NATIONAL DAIRY SHOW

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 225, 19 June 1936, Page 7

NATIONAL DAIRY SHOW

Successful Fixture at Palmerston North SECOND DAY EVENTS Keen Public Interest Displayed Dominion Special Service. Palmerston North, June 18. Somewhat unpleasant weather conditions prevailed for the continuation of the thirty-fourth National Dairy Show under the auspices of ' the Manawatu and West Coast Agricultural and Pastoral Association at the Palmerston North Showgrounds to-day. Nevertheless keen public interest was again manifest in the show, crowds of people, young and old, thronging the trades halls and “side-show alley” from midday onward. The night show attracted a particularly large attendance, light rain at frequent occasions failing to keep visitors away.

Large numbers were attracted to the annual show of the Manawatu Poultry, Pigeon, Canary, and Foreign Bird Club, which was an outstanding success from every point of view. The entries in this show constituted a fresh record of 1340, which was 290 in excess of the previous record. . Shortly after one o’clock this afternoon, the Hon. Walter Nash, Minister of Finance and Marketing, visited the show, making a fairly complete review of the major section of the display. Keen interest was displayed in the poultry show, in which some particularly outstanding birds of all species have been entered, and the exhibits are carefully arranged, allowing for the maximum advantage to be taken of the space available, and at the same time enabling visitors to inspect the various classes without any temporary delays. About twenty entries were received for the feline classes, which also attracted considerable attention. Many fine blue Persians were included among the exhibits. A never-ending procession wended its way in and out among the exhibits at the motor ’olympia, which is considered to be one of the best ever staged at the show. Practically every modern motor-car manufacturing firm is represented, models of the very latest cars attracting constant attention.

Dairy Competitions. Over thirty entries were received for the schools’ division milk-testing competition, and the standard o£ the work was commented upon as being of a very high standard. The boys displayed a keen interest in their work, and the judge had a very difficult task before him when he set out to make the awards. Oral .nd practical examinations were made, a friendly spirit of rivalry prevailing throughout. One of the keenest sections of the dairy side of the show was the judging competitions for butter and cheese, open to members of the New Zealand Dairy Factory Managers’ Association, and the grading competitions for butter and cheese, open to dairy factory assistants. Splendid entries were received, and when the judges came to total up their points awards it was found that in the butter grading competition the first twelve competitors were separated by only one point, nine of them being equal for third place with 98 points each.

In the cheese grading, again only one point separated the placed competitors, of whom there were 14. Five of these were equal for first place with 98 points, six for second place with 97i points, and three for third place with 97 points. Further close calls resulted in the butter and cheese-judging competitions, and ties were recorded in practically every one of the first three placings in each section, although not in such large numbers ns in the grading competitions. The splendid exhibitions at the industrial fair also drew almost limitless attention, many of the visitors staying indoors from the unfavourable weather outside, with the result that during the afternoon in particular these trades halls presented a very bright and animated scene. There was a very wide variety of exhibits, and all who visited the show found something in this section to attract their particular attention. Sheep Dog Trials.

Despite the chilly wind and occasional rain showers, the sheep dog trials, which began in the oval this morning, and concluded late this afternoon, attracted wellmerited attention. The standard of the work of the dogs was the subject of many favourable comments among experienced owners and farmers lined round the oyal, oval, many of the performances drawing forth rounds of acclamation. Here again the judges were faced with a very difficult task in' making their awards, the actual plaee-winners being separated by the narrowest margin of points. Stud sheep-breeders from the Wairarapa and Manawatu districts held a combined meeting at the show this morning for the purpose of discussing ram fair dates in an effort to ..void a clash in these two districts. An amicable agreement was reached to hold the Wairarapa fair on January 19, 1937, and the Feilding fair on January 20. Fat Lamb Class. The one fat lamb class at the show attracted 14 entries, all of which were of good type suitable for the export trade. The class, which was judged by Mr. J.' Drysdale, Wellington, was for frozen lamb. Each entry had to comprise three fat lambs of any breed or cross, and could be comprised of wethers or ewes or wethers and ewes, most suitable for freezing and the London market. All the lambs entered were judged alive in the pen at the Manawatu and West Coast Africultural and Pastoral Association’s spring show in November last, were killed the following day. and since then have been in the freezing chamber at the Longburn Freezing Works. Commenting on the prize-winning entries, Mr. Drysdale said that the first prize pen of Mr. C. E. Vile, Bulls, was of outstanding quality, with the shape, type, and conformity of the carcases almost perfect. The carcases were bright in colour, full of meat, and finely proportioned with fat. The entry placed second was that of Mr. J. W. Perry, Sanson, which was stated by the judge to be of good quality, with plenty of meat, good shape and type, good colour, good marketable weights, but a little on the fat side. Mr. Drysdale said the third prize entry of Mr. J. Collis, Kairanga, contained nice quality carcases, but they were slightly uneven, though still quite suitable for the market.