POPULAR PICNIC DA Y

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31332, 31 March 1967, Page 8

POPULAR PICNIC DA Y

One of the most popular autumn country shows, the annual day at Oxford provides a bright, entertaining picnic outing for city folk as well as being of interest to the rural community. Show day at Oxford tomorrow should be no exception. Entries are die fourth best, with records having been set in some of the individual sections.

The show provides something for everyone. Fanners have the opportunity of comparing some of the best stock in the province and inspecting the latest in machinery. For housewives, the interest may be with the shed exhibits such as the jams preserves and needlework and of course the latest in household appliances that may be displayed in the commercial stands.

Added variety will be given by the art and photographic sections, while for the children it may well be the many stalls, sideshows, and such things as ferris wheels that will capture their attention. The snug, well-sheltered ground, with the foothills for a backdrop, enhances the attraction of the occasion as a family picnic outing. Choice of Routes One of the attractions of a picnic outing to Oxford is the choice of routes available, so that visitors are not faced with travelling home by the same route. The shortest route to Oxford is a 36-mile drive by the Tram road route, gained by turning left on the north side of the Waimakarirl river bridge. A feature of this route is a section of almost 15 miles without a bend. The most attractive route is probably the Ashley Gorge-Loburn-Rangiora road, which makes an Interesting return journey, with a pause at the Ashley Gorge domain well worthwhile. Another alternative is to return via the West Coast road with a fine view from about the Waimakarirl Gorge bridge.

For those who do not wish t spend the full day at the show, there are many other attractive picnic spots they may visit around Orford, such as in the Coopers creek-View Hill area, or on the route through Loburn. Entries Good Without the flowers, entries are 2483 compared with the corresponding figure of 2526 last year. But for a drop in the numbers for the horse classes, final entries may have rivalled the record. After a record entry of 803 last year, horse entries have dropped again to somewhere near the usual number, with a total of 613. The two main , stock sections—sheep and cattle—are almost identical with the numbers for last year. Largely offsetting the drop in the horse classes has been the upsurge in support for the home and dairy produce, photography, and art sections. Support for two groups In the sheep sections has been particularly gratifying. Record entries have been received for both the export lamb and the flock sheep competitions. Started just a few

years ago the export lamb competition has been gaining steadily in support until this year it has attracted 32 pens with three lambs each.

The competition was introduced largely through the enthusiasm of a former president, Mr C. R. Watson, a director of the North Canterbury Freezing Company, Ltd., Kaiapoi, where the lambs will be judged on the hook on Monday, often having been judged on the hoof at the show.

The killing competition at the works is regarded as an opportunity for farmers to compare their lambs with the type of carcase favoured for the overseas trade. Others in-

terested are always welcome to attend these functions too. Entries for the flock sheep are a new record of 130 pens of three lambs, 16 more than the 1963 record. Two judges will be kept busy judging these entries, one doing the fine woolled sheep and the other the strong woolled. As an autumn show, Oxford is popular with cattle exhibitors having town production herds, with winter milkers just coming in to production. For this reason the show will feature a great display of Friesian cattle, with 83 entries having been received. Jersey classes are the next most numerous of the cattle, with 33 entries.