N.Z. Farmers Impressed With U.K. Royal Show

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28951, 20 July 1959, Page 17

N.Z. Farmers Impressed With U.K. Royal Show

I from the London Corresponaent of “The Press')

LONDON, July 10. Well over 200 New Zealanders visited the Royal Show at Oxford this week and many seemed greatly impressed, with the standard of stock and the variety of farm machinery. Plainly it is a revelation for many New Zealanders to discover how British farming has advanced in recent years, how intensive, mechanised end efficient it can be.

New Zealand visitors, whose numbers are high compared with those from other countries, were also impressed by the spaciousness of the show —more than 140 acres of it and another 178 acres for car parks—and the ease with which tens of. thousands of visitors could walk among the exhibits and stock pens, and above all by the orderliness and quietness of the occasion. There are no sideshows, no noisy distractions from the essential affairs of the land. “There is not much we could teach these people about farming,” was the thought expressed by a number of New Zealand visitors who have spent time, not only at the Royal Show, but on British farms as well. The New Zealand visitors included a party of 17 farmers and their wives, members of this year’s Federated Farmers' tour. A member of this party, Mr C- A. Henriksen, whose farm is at Pleasant Point, Timaru, warmly praised British farmers, but felt that the British farmer appeared to be well behind in shearing and wool handling. Versatile Worker A British farmer’s answer to this was that the local farm worker would never attain the _ standards in handling sheep and wool that were known in New Zealand since he did not have “| the chance to spend a long time on these particular jobs. He was, however, good at turning from one job to another, from handling sheep for two or three weeks m the year, to working root crops, tending hops, and to the intensive work with other stock. But on the whole the visitors’ impressions were the same: enthusiastic praise for, and generally surprise at the scrupulous and provident husbandry on British farms, the extensive mechanisation of farming, and the amount of labour put into even small farms. This year’s show is probably the last of itinerant Royals, which have resulted in heavy financial losses in recent years. The Royal Show is likely to settle in one place in the future. Among Dominion visitors at the show were: Mr D. G. McHardy J (Waipawa), a member of the Hawke’s Bay Agricultural and _ Pastoral Association Council, Mr J. W. Phipps (Auckland), a member of the council of the Aucka land A. and P. Society, Mr G. M S Whitelock (Palmerston North), a S former president of the New ZeaS land Pig Breeders’ Association, 2 and Mr T. W Stephenson (Christs church), a council member of the S New Zealand Sheep Breeders’ Si Association. Sj Cattle Classes S: It was generally agreed that the S muster of livestock this year was Eione of the best that the Royal S;Agricultural Society has exhibited = There was a great surprise in the 2 cattle section when the declining 2 Red Poll breed was boosted by 2 the award of the Burke trophy = for the best pair of dairy or dual 2 purpose cattle. It is the first time 2 the award has not gone to British S Friesians (reserve this year), Ayr- = shires or dairy shorthorns. 2 The shorthorns won in the beef 2 section, with Aberdeen Angus in JS reserve. It was a good year for Aberdeen Angus, if not a vintage _ one, and the judge (Mr Robert ~ iHendry, of Morayshire) praised the great depth, fleshing qualities ■and the style on parade of the j ! entries. 1 ’ The supreme champion bull was 1 Evara of Broadleys, bred by | Major A. M. Dixon, Aucherarder. V The reserve was Bristle of Broom--1 :hall (cow) entered by Lord Bruce. ’ | Dunfermline. i The Aberdeen Angus is finding {a market in Spain and it was learned at the show that after a shipment of six of the breed to Spain a further order for 12 has been placed. They will be crossed with the native breed, the I bull-fighting variety, to produce 1 a hornless animal for beef pro--1 duction. I i This year was the jubilee of | the British Friesian breed so--9 ciety. Because the show is a fourI day eveht and stock and men I have to be away from the farms j for anything up to eight days, the l Royal sometimes does not have the strength of county or district shows, but this year the entry in

the Friesians was well up and one of the best seen at a Royal show. The champion bull, for the second year running, was Holmside Sure, exhibited by Mr R. W. Griffiths, of Forden, Montgomery. The female champion, Salwick Squirrel, was shown by C. E. B. Draper and Son, Ltd., of Shrewsbury, who have won 50 first prizes, five championships, and seven reserve championships at this year’s shows. Salwick Squirrel calved her ninth calf on the grounds. This breed is now producing 50 per cent, of the cattle in milk production in Britain and in the last three or four years a third of the home-killed beef. Canterbury Farmer After inspecting the Hereford pens on the first day of the show, Mr J. K. McAlpine, M.P. for Selwyn, described the exhibits as “magnificent.” “It is very gratifying to see how popular the breed is in this country,” he said. Speaking of farms he had looked at while in Britain, Mr McAlpine said: “I am impressed by the high quality and density of the grain crops. I have motored for miles in the south of England without seeing sheep. Almost every paddock is growing grain or hay. There are crops of 80 and 90 bushels in field after field.” Like other New Zealand farmers, he admired the openfaced quality of the Romneys in the sheep section. This breed is tending towards a neater carcase and is noted for recent improvements in the wool, which is still fine by New Zealand standards. Some envious eyes were cast over the Hampshire Downs, which are producing lambs of 40 to 421 b dead weight in about 11 weeks. Breeders look to this strain from which a 11b a day live weight gain is expected for improving production qualities. British breeders continue to deplore the New Zealand embargo on sheep imports and New Zealand visitors could only listen sympathetically, and with some envy, to their case. Yesterday closed with a hearty and traditional shepherds’ supper. The hosts were a firm which is said to have greatly increased its sheep dip sales in the nineteenth century by hospitality in this quarter. What was once a small affair when the travelling salesmen were hospitable in village pubs has grown into a splendid threecoUrse cold feast at the Royal Show, with community singing, a professional floor show, and ample beer for 600 shepherds.