Egmont A. and P. Association’s Jubilee Show

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 7 November 1933, Page 14

Egmont A. and P. Association’s Jubilee Show

BY “HQRI.”

The writer’s recollection of his first attendance at the Egmont A.

friends, was a great judge of horse flesh, no matter what breed. He will ever be remembered by old residents as having possessed a fine stamp of animal in Glengyle. His son, Alex, still a resident of the Waimate Plains, is what might be termed “a chip of the old block,” for Alex lived a great part of his early youth and manhood in the saddle. He was a well-known figure in the jumping arenas and piloted many winners at the local and outside shows. Captain James Mitchell another son, who earned his commission in the South African War, was also a noted rider in the .show ring. Mr. R. E. Mcßae, another Waimate Plains pioneer and early member of the Association, like the aforementioned gentleman, was a noted breeder of Clydesdales. His Prince Victor will bo best remembered as a horse that earned success on occasions; also his thoroughbred horse Volunteer. Amongst other breeders of the draughts were such well known old settlers as Mr A. Alexander, now residing in New Plymouth; Mr J. Ough ton, of Okaiawa (still going strong), whose horse, Ivanhoe, will be recalled as a successful competitor in the show ring; Mr A. Hastie, of Manaia, Mr Moore Hunter and Mr E. A. Bremer. There were many others, but the aforementioned gentlemen were some of the most successful exhibitors at the local show. ADVENT OF THE MOTOR. It is a noticeable fact that with the advent of tlie motor the horse has been superseded to a very large extent and a wonderful transformation has been brought about in the course

and P. show dates hack to the time when the fixture was held in grounds opposite King Edward Park on the site of tlie intersection of Dixon Avenue where, in those days, part of the area was used as a public pound. It was a small affair compared with the comprehensive shows of the present time.

Looking back over the years that have passed since the institution was in its infancy, one’s thoughts naturally revert to the pioneer settlers who were' responsible for the establishment of the association, a large number of whom have passed over the Great Divide. In those days the annual show was more in the nature of a competition amongst South Taranaki exhibitors. With the marked advance the district has made in later years so the association likewise steadity pressed onwards, and it was not many j r ears before it was patronised by leading breeders from other parts of the Dominion.

The late Mr J. C. Yorke, a partproprietor of the “Hawera Star,” was one who took a keen interest in the association in the early days of its existence, both as a member of the committee and as an exhibitor. He went to reside in England about 40 years ago, but always manifested an interest in the doings of the Egmont A. and P. Association and other organisations with which he was connected. Mr. Yorke died about a year or so ago. PROMINENT BREEDERS. Mr James Davidson, like Mr Yorke, combined business with farming. His home was situated at Taiporohenui. He also was a foundation member of tlie association. A keen breeder of liorses was Mr Davidson, but in the show ring did not achieve marked success. He used to exhibit in the hack class and was the owner of a tall gelding called Blue Bonnet, which he raced, but he did not earn fame with it. He had more success in the show ring with a jumper called Jubilee. Living not far from Mr Davidson was Mr Janies Grant who was for many years a member of the executive of the Association. Mr Grant was a successful breeder of Clydesdales. One recalls his well-known Clydesdales, j&eneral Wheeler (Duke-Blossom), Quality King (Lion King-Queen of Quality) and King of the Clans (Clans-man-Dandy). - Mr Grant, besides taking a keen interest in the Egmont A. and P.. Association, was also an enthusiastic member of the now defunct Caledonian Society. Wherever the skirl of the bagpipes was heard on New Year’s Day—the Scotsman’s gala day—there invariably was to be found ‘ ‘Jimmy” Grant, generally acting in the capacity of pilot to the kilties on their march to the sports grounds and back to the station.

Out Manaia way lived another noted breeder of the Clydesdales—-the late Mr. J. D. YLtchell. “J.D. ”, He was familiarly known by his

of the last twenty-five or thirty years. One has only to turn up the files of the “Hawera Star” to find evidence of the marked change that has taken place during that period as regards the number of horses that were used for stud purposes in those days, compared with the present time. This applies both to Clydesdales and thoroughbreds, in fact, all classes of horses About three decades ago there were as many as 25 horses advertised at the stud. To-day their

