AGRICULTURAL CLUBS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 8 December 1925, Page 10

AGRICULTURAL CLUBS.

CALF-REARING COMPETITIONS. Yesterday was the fourth day of judging in ' the calf-rearing competitions, when the schools _at Alatapu, Auroa. lvapnni, and Ivaponga, was marked by two fine displays of young stock, one'of which (that at Auroa) was quite tlie best yet seen in the district during this year’s judging. It was not only that it was by far the largest, but that the quality was so even that tlie judges, both for condition and for dairy type had, as they frankly acknowledgeed, exercised not a little car© and thought at arriving at a decision. There was also a very good muster at Matapu and at both these p'aces the organisers were much heartened by the presence of a considerable number of parents and others interested in the work. The school children, too, were nsembled for the function. ’ Tlie judges were Messrs W. McL’Dowie (condition). I>. F. Malone (dairy type), R. Sym e and D. M. Mckay (charts), and they were again accompanied by Mr A. J. Glasson.

MATAPU. The first lot of entries judged was at Matapu, and there tlie judges found some good quality Jersey calves, eight in number, three Shorthorn calves and two yearlings, a Jersey and a Shorthorn. As will be seen by the points awarded, the condition generally was good, the work and the charts was uniformly neat, efficient and intelligent, and in addition the quality was unumloubted. Results were as below : Jerseys.

Dairy type. —N. Kelly 1. T. Carter 2, M. Carter 3, N. Prajjb 4, T. Keighley o, P. Pratt 6, S. Keighley. 7, E. Keighley 8. Shorthorns.

Dairy type—A'ex Seed 1, Alex Keighley 2. Bessie Seed 3. A remarkable position was disclosed in that the three Shorthorns were placed level on condition, the judge saying that he could not separate them. He said also that the children were entitled to congratulation for the way the- had turned out the calves. The judge of charts also said that th e work of the children was exceptionally good. There were two yearlings, a Jersey shown bv l l '. Seed and a Shorthorn entered bv B. Seed, and both secured an award, and will compete at the group judging on Friday. Air Syme commended these two young exhibitors, and said lie hoped they would show their animals again as two and three-year-olds. Some of the calves proved to be very hard to manage, and several would not ead, and Air Syme said that a great deal of the value of the competitions was to teach children to handle their animals and so keep control of them when working on the farm. AT AUROA. At this place it was found that the ■ecord number of entries had been reached, and the even quality was quite marked and very favourably commend?d h.v the judges., Tlie marks gained were all fairly good, and it is worth notice that they were so close that six of them were separated by only four points, while two tied for first place. The work on die charts was good and even.

In dairy type the order was: J. Kirk, Oina Tait. AT. Buxton, G. Kirk, Al. Lyndon, W. Alowat, R. Lyndon, P. Symes, R. Cameron, A. Aluggeridge, E. Sandford, AY. Brown, K. Symes, F. Brown, Al. Sturgeon, F. Denty, 0. Mace. The Ayrshire was placed fourth.

Friesians. Condition. Chart Total 13. Bradford ... 97 41 138 F. Bradford ... ICO 37 137 In dairy type they were placed, in die same order.

There were three Jersey yearlings, and the awards were: Al. Buxton 1, G. Lyndon 2, R. Lyndon 3. It is worth notice that this was the order of placing when they were calves’. Air AlcL’Dowie said it was a real pleasure to see so many well-handled and mannered young animals, and hoped there would he still more next year. There was actually very little between the first and the last. It was disappointing to see that there were lot more yearlings brought into comictition.

Mr R. Dunn added his congratulations, and said that the idea of the :qmpetitions in the first place had been to encourage the children to handle cattle and also to keep them for several years. He hoped the children would try always to improve, to be on the look out for the best calves on the farm. He stressed the need of good ind careful handling when the calves were young and the need for building >.p of the constitution by good feeding. Air Syme urged the children to extend calf-rearing into a cow-rearing •ompetition, and endeavour to bring tlie calves along as yearlings, keeping the young animals in condition not only for the local show, hut for the comoetitions next Year.

After the judging had been finished i dainty light lunch, provided by the 'allies, was much enjoyed, and this kindly courtesy was happily acknow'edged by Air Glasson on behalf of the oartv.

Adding liis congratulations on the display of stock, Mr G-lnsson said that the calves were skifully and well handled, which was a vain aide factor in farm husbandry. The Auroa children were certainly learning to rear and handle good calves, and he hoped they would also strive to rear them at a moderate cost. The thanks of the community were briefly expressed by Mr Dunn to the bulges and organisers of the judging, and lie assured them that all much anoreciated what they were doing for the dubs. KAPUNI. Four calves were paraded at Kapuni, three Jersey and one Friesian. They all gained good marks. Another entry had been made by E. Harrison, hut could not be brought. It was unfor-

tun ate, as the chart for this calf had gained the best marks m the competi-. tions, 47. Jersey. Condition. Chart. Total.

Tlie awards on dairy type were m the same order. Friesian. Condition. Chart. Total. M. Lindsay ... 100 45 145 Both judges commented very favourably on the calves shown, and agreed that the Friesian would take a lot or beating in the groups. KAPONGA. The results at Kaponga were not very encouraging, only one out of three entered being shown. It was, however, an exceptionally well-grown animals The judges said it was quite worth taking a place in the groups. The girl who reared it was Bonnie Tonkin, and the calf received first in competition and for dairy type. ' Mr Syme said the judges were disappointed, as they had expected to see more entries at a school the size of Kaponga. , . ~ . , Mr Malone, congratulating the girl who entered the calf, said that he would give a gold medal next year for the best calf on dairy type, provided there were at least six entries._ The headmaster thanked the judges, and Mr Malone specially for his generous offer. He said he had not been long in the district. He would work the competition up. and see if they could not have a large number next year. TO-DAY’S WORK. The places mapped out for to-day’s judging are Mangatoki, Ngaere, Stratford. Douglas and Toko. There are 24 entries to be dealt with.

Condition. Chart. Total N. Kelly . ... TOO 45 145 N. Carter . . ... 97 37 134 s Keighley . . ...’ 90 42 132 T. Carter . ... 93 39 132 N.. S. Pratt . ... 86 45 131 Pratt . ... 86 42 128 15. Keighley 8° 43 125 T. Keighley ;.. 82 40 122

• Condition. Chart. Tot a Alex Seed 100 46 146 Bessie Seed 100 4o 14o Alex Ixeighlev ... 100 38 138

Jerseys -Ayrshires. Condition. Chart. Total Oma Tail ... . . 100 40 140 G. ■Kirk ... . .' 98 42 140 J. Kirk . 98 36 134 R. Cameron . 95 36 131 E. San-dford . 88 42 130 M. Buxton ... . . 91 38 129 P. Svmes ... . . 93 35 128 R. Lyndon . 84 43 127 AY Mouat ... . . 80 44 124 W Brown . 84 39 123 A. Muggeridge • . 86 35 121 M. Lyndon 75 44 119 F. ■Denty ... . . 82 36 118 .K. Symes ... . 11 40 117 F. Brown ... . . 73 44 117 M. Sturgeon . 71 43 114 O'. Mace' ... . . 69 35 104

Phyllis Eva . .. 100 44 144 P. "Gulliver .... .. 97 39 136 M. Honore .... .. 86 43 129