A. AND P. SHOW

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19462, 8 November 1928, Page 14

A. AND P. SHOW

All Ready For Opening To-day

COMPREHENSIVE AND INTERESTING EXHIBITS.

"In all my experience of Metropolitan Shows, extending over thirty years, I have never seen the Show Grounds at Addington look better. Everything is in perfect order."

This spontaneous expression of 1 opinion by one whose business takes ' Mm out to the Show Grounds before ( the actual opening of the c "-ow, appealed j to the representative of Thb Pbbss to , whom it was spoken, as hitting off to » • nicety what tho thousands of visitors i to the Addington Show Grounds will ( observe and appreciate to-day and to- t morrow. t It is not only the Show Grounds that 1 have benefitted by the recent rains. £ Canterbury as a whole, and its people, j are "in great heart" as the result of j the timely downpours, and it takes no , prophet to foretell that the crowds 1 which will throng the Show Grounds ( will bo happy, crowds who will be rendered even happier and more optimistic when they behold around them the various evidences of the pros' < perity and progress of Canterbury. The Sixty-fifth Show. The Metropolitan Show of the Canterbury A. and P. Association, which will be opened to-day, is the slxty-flfth held by the Association, and the forty■eeond held by it on the Addington Show Grounds. In every department the variety and quality of the exhibits will bo found well up to the standard of previous shows. Numerically the entries show a decrease of 176 as compared with last year's show, but as that was a Royal Show, the basis of comparison is unequal. Comparing this year's entries with those for the 1926 Metropolitan Show, they disclose an increase of 145. Notable, however, is the fact that in the horse sections the entries this year eclipse those for the 1927 Boyal Show by H, mi the 1926 Metropolitan by no fewer than 169. The increases this year are chiefly in horses entered in the different competitions (269) and in the saddle, cobs and ponies (US). ' Comparative Entries. For the three years the entries compare at Boyal

' It will be found that the total for tbe present (1028) show given above doe* not agree with the total given on Page 26 of the Show Catalogue, which give* tbe total as 8618. The difference is accounted for by tbe fact that the total entry of pigs is seven more than.given in tbe table in the catalogue. Varied Attr*ctlfl«iv.'■>•-, Especially noteworthy;• it-ttU year'«' Show wUI be the very and comprehensive exhibits of agricultural implements and machinery. At no previous Show at Addingtoh has there been on view a display of the same aagai* tnde and yariety. This WOtioa; wUI l)B well worth an exhaustive inspection. Another department thjit j»g» BpeU«f considerably is that shows. These are evert and are sure to suittble for all tastes. Improvements on -iVUf tHtajipi<t^,^" Motorists will be interested in the pro. visions made for an additional parking place for cars near the main entranee. A new entrance bas been provided in Wbiteleigh avenue (just round the comer from Lincoln road), the tonal* gates permitting two cars, to 8 en-

Further Increase In Numbers. The soundneßß of the sheep industry continues to be shown by the annual increases in numbers that has taken place since 1922. In that year the Bheep stocks were down to 22,222,259, last year on April 30th they stood at 25,649,016, and this year on the same date the total was 27,133,810, an increase in the twelve months of no less than 1,484,794. The Dominion has now reached its record number of sheep, but while there is little or no new sheep country coming into use and at the same time dairying is extending in various parts of the North Island, there is no reason why, under the system of improving, and managing pastures that is. now coming into vogue, a still greater number of sheep, cannot be safely carried. The Increase in numbers this year Is mainly made up in flock breeding ewes, which now Btand at over 15J millions, and in a larger carry-over of lambs. A review of the returns of flock sheep of distinctive breeds during the past five years shows what progress or otherwise has been made by the different breeds.

ter simultaneously. The entrance road- } way is divided in the centre by a fence, i Further along Whiteleigh avenue, a new entrance gate, alongside the pld one, has been erected and will assist in giving quicker dispatch to motorists entering i the grounds. For motorists arriving by ' the south road there is an entrance from Lincoln road a little to the south of the main entrance gateß. Motorists should note that they will save petrol and assist the work of the gatekeepers if they have their tickets ready for production on arriving at any of the entrances. The buildings on the Show Grounds have had their roofs painted and are looking spick and span. The secretary s office has been painted, and some structural alterations have: been made. Chiet of these is the extension of the ITess 'Tword to all ana sundry who will be attending the/Show, on behalf of the gatekeepers, will be in season. Much delay occurs when the exact amount of admission money (especially in the case, of children) is not ready wheni those .eeking admission teach the turnstiles. It will facilitate their work if this little detail is attended to. Kennel Olub'o Bntries. For the Kennel-Club's show, to be held during the currency of the Metrosfta» Sbfw, the total entrrthi, .year is 28 fewer than last year, being 201, a> compared with, 229. There «J eenttonally good entries of Coofcer SpSeiririih Setters, and fc **£»* The decrease, in entries this year s Ane laraely to the fact that tbere is no ,Sn one entry in the Whippet classes; last year tn«re.,were about ten.

