The Late Ram Fair.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6373, 8 February 1892, Page 3

The Late Ram Fair.

[BY OUR HASTINGS COIiEMPONDHNT.]

Naturally enough, this annual fixtu.ro dors not attract the general public. The ordinary human being, -.v'non he Mte down to a nicely roastwl leg of mutton, co that it if, not unbearably tough, and has some eli-ht modicum of iWvor. takes little heed as u> its previous career, or whether it Do Leicester Ootswold, Lincoln, or whatever kind He lit■lβ knows or think* of the toil and experience) that has had for its result the wholesome and pleas-ant di-n o> fore him. Anyone having acquaintance wHh sheepfarineM or station hands may learn trom them what anxious care, i»ng hours, and even repulsive work, i.s neewsury to rear a flock of sheep, to keep th.-m healthy and vigorous by a prudent blemhv.g and excuse of grains, and every now and then by importation at great expsns-u. Sheep farming is as much <i profusion as any other, and requires a< many years experienco to attain it, therefore the public cannot be expected to underhand the nice distinctions of breed which are ho interesting to the expert. The outsider knows very well (so he thinks) a sheep from a goat, and bothers hia head no more nbout it. However, the well-known author, JVLiyno Weld, challenges even this, lor h« payh in some countries the sheep have hair and the goats wool. So rho general public stay_ at home, or at least don't go to the Kara Fairs. Ihose few of them who went to the Hastings Ka-n Fair had no reason to regret th« time.expended on their visit. They would see there all the principal runholders and xheepfarmers of Hawke's Bay, besides many growers from both south and north, whose names are familiar to them througu the papers. They could enjoy the badinugo_ oi the auctioneers without the alloy of having been beguiled out of several more guineas than they first intended, and last, and most interesting, they would be _ able to enjoy the exhibition provided gratis .or them by Messrs Nelson Bros., which at least was a phase of sheep culture that they could understand. This consisted of neveral rows of dressed sheep, some frozen, Home not. To the ordinary spectator they wereinterewting but to the eheepfarmer they were valuable object lessons, and that they were co regarded was nlear from the remarks of some of the oldest and largest growers in the district, to which Kelson Bros, have rendered a valuable service, and in the future will no doubt by it say.i themselves much trouble in selection. The best cheep wore in a row by themselves, and were olean, wholesome looking carcasses of m derate *ue, and a weight not less than fifty pounds aior more than seventy pounds These and no other will Messrs Nelson in future accept. They are resolved to nond Home not only healthy and well dressed cheep, but ehoop that have neither a superfluity of tat, nor vet a scarcity of that article. They won t have ungainly great sheep nor undersized productions. They want not merely good meat, but that it shall look good, that-when the Hon. Mrs Bull, or plain Mrs Buil, as thtf case may be, calls at the retail establishment of Mr Winprib in the West .V-nA, the picti-re of a New Zealand sheop shall he as pleasant to her eyes as the bent Scotch or Ensrlish mutton there, and order it, to nud that it ie as agreeable to the palate as to the eyes and order it again and yet again. This sort and this only will be accepted by the firm for the London market, and to assure the gtowers that any other would be carefully sent to the boiling down was a fact that many took careful note of. Mr W. Nelson was.hims-.lt present, as wae also Mr Hogg, his chief butcher, and both rendered valuable information to all who wished it. Of course, there were horrid examples thero for the purpose of showing what the firm would not freeze and send Homo. One row was shown which was. as previously alluded to, whcleeomebut unsightly. In times past rtiPHa huve hem eoractimeH accepted, but according to .ho standard described wall alwava in future be rejected. A row was shown which were taken from flocks sent for freezing of which the consumer would at onco atom he would have none of, and wnat Mr-s Brown .mi-.ht be excused for calling '' ca^-, m f a f, fci tbecasoof onethelungehad adhered to the ribs- In two others the fat had tamed a creeuwh yellow, the reason for which, was 1 1 eubjJct of' much le,rr,ed diecusßion. Odiere were mjured by bad management as 'lambs. Othora awiiu-and ou this point Mr Hogg lays great'etcew-by dog bites and by over driving. Sheep for freeing shou d Xve all Things be careful y and slowly driven, and if a doK once to biting, Jot rid of him at once, or the sheep-owner |i 1 pay dearly for it in tUe persentage of Ttherwise eligible sheep, but rejected for this reason. Two tows of lambs were shown, but as theae remarks apply as well to them, it -vill not bo necessary to describe them. SufL'f.ient has been said to show that tae erZi-er firm have rendered a large service to the community by the trouble they have t°aken xn this caifafly classified «*ib.hon ; and I eav the community adnsably, tor thatever"hir>nor or profit may bo attained by Mesare Nel on Bro S P and Co: will most ocrSly be shared in by the district generally. * I-.Vr that Mr HoJb i«bo«t t.««ta with this eminent firm and return ' n ScSand W That hie services are valued by the firm id proved by the fact that tti Hngghasbeenin its service ucco its formiation.