Agricultural Shows.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 18, 5 November 1874, Page 3

Agricultural Shows.

As the se^iitfQr^ldfflg; Ae^exhibitions of lire sickly' ajrricultural; imple- ;- ments, dairy connection: with the CluAft%^c^lturtF^nd'P^ toral Society^nd, Jsbcife|' ties througnpj^ Ae r |*M^iicej;i| iitivf at hand, it yfa r^^h^tl^tE^ special Attention of o^r.readen* should be called to the subjec^j^.Knowo^ s p ! p^^ciistric't' in . the Colony jTbi^t^^udpWed fey>attii& "with all the e^iai\at^fnec^sar^jf^orlthW^ tearing of ;< beßt> stock . or liorles, cattle, sheep'. . 4bj£J .(hail'^is the Clutha district. For fhjs purpose t|e climate Is unexceptionable, .while the goiTi^hbt •nrpassed inTt^e; Gdlpny.. '[ Under th%e circumstances |t is. only requisite thstt the settlers B^ujjdone i .anri^oH J in:tei : ebt themselves i|x the .matter, i and JeMve that their annnajl.stidwr shall riot only prove succ^sj^^^^ ta^e a ' t ' leaditig Swition amopgst the'a^icvltural 1 exr J bitions in ihe.Cplony, and it : Wilt %c accomplished, .^ To \ tips 'posi-r tion it is gi^fiij_jd.ly^ but ;sureij' ( teri«ingt and we trust,that [fhe fdrthcpmiii^'Show will prove,^ityis'geher^iy anticipated it will, the^jmost,: successful that _bas ever yet been neld inthe district The following remarks from the, Journal of the ; . Kattoh,al£A^nculturai Society of Victoria are so much' to the point that v we give them a place in these columns :•» '* Necessity v has long heehicrecog-. nised as " theriiother -of invention,"; end emulation may) -hot inaptlyj; be styled: the father- of ; ' improvement. petitive exhibitions Revoke the spirit of emulation. -.This'f spirit, when evoked, incites the desire, and results in effort on the partof those who are inspired by. it, to equal jor excel ail others witb. whom they may 1 be brought into: competition. Whether it be- as a cultivator, of vegetable products, useful to manj a breeder ofnorseis, cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry; thd* xfcanufacturer of agriaule tural implements and' machines ; or, in short, the owner of : anjof the thousand and one things that go> to -make up? an agricultural -exhibition— the exhibitor who is animated, by -\he true spirit of, emulation,' aims at nothing short of carrying off the -highest honors obtain- ■ able in his ; class; or section... Is. be awarded the second prize%t one show, he strives -to excel hia more successful, rival at the' next^br- some future show, If only " commended' w - he endeavors to win his way into the front rank of prize-takers ; J and When- the emulative, spirit is combined with skill, judgment, and patient perseverance, rarely fails in, sooner or -laterj taking up his position there. Undismayed by even successive faibres, he not?s his shortcomings by carm'ul coipparisdhs made in the showyard; returns, 'to his home, d.sap- : pointed it may be, but not dispirited, ! * f scotched " but not killed ; tries again and yet again ; never wavers, never yields, arid, at length grasps the prize for whioh'he- 1 fra3 so bravely struggled. Even then he relaxes not. Hib ambition was to reach the front rank. . That proud position -gained, to maintain it j against all; comers - he redoubles his j efforts. -Hitherto be has been stimu- ; lated to outstrip' those who were in advance of him/butfrpm being a follower he has become a leader. iSow his desire is to piorieer the^ way towards, further improvement. ■ He conceives a higher standard t)f excellence, and aims at realising his : cbriception. Others again, in . friendly ;, rivalry, are endeavoring to wrest the' hard-won laurels from cur *uccessful;prize-taker. Thus 'the spirit of emulation is the mainspring of all improvement, and The prize system in connection with agricul- , tural shows is Well calculated to evoke, cherish," Und diffuse that spirit for the benefit of ' the producer, the manufacturer, the merchant, the retail dealer— the whole community, in point of fact, , from the greatest landholder and the wealthiest merchant down to the poorest artisan -and the ; humble laborer— all share in the benefits resulting ther/_«from. -These benefits are by no means, unimportant. Agricultural shows, inasmuch' as they tend to increase and. improve-'-' the products of. the soil and lessen the^ cost- of .production by encouraging the invention of laboi'-saving applinrfW, result: in augtnenting -the national-: wealth. The townsman who, thinking'^hat $uch shows are nothing to him;* Terrains from subscribing his guinea"; or^p^ayiug his. shilling at the show-yawl -gate!,' \and supporting, in purse ftndpereoriv- the: efforts made by. exhibitof'S''towards improvement in; the arts of-hasbandry,' takes but : a, narrow view of the causes -which -influence,: for good ot^Sl? his oWn business or calling.; Abundarit^barvests, plentiful supplies , of beef, iri4ttoh,o«nd dairy, produce are necessary comniodotiesinvwhich all are. interested/ ''Possessing fertile soils, f andj enjoying' a-genial': climafei.such ;of late years liasbeeil the progress., of agricu,l--ture in > this- colony,' i that 'coupled; with '3th»::i|»aetoral interest , .these, twin >'. mustr riow •; be reckoned v?« the, t stay : of. the , Stata'' In gold -mmmg -as: in -i manufactures,' the coat of -living is ithe principal item in the cost v 'ot > reproduction . ; : Improved, systems: of; .husbandry md irriproved breeds < of < animals tend.to oheapen ; food ? to the^nsumer,landi thereby lessen the 'cost of i production to: the miner and, the manufacturer^.; VVhenJ therefore,, the farmer jb>v .. lwlding : iagriculjtaral shows endeayCris; ; -to ■-. .increase the, : quantity, improve and lessen 'the cost of producin g the necessaries of iife, ■ lie ti tuiii^y'iseekmg.to.plaoe ,1m P ' ' f ti\':fr\i >:A „..: 'ov:, : ; o-A ywuU -<v

