MASTERTON SHOW.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 125, 19 February 1908, Page 2

MASTERTON SHOW.

LARGE AND REPRESENTATIVE GATHERING. OPENS IN DRIZZLING RAIN. LIST OF YESTERDAY'S AWARDS. ' NOTES AMD COMMENTS. (BT lELECBAPH — SPECIAL REFOSTEES.) '>

Masterton, February 18. The Masterton A. and P.. Show, which oponed this moniing, was marked by overcast skies and. occasional drizzles of rain, and it was interesting to hear the conflicting votes expressed by' farmers as they faltered between loyalty to the Show and concern for their parched paddocks, dried brooks, and thirsty stock at home. Generally, the desire has been for a good, wholesome downpour lasting all night, and clearing up to-morrow. The spectacle has scarcely been typical of Masterton show. Instead of the warm sunshine that Masterton enjoys so abundantly, and the bright frocks and panama hats of former years, the crowd to-day has had frequent reoourse to oilskins. The exhibits are of an excellent Character. Tho fino display of fat stock in the classes for freezing makes a strange contrast against the .tales that oome in from all sides concerning the fire and the famine in some districts. A. farmer declared that: the waterraces have beefi the only thing that saved the Wairarapa from tremendous losses. Another cry from the East Coast portions of the district is-that sheep are dying of. thirst. Yet 1 in the show to-day the pens hold; as plump a sample of mutton and lamb'as was ever, seen at. a Wairarapa' gathering. . The only fault-that the judges could find with them- was that, a few were-too big. There were ' few fat cattle, and these classes , had less than half, a dozen entries, but there were many with ten. or?.twelve,, and in the fat'sheep there was a long series of classes with fifteen or. twenty entries in each. The, total entries numbered about 1600., The Masterton Show_ has made fast growth, and—if the predictions of the. sanguine ones be realised that the removal , of the show to a site on the railway line will open it to a vast new company' of: exhibitors—the Masterton show of a few years hence is likely to be an event of /the greatest importance.'. ' The. classes for pure-bred stock "at these later shows dod not seem to carry, the same interest as those of the early spring shows; Mutton, lamb, and beef count to-day for more than the wool or butter-fat that in the spring are uppermost in tho farmers' minds. The pigs contained a few very fin© animals,but the classes were not well filled. Tomorrow the dog show will come on the scene. Besides the sections for horticulture, dairy, and ■ agricultural produce, cookery, industrial products, etc., a new featureof: the exhibition will be a display of grass seeds and their impuritiesj prepared by l Mr. Cockayne, the Assistant / Government Biologist. , The exhibit is beautifully mounted,, and is most, instructive. ' Each variety, of .seed is "mounted in a circle, somewhat in the manner in which micro-photographs are shojvn. Farther on thero are samples of :the weed- seeds„ Twitch is described as a.veritable scourge'on'alluvial land. Caro;has.to be taken '.in. avoiding sapples of American grasses that contain l this pest. . Another label refers , to' Paspalum dil.atatum;' and Ssay3 Owing -.tor. the •. ir''regnlar^ripening 1 or this seed} 1 : tßw'germination- capacity ns/ofteii*very>>low.''iiuTinerei. are three' hundred of such! ' labels'. attached to' three'.hundred varieties, of .seeds,'.and each of them tells, the farmers tersely something, that'he may want to know. It has this virtue isthat' the' farmer in his search for' these little pearls .of knowledge has not rto.b'unw into, long pages of uninteresting detail.The exhibit has a further'interest. It is the first •instalment, of t aiV extensive*, work of this' oharacter that Mr. Cockayne is engaged on. Shortly, .it is. hoped, the Government will publish a comprehensive.•booklet'. containing the information outlined. It will be the first time-such a task,has been undertaken in New Zealand, and its'value will be far-reaching. ' ■AThis--, afternoon ' the', competitions', were rather . neglected. This was partly due to. the dull, weather, and .to ' its.'not :i being People's Day, but still more to the sales of stock which several'firms, of, auctipneers were holding. :, :As usual, fair prices were realised, and the purchasers will not.remove their purchases until to-morrow night.' In this connection .< it may'.' be mentioned : that many of Mr. W. Perry's noted Lincoln'sheep, .which wore sold a few days, ago, were among tho exhibits under Mr., Perry's name;. All the winniugs'.will gd-to the iiew owners. • THE PRIZE LIST.; YESTERDAY'S AWARDS. The following are the awards made yesterday,:—- : .' CHAMPIONS. OATTLE. HEREFORD.—BuII—G:F. Moore's Ensign. Cow—J. M'Gregor's Beauty. AYRBHIR Ei—Cow—Wm. Abbott's Polly. JERSEY.—Bull—Paul ..Hunter's'Oculist..lV. ■ Cow—W. H. and A. E. Booth's Primrose V. .' . DAIRY COW. —T. Creswell's Topsy. ■ V'' ; ''SHEEP.;,;':v''; .'^' : ' LlNCOLN.—Ram—Bland .'Rayner.: Ewe— ... ' V:: W. Perry. ; : •': ■..' " J; . - ENCLISH LEICESTER.—Ram—W. Perry! Ewe—W: Perry. '•! : BORDER LEICESTER.—Ram—C.' Sievers. Ewe—Slack Bros. ■ V . -■ ' v'■ ■ -" PI GS. . 1 : : BERKSHIRE.—Boar-S. R. : Lancaster. Sow—l. P. Lett. ',' - v TAMWORTH.-Boar-W. Morris. ; Sow-J. E. White. ■ " • ; YORKSHIRE.—Boar—E. J. Wilson. Sow- ' J. E. White. HORSES. ' THOROU CHB R E DS.-Stallion, Mr. C. M'Cullough's Porirua, Mare. Mr. C. .... F. Yallance. POINTS PRIZES. Points prizes to'bo: won twice in succession or three. times' % at intervals. Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine Silver Cup, 'valued at 12, guineas, for the most points in English Leicesters: Mr. W. Perry, Masterton, 41 points, 1; Mr. S. R. Lancaster, Palmerston North, 34 points, 2. , Messrs. Thomas and Cooks' Silver Bowl, valued at 10 guineas, for the most points in longwool cross ewes, two classes: Messrs. M'Gregor Brothers and Mr.' J. M'Gregor, both of Masterton,, 8 points each, tie. Manawa Bowl, valued at, 20 guineas, for the most points in fat cattle: Mr. Fred. Moore, Wangariui, 44 points, .1; Messrs. W. and H. Beetham, Masterton,',24 points, 2. Fison Bowl, valued at 15 guineas, for the most points in. freezing classes: Messrs. W. and H. Beetham, Wairarapa, 28 points,; 1; Mr. J. Strang, Gladstone,' 26 points, 2. PRIZES. OTHER SPECIALS. Mr. J. Stuckey's £l 0 cash prize for best Southdown ram: Mr. E. Short, Foilding, 1. Mrs. Slack, who had won this prizo twice in succession, and had only to win it again in order that it might become her property, was beaten by Mr. E. Short. Mr. R. J. Dagg's Gold Medal for tho best threo-year-old draucht filly: Mr. J. W. Harding. - :|