The Hawera Star. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1924. AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL SHOWS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 6 November 1924, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1924. AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL SHOWS.

■Delivered every evening by fi o’clock' in Ha wera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, Waverley, Mokoia, Whakarnara, Ohangai, Merernere, Fraser Road, and Ararata.

Ihe month of November brings the round of agricultural and pastoral shows along the West Coast of this island, and in . a fortnight's time the J’/gmont A. and P. Association’s show will be held. This year seer. the first Royal Show at Palmerston North, which finishes to-day after proving very successful. Next week Wanganui will have its show and then Hawera and Stratford. These shows do a great deal of good, as the history of farming in New Zealand proves, and it is the duty of the people in eac-h district to give their’ best support to their show. This season there is an abundance of grass on the farms, and stock everywhere are in splendid condition, facts which should assure the Egmont Association of an excellent show on November 19 and 20. When the show was held in the autumn stock was not in the attractive condition it is in during the spring and early ? summer, and, though farmers are very busy at this time of the year, the time which they devote to preparing their animals for exhibition is not wasted, for through the show the farming industry receives a fillip, and farmers themselves benefit indirectly, while they increase their knowledge by conversation with others and by

making comparisons between tiieir own stoeli ana tne animats against ivineh they are competing. The show tilings town and country together, ana each may learn much from the other, tor they are to a great degree interdependent, and one cannot well do wiuiout the other. We hope theretore that the townspeople will join with the far-mere in mailing this year’s show a record success. The district is widely recognised as being the finest in the Dominion for dairying, and . there are many herds in South Taranaki that it would be hard to beat anywhere in the world. When the pick of these herds meet on ihe showgrounds on a fine- day the parade attracts great interest, and those who think for a moment of the great importance of the dairying industry must realise that euch gatherings to interest people in the farmer® and their work. are worthy of encouragement. With the growing volume of the of primary products the call is to maintain the quality of the articles sent abroad, and to improve the industry wherever possible. In dairy farming there are three main factors—the land, the farmer and the stock. Nature has provided a very fertile soil in South Taranaki, and the farmers of the district are very keen to work the land to the best advantage. Years, ago many of them paid too little attention to. the breed and claes of stock that they should place upon the land. One cow was regarded as being as good as another in those times, but by testing and keeping records it was soon found that such was not the case, and each year finds farmers adopting more scientific methods and paying closer attention to their herds, seeking out the robber cow and doing away with the scrub bull. We. believe that the A. and P. shows have helped farmers to realise the value of - adopting the most up-to-date systems of. farming, and there are very few farmers who have not learned something of importance from each show held by the Egmont A. and P. Association. For the coming show it is expected that the entries will he very good and competition among the breeders keen. Let all . the people of the district join together to make it the most successful show in the history of. the association. Many more people might become members, and by paying the small subscription each year help the association financially. It is a district institution of great value, and merits the best support of all the people • whose interests it 6erves.