NAMES OF PIONEER RESIDENTS RECALLED

PROMINENT BREEDERS OF HEAVY HORSES, THOROUGHBREDS, AND DAIRY CATTLE

numbers could be easily counted on the fingers of one’s hand. Nevertheless, it is gratifying to know that in some parts of the Dominion draught horses are coming into their own again, but one cannot, by any stretch of imagination, picture the breed returning to anywhere near its former prestige of a quarter of a century ago. It has proved a- wonderful change from the days when the horse was man’s only beast of burden for vehicular traffic and farm work generally. Though the breeding of Clydesdales has diminished so greatly, it is pleasing to know that at least pne local farming estate has not relinquished the breeding of draught stock and, of recent years, has earned wide fame in the show rings of Australia and New ' Zealand. X. (refer to the Moore Hunter Estate. Tlieir animals have been very successful in the show rings in Australia and several horses sent over for competition at the Metropolitan shows have been sold at munificent prices. The late Mr Moore Hunter was a foundation member of the Association and the present head of the estate, Mr. Alex Hunter, has been actively associated with the Egmont A. and P. Association for many years and this year occupies the office as president. ARISTOCRATIC SIRES. Perhaps tlie breeding of thoroughbreds has not decreased to such an extent as the Clydesdale, for the racing world still commands the service of aristocratic sires. It might here be noted some of the animals that were competitors in the local show rings in days gone by. Old residents will well remember such thoroughbreds as Foulshot (Musket-Slander) j owned by Mr C. Ward. This horse’s stock was ver> successful on the racing track; Volunteer, a handsome bay which was first and champion at the 1885 shows; Tim Whiffler, owned by Mr Wm. Spence, of Ctakoho- Vanguard (En_ AvantTraducer). a winner of the New Zealand and Dunedin Cups; Puriri, owned by Mr Martin Baird a great worker for the Association and now of Hawke’s Bay; Mr H. Vine’s Enchanter and St. Clements; St. Paul (by St. Leger-Satanellai); Nolan .and) Tomks’ Gipsy King; late Mr M. J. Goodson’s St. Cyr, by St. Leger-Hazel, the latter being sired by that great horse, Nordenfeldt.

breeder of light horses of outstanding brilliance, nevertheless he lias always raced and exhibited horses of his own breeding for the pure love of the sport. His first thoroughbred matlon will be remembered by old residents who bad occasion, to visit the farm ait Tangahoe in years gone by—a roan St. Leger mare called Creeper. He bred some fairly good horses from this mare of aristocratic blood, but did not achieve a great deal of success until he secured, in later years, a brood mare, a descendant of Creeper. His best known racehorse was Bisox, which won several races, but unfortunately had to be destroyed owing to being run into by a motor car when out on the main road. His latest achieyenient is tlie breeding of Oarfex, a descendant also of Creeper. This horse at the present time shows great promise A young farmer, the late Mr Archie Robertsen, close on 40 years ago, purchased from Mr Hicks a fine, upstanding, dark bay gelding, sired by that great stallion Volunteer. I This horse which was called “Volent”, had a great run of success as a twelvestone’ hack, troop horse, best paced hack and ladies’ hack. He won over twenty prizes at the various shows, 1 from New Plymouth to Wanganui. Mr j Hicks is still a member of the Egmont A. and P. Association and can lay I claim to being one of the oldest members of the .institution. EARLY DAIRY CATTLE.

For many years a consistent exhibitor at the A. and P. show was Mr Alc-x McCracken. He always had something good in the way of harness homes, generally driving around the ring in a long shafter with a high stepping animal between the shafts. Alex dearly loved to take on anyone who fancied they had a trotter that could extend one of his ownership. He did much to improve the breed of hackney and harness horses in Taranaki in the early days. Messrs Perry Bros., of Mangatoki, for many years were consistent exhibitors at the show in hackney and carriage horses and their entries always created a keen interest in the annual fixture. •

Mr William Buckle was another familiar figure in the show ring; in the past. He owned such well known trotters as Judge Belden and Jersey. A foundation member of the association and who is still a resident of the district is Mr Robert Hicks. Though Bob cannot, perhaps, be classed as a

The exhibition of dairy cattle in the early days of the Egmont A. and P. Association was principally confined to the Shorthorn. There were for a long time no purebred animals. Like the Dorking and the Andalusian in the poultry world, this breed of cattle is almost an unknown quantity in New Zealand to-day. There were then no battles of the breed and high-testing cows, over which so much controversy has been raised in recent years. Old “Strawberry” and “Rowfiey” were good enough for the farmer in those days. The Shorthorn combined both milk and beef qualities. It was a good number of years before co-operative dairying came into existence and the butter was made principally by the farmers’ wives, who in tliose days, had no 20th of the month to look forward to for a share in the monthly pay-out and a visit mostly every week' per motor car to town "to do their shopping. They had perforce to resort to barter, storekeepers exchanging household commodities for the dairy produce There was for many y ears a competition in tlie shows for farmers’ wives’ butter, keen rivalry being evinced. With. the a <G vent of co-operative dairying the entries gradually dwindled as the factories absorbed all the bufterfat. It ‘is' not generally known that the pioneer of the dairy industry in Taranaki was a, Chinaman named Chew Chong. He built the first dairy factory and provided the struggling settlers with the first means of making a cash transaction, he haying created a market for the fungus found in the bush, now non-existent. This product of the early settlers was known as Taranaki “wool.” It used to be sent to China and the Celestials used it for making soup. It is hardly creditable that a production of this sort could bring in so much revenue to the early pioneers of davs gone bj'. Nevertheless, as much'as £72,000 was paid for tlie fungus sold in one year close on fifty 3*ears ago. It was a very helpful sideline and easily obtained in the spare time of the juvenile members of the households. AYRSHIRE BREED.

