for ram above eighteen and under thirty months Mr Garforth was the victor, with Mr Deans second, for ram hogge'ja six competed, Mr Deans being firttt and second with admirable specimens of the breed, and closely-woolled, Mr Pannott highly commended. For two young ratfij Mr Deans beat Mr Garforth, which were very prime, and Mr Pannett received highly commended. In the contest for ten flock rams Mr Garforth's, bred by exhibitor, CB<me to the premier position, Mr Deans Bccond. Id the class for three ewes and single do Mr Garforth was a good first, Mr Deane each time second. For three ewe hoggets Mr Pannett fully deserved the firat prize in the company he was keeping, Mr Garforth second, Mr Deans receiving the complimdntury cards. There were seven young ewes, and a close contest ended in Mr Garforth getting matters all his own way, the prine ewe being fit for a model and a picture frame. Mr Deans had second, third and commended. SnnOPSTIIRE3. Although this highly popaTar breed ea&.ered a loss in numbers of about a score on last season, the fifty-five which wero entered, as already intimated, made up in quality that wbioh was missing in quality. Mr G. P. Pulley's, sired byCrcesue(E.F.B.), bred by exhibitor at North Loburn, a large sheep, with grand points all over, gained the first prize nnd a gold medal given by the Shropshire Breeders' Association. Sir George Clifford exhibited Exile, bred by Mr J. Bowen Jones, in this class. uThere were six competed in class for ram above thirty months, in which Mr Rupert Parry's Emigrant (imported), standing as high an the pen and as full of meat and wool a.s it was possible to pack the sheep, ■cored first with silver medal. For rams over Ciighteec and under thirty months Mr J. M. Furze, bred by exhibitor, richly de■erv'fid the first, Mr Pulley's exhibit eecoiod. There was an exhibit of thirteen feam hoggets, in which Sir George Clifford's excellent sheep, sired by Exile and bred by Bxhibitor, were all that the careful critic eanld desire, being beautifully developed ■»ad wearing close thick jackets. Canterbury Agricultural Collego had two very taking came, one of which took the third ticket, Mr J. M. Furze's exhibit very highly Bommendod, Mr R. Parry's (bred by Rowley Rod Hamilton) highly commended. Messrs Dpton, Stead, and Pulley were the other Bxbibitorß. For a pair of ram hoggets Sir Beorg-B Clifford again . distinctly scored, Canterbury Agricultnral College a fair second, Mr G. G. Stead's exhibit commended. For ten flock rams the well brought oat and carefully selected pen of Air O. G. Stead was first, Mr T. E. Upton's eecond. The beat ewe in the section was •djudgod to bo that of Mr C. Deal, which obtained the silver medal and a first prize, ttkeare D. and A. Macfarlane took second, (and these with sheep bred by Mr J. Bowen ftunes, Shropshire. Mr Upton, with lour entries, was expected and might have stood Iβ tb* prize list but for superior comtoaory. In class of three ewes Mr Furze bald bis own, Mr Parry second, Mr Stead third and commended, Canterbury Agricultural College very highly commended, and Mr C. Deal commended. There were eleven ewes under eighteen months, in which class Mr Fane gained first and second, Mr Parry Ihird, Canterbury Agricultural College BTnnpHlwt"*'' t *T cards. I ©THEK SBSXP. Hampehlres were a nunni quantity. 83m in-bred halfbreds of Mr James Little in Cams over thirty months were beautiful cneoimena of the breeder's art, and beat Messrs B. and J. Reid's ram, which was first last year. In ewes, Mr J. Stringfellow held b» own easily, and carried off the principal prizes. The Cheviot sheep were ttQl on the Grampian Hills. In crossbreds, Mr G. E. Rhodes showed two fine pens of Snt-olass Border Leicesters, fine first-cross cores, whicb were worthy of the prises tpwfod. VAT SHXEP. Ho part of the sheep yard could be more interesting to the visitor than the fat sheep, Which experts confidently assert could be nowhere beaten in the known world. The fllssa of ten merino wethers, which it has been the exclusive privilege of Mr Leonard White of the Rakaia to dominate in the past, was entered on Thursday by Messrs F. J, Millton and R. W. Chapman, who took first and second respectively for very superior sheep, in which the experienced eye of the judge seeth more than meets the necessarily hurried glance of the newspaper reporter. For five pure Down wethers above eighWen and under thi.ty months Mr G. G. Stead waa » good first with sheep of good stamina and well fleeced, Mr Garforth a close second, Mr Deans very highly commended and oommonded. lor five pure Down wether hoßgete Mr Stead's two exhibits, bred by exhibitor, gathered in the awards, leaving the commended ticket to Mr Garforth. The prizes for five crossbred Down wethers over eighteen and under thirty months went to Mr G. E. Rhodes, Messrs R. W. Chapman very highly commended, E- Bums highly commended, W. Boag comjncmled. Mr G. Seaton scored freely with well brought out sheep in pens of five long■wooHed wether hoggew by English Leicester rom» and halfbred owes. In the first-cross five wethers from merino ewes over eighteen month* Mr K. Bowes's neat exhibit was fir«t Mr J. M. Furae second, and Mr K. w. Chip™ commended. In • ««** class for cwo hoggets Mr F. J. Millton, Southdown-merino cross, was first, ito'sune exhibitor's sheep Enghsh

and Mr Furze <-» n un«nded. Again, in class of ten wether.'. >vny Cross, in the wool, Mr Grig 4 wared he.ivily for t.wo-tooth .Shropshire Down second ef o, » «we;», gaining first and second place*, ™ Deans very highly commended S<jiUl»"wn-crossbred ewes, Air Bowes Jiigl )y commended Shropshirehalfbred ewes, Mr De*ns com mended Engluh Leicester-merino. S» r A. Chamberlain took first award for longvoolled lambs, Mr W. Henderson second. For live short woolled lambs there waf a close contest, Mr F. Campion taking the highest award, with Dawson second, Cashmere Estate rßeiving third honours card. Mr Deans; in ten exhibitions secured Messrs I'yneiuid Co.'s £25 for ten wethers for freezing, except Down, as well as a similar prize for ten wethers any Down cross for freezing. Mr J. M. Furze in twenty competitions gained the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company's prize of ten guineas for best pen of sheep for frozen meat trade, also out of twenty entries for Dalgety and Co.'s prize of five guineas for ten crossbred wetheti for frozen meat trade, sheep to be under 65&» and over 551b, likewise for Messrs H» Fitter and Son'a five guineas for ten halftred wethers not more than 651b and not under 55ib, gained these three awards, the latter competition being a very close one. Mr J. Deans will receive Messrs Pyne and O>'s £25 for pen of ten wethers most suitabtt for freazing, by a pure Down ram, five competing.