THE SYDNEY SHOW.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17460, 22 May 1922, Page 3

THE SYDNEY SHOW.

QTJAUTY OF. SXOCJK . > Mr G. H. Barnett, of "Greenmeadow," Leeston, the well-known breeder of Berkshire, pigs, has. just returned from a-, visit'to Australia, and to, a representative of "The Press" gave Bpme impressions of the recfefit. Sydney ltoyal Centendry .Showl ; J . '.'Seeing that the show lasted for nine days and five nights, that' over j®. million people attended, that ±-oO,UUU was taken at the gates alone, and that in spite, of the great expense tiiere was a profit of some £2o,uol>, you can imagine it was some show," he said. Naturally, such a large crowd required some entertainment besides inspection of the stock and other exhibits, and the snow management went to a great deal of trouble to provide the entertainment. The hunters were a very fine, lot, and their displays were well. worth slicing. The higii jumping was also'of great interest to the visitors, who marvelled at the sight of diminutive ponies clearing well over six feet. Trotting exhibitions were also very popuial', while other displays, such aB a parade of some hundreds of young ladies and girls dressed in the different fashions of the last hundred years, wis of' special interest to the lfldiSs. , Inferring to the display of stock, Mr Barnett said there were over 1000 pigs penned, and though a new pavilion .costing £BOOO had: been erected, there were insufficient pens. Visitors to this section who had lately attended other shows, both i& England and America, stated that, in .tlieir opinion, they had never seen a. finer display. They claimed that in the Berkshire section neither the English nor the American types could surpass the- best ,at . the Sydney Show. ■ The former had to some extent lost, the distinctive Berkshire type of head, whilst the American pigs were described as being not just the typo required for our trade, being somewhat coarse, whiie as to the markings, both English and American strains had in many cases also too much white. Many exhibitors, said Mr Barnett, [ had brought their stock some hundred's of miles, Victoria,; Tasmania, and Queensland being well represented, as well as New South Walee. It naturally followed that with such a number of. keen men exhibiting, prices for the best stock also ruled high. _As an instance, a 15-iuontbs-old Berkshire boar sold for 60 guineas,, an eight-months sow for 55 guineas, while the_ champion sow '6'ould certainly not have been bought for less than 100. guineas. It was only iair to add. that, as ah auction, sale started the day after the Judging, a lot of the stock were really only entered for the sale. Thus quite a number Of the young stock in the different classeOvWere of medium quality only. While not wishing to pose as an authority on the different sections, Mr Barnett said he thought many of the beef Shorthorns were beauties. Herefords were numerous, .'while in the dairying ! sections Ayris hires, and Guernseys, and more especially the last-mentioned, could easily hold' their own with New Zealand stock though he thought, the Jerseys, anrl especially the Friesians, hardly UD tn the. standard of the best stock usuallv ijeen at New Zealand shows. y 'Mfottlie draught horses, the majorItv of the stallions, were New Zealand but they were not brought out With anything like, the same care as this country. He. considered that the South Island of .New Zealand a much tuore suitable climate for tho Clydesdale.