OTE SHEEP INDUSTRY.

There has been a little increase made in the numbev of merinos, but it has been pointed out recently that there Is still much country in the South Island that could with advantage be stocked with them. The Bomney has further improved its position as the largest breed, Corriedales have materially increased in numbers, while halfbreds are practically at a standstill, but crosabreda have had nearly three millions added to their numbers. In the past five years there has been a little increase in the number of sheep entered in the Flock Book, the total in 1923 being 312,467 and 371,187 in 1928, The changes in the number of sheep of the different breeds indicate in some measure the trends in breeding and crossing. The Lincoln now occupies a much smaller place than it once did. From 19,804 in 1923 it has gone down to 9269 this year. There is not much change in the two Leicester breeds, but the English has lost some ground, and the Border has gained a little. Shropshires are hardly holding their own, but SouthdOwns have more than doubled is numbers in the last five years. with the numbers of flock sheep Bomney and Corriedale stud sheep have, of course, made increases. Eyelanda, which have only been returned during jast year and this year, increased in the twelve months from 3365 to 4752, and this indicates the progress the breed is making. The demand there now is for the smallei and meaty carcase of lamb for export has resulted in a greater demand foi the Southdown ram for producing sue! lambs, and for the same reason the Bye land is now reoeiving more considers tion. The Lamb Crop. No figures are of course yet avail able as to the probable percentage o: lambs dropped this season. The genera reports, however, indicate that thi lambing on the whole has been a gooi one throughout the, Dominion. If th percentage is up to the average the cro] should be a large one seeing that th breeding ewes returned in April las made* up the record number o 15,828,881. . There were no seriou losses recorded during lambing In elthe the. North or South Islands. Last yea there was considerable mortality anion the best thriving lambs, and a considei able amount of investigation wa carried out by officers of the Live Stoc Division. Various methods were suj gested as to the best means of pre venting' the losses. There have bee some cases of deaths of big lambs r< ported' this season, and a line of pre yen tion being tested is the use of licki and several are being tested, So fa good results appear to have been ol tftined. The number of lambs kill© last season was some half a millio more than in the previous year, and s the same-time the feed condition were not generally favourable for fa' tening, otherwise the killings would n doubt have been greater* The prices n oeived for fat lambs were the seoon highest in the history-of the trade.. I the 1924-25 season; the bulk of tl limbs were sold in Canterbury « • prices ranging from lid tq 12? d, wM last season the top prices were fro: 9}d to Hid, and 12|d -was reached J . June. No indication; bati yet bee given as to the price at which laml will open, but the killing season juj-e: peoted to commence this month in tl North'Jsland. ."

HOW IT HAS PROGRESSED. AN INFORMATIVE REVIEW. The past year has on the. whole been a'highly satisfactory one' to. sheepowners. The marked rise in the value of 'sheep which took;, place, during the year before, tat', has, been w«U main- ! tained, a fact that was .mainly due to i the higher prices * obtained for wool ' during the selling season, and also to 1 the exceptionally good prices ruling '■ for. fat lambs, especially during the, ' latter part of the--season. Both fat i and store sheep have sold well through- ' out the year. There- was a keeu demand in the autumn for breeding ewes, but at the same *time there was not the inclination shown by buyers to give the extreme price for the best classes ' of young ewes as ruled, the previous •■ Vear.sThe keenest enquiry was for good i Sound wroth ewes, the prices for which ,• ienerW* ruled- between 25s and 30s r per head. -As wae the case last year '< there waa no easing off ; jn the values ,' §Wll?eep &er thefreezing works prices have, ruled high; [ ifcroug&lfchft Winter ipd toring up to the: present time; for- suppliesJiavft nott bee&eyosd *^ .one for [ 'fe.lthWhKrii»*;b>*nileH;shan^the •nitiaf »ver«gi of fleveire . heavy! on tWerwge»\where|:-sheep are - depirtwed. rin laotj «o far as Canter- - burV is the; winter rainfall , until the. rains of j last mluth "was there, a real start made e in the growth of spring feed in the i- pastures. ..

1928. 1987. 1926. 8beop ..961 1184 1055 Cattle .. 251 397 8Q0 Horwi ,. w 675 000 *i# .. 105 1S2 •i 72 IftwaUueoni ...684 . 808 m Totali ..2620. . 8796 8475

1823 1928 Merino 931,899 1,079,419 Lincoln . .. 142,135 96,186 Romney 2,965,239 8,513,811 Border Leicester 126,227 74,954 English Leicester 97,184 83,279 Shropshire \.. 11,203 14,596 Southdown 65,349 106,597 Oorrledale ■ • 659,888 1,041,480 Halfbreds 1,314,303 1,338.816 Ryeland — 14,069 Other breeds .. 40,779 8,118 OroBsbrods 16.415,816 19,896,298