- P^j^?. to .minister more cheaply to thi wa«ra^(&ifr miner, the manufacturer - andrQjfoesßpwl_o «ro entii^^ eftorts. r s tp;.iupplyf}ithej^- r^quir^ I mehts. h ; Hence; taking; a hr;pad^iaw.o; : in which agriculture st^n^ ; *to,-<rH other ; in4uß|;rieß,;viti':.will be] seei ■-. thatiagricultural. societies and agricui- ::: tural shows;. -as .-a powerful ; means f o iprflmoting |th»y general ;Wsfim pf,"t»< 'Community^ are i highly r djeserving.^ci j and' generous , suppori . frrim.iaH-classesiy;'. .... >.. :: yAA-- • ' ■. ■„"-', y ; The history of British agficulturjE during; the pasjt^O years, tj^e improved • implements, machines, systems' of farir . mariageraenti and well-bred \he; stpcli : of the^presentTday*; all.. .afford ampjt evidence,. of the power of agricultural societies : and: competitive; exhibitions tc > arouse?; -and (spirit pi emulation,' diffuse information on agricultural; subjectsj , and to ; promote ad^ vancement in the; art,; apd science pi cultivating plajite.andthe breeding and ■feeding of anim&ls./.The co.urse^pursue.d so i! successfully iin fßritaift;.;may,.-be .followed in Victoriai wi^^ike. results. But to merit success agricultural shows ;musfc . bei rendered- ..attractive to. ; ithe g ; erie.ral; public,, as. ; well as; instructive to those engaged. in, agricultural pursuits. , To. .do htbis rests, in. sPnie : jneasure, withi n ithei .-;•. committees ;: ] in framing, prize schedules,;! but - mainly with fdrmers as : a class. •; If every farmer would endeavor „to produce soniethihg worthy, of being shpwn, and show it, there.wculd.be /no ■.-. paucity of exhibits j on the contrary,, tjie. exhibits wbuld be jnumerousf, . the competition would be keen, and the interest taken in the show would.become wide-spread and general. Under such circumstances there would be no lack of j visitors. Let really good shows be gob up, and the public will flock to. witness the display. Unfortunately, ..the npn ex- :- bibiting' class of farmers : are prone. to throw cold water on the efforts of those who are patriotic enough, tp exhibit the best they can produce for the. public good. ' ' The • , non exhibitors „ may , too often be heard pooh-popjng the whole, show, or some pari, of it. ; They have seen better, or they have. , something superior at home to anything in the show-yards ! Now, to render -shows successful, and capable of serving the purpose for which they are got up, instead of this cynical carping, there should be hearty co-operation. Let each member of committee, and every former, act as though success depended upon his own individual efforts, and success is certain. There should be "pp burying of talents ; pp hiding of lights under bushels Those who have anything Worth showing ought to exhibit for their pwn benefit, and the benefit of the community. Let the course we have here pointed out be foitowect, arid the gratifying result will -be apparent at the forthcoming show, and at every show in the country districts. • The * Australasian' says :—" With regard to the amount of the grant,' we have from time to time.suggested that large • shows were > the only legitimate ones.- Competition alone can render them useful as of instruction, and it is; impossible ?to secure a good competition at little shows. A proposal has long been her fore the farmers having for its. object , the division of the colony into, districts of fair siae—areas large, enough to get up thoroughly good- exhibitions of stock. If this were carried iuto effect, the Government might justly be asked to contribute more liberally than it now does to tlie support of- such societies j the claim would then be a legitimate one. At least one-half of the present societies occupy areas of ground much too narrow to serve any praotically useful purpose: Village shows, of garden and farm produce are unobjectionable, but agriculture cannot be efficiently represented upon so limited a scale/ The ' Spectator,' in reporting the results of the Hampden Pastoral and Champion Show, thus writes :— " The favorable verdict of last year on the .plan of 'judging the sheep on the day before the show' was confirmed on. '■ this occasion, and so numerous Were the entries, that it is hard. to. §tiy . how the judges . could have . performed their allotted task; had it bf en otherwise. A. system of judging: sheep by points was now put in force for, the first time, and by common consent it was found to work so, admirably that. the. Skipton people . said; . ; it . . would probably be adopted there next. year. ; Under this system the judges give reasons for 'the . faitli that is in them, and aXe relative ;, excellence of the exhibits is. hot bnlv ': .determined to a nicety, but it is shpwn in what respects eacn- animal is superior or inferipr-^thereby affording a good l , guide to breeders. In future, perhaps, it, may be desirable to compel, neople to exhibit, :their stock in the class for which ; they are. entered, and in that: way only .; (saying, of course,.. the ; championship), for- we .find there, are; many complHiots concerning the shifting of the "exhibits from one.pen;toanpth(Br. ...At present ii man can bring up fpurror. five sheep. and show. them for a special pi-iza' He can .' then divide tberh, and sliewi thehi'in Eairs for .different prizes, and 'ait^r" thai e T can exhibit them sipgly for the charai pipnship. Thus fiie:. prize i pens (sc i ,labellerl)/are spnietimes seen to he empty, i and tbe exhibits .are hot so numerous as ,:. tjiey might,. cpulri,; .wohldjf.and.slibnlcl :, he, A .man, \ carjies off \ s pjura^'tjr pi t, ;p^«6is, lpr ;; fam ot:£LYe. sheejvajjd j^ic Aid* ; ■'.;^!i , »i';:i sum ij; m 'iA'cv-- '.-'J 1 . -