The Ayrshire breed appears to have come into existence somewhere about 1899, for, iA perusing the files of the “Hawera Star,” we read that Mr T. Scott, of Inaha, at the Egmont A. and P. show that year swept the

boards with Ayr shires. He kept nptliing but animals of that breed. In the same issue the “Star” mentioned “that the dairying industry, having such a strong hold in the district, it naturally followed that those most interested in dairy stock should manifest considerable interest in the animals brought forward in the competitions for the cows best suited for milking purposes. Here a broad question was opened up and the crux of the whole matter lies in this: Are we adopting a proper method to establish a dairy breed.” The late Mr A A. Fantham, a foundation member of the Association, was a great breeder of Shorthorns and the fact that he was an exhibitor always proved an added attraction at shows. About 1893 his comparatively new' purchase—Lord Nonsiich—was shown for the first time at a New Zealand show and was the centre of attraction amongst the cattle. A prize-taker at Melbourne and Geelong shows with most fashionable lineage, this bull came with a first-class reputation and his appearance quite upheld it.

A notable bre'eder of fat cattle was the late Mr John Winks, father of Messrs. James and Thomas Winks, of Hawera, and Ararata respectively. He took a keen interest in the affairs of the Association. Another breed that has never been a strong class at the shows is the white-faced Hereford.

A well-known breeder for many years has been Mr John Forbes, of Normanby. His name is inseparable with the breed of Hereford, for he has, year after year, consistently brought forward classy animals to the shows, generally being the sole exhibitor. He still breeds these animals and evidently finds them a good proposition BREEDERS OF SHEEP. The principal early breeders of sheep were men like Messrs. R. B. Hamilton, T. Gr. Nicholas, G. T Bayly, Pearce Bros., Best Bros., J.' R. arid B. Lysaglit, J. S. Caverliill, J. C. Yorke and R. W. Foreman. The lastnamed gentleman did a great amount of useful work for the Association whilst on the executive. He was president in 1896 and there arpse a difficulty over the financial arrangements connected with the Association It was chiefly through the instrumentality of Mr Foreman that a satisfactory arrangement was reached. In fat sheep, whilst farming on the Lakes property, Messrs. John and William Robertson were exhibitors at many Egmont A. and P. shows. Mr William Robertson was recently elected a life member of the Association. In the early days of the show many prominent figures were associated with the reporting of the different sections of the carnival. O'ld residents will remember the late Mr John Scott, who was recognised as an authority on various aspects of farm life. To those who were intimately acquainted with him they have rcfcollecfiqns o,f the great amount of ground he would cover in reporting on both days of the show. He had a, good knowledge of all classes of stock and when he left the staff of the “Star” secured a position on the “New Zealand Farmer” in the South Island. His death was recorded some months ago. Another gentleman who was for many years called upon to assist on the reporting staff at show' time was the late Mr John Finlay, familiarly known as “Lest We Forget.” iThe late .John Finlay wielded a facile pen and his contributions to the “Star” extended over a long period of years. Amongst those also assisting on the reporting staff at show time was the late Mr Walter Wilson, father of Mrs ,T. A. Duffill, of Hawera. He and his brother, Gilbert, were successful exhibitors of sheep at a number of shows in its early history.

NKLECTED OPPORTUIOTIES STILL AVAILABLE TO SOUTH TARANAKI CATTLE BREEDERS

Need for Dairy Type Bred to Suit Local Conditions and Requirements of the Industry BY GEO. H. BUCKERIDGE

It has been said that “as a general rule opportunity is a shy and timid damsel who knocks at the door only once, and, if neglected then, seldom or never returns.” Again, it is said that “Tliere is no rule without an exception.” Here in Taranaki we provide the “exception” to the general rule stated above, for we have had “Opportunity” knocking at our door for over forty years, and she still keeps on knocking though we have so shamefully neglected her. It frequently happens that she is neglected because, though she knocks loudly, those to whom she appeals are so engrossed in other matters that they cannot hear her, or that they keep their eyes so fixedly on the ground—like “the man with the muck rake” —that she passes by unrecognised In the early ’nineties farmers in Taranaki were finding the greatest difficulty in making both ends meet—much as they are now—and “Opportunity,” in the shape of the co-opera-

[ certainly the first essential for real sucI cess should have been to ascertain ' what should be done so as to ensure i the highest return per acre obtainable I from cheese-making to the farmer. What steps have we taken to bring this about? We have had, for years, so- . called “experimental or demonstration 1 farms,” which surely would have been put to their very best use: in ascertaining what was the most profitable breed • of"cattle to use for the purpose of ! cheese-making, so that it would have been possible to demonstrate, by actual proofs obtained over a period of years, under exactly similar conditions, the class of cattle that gave the best return per acre, arid to take the necessary steps to assist farmers to get the very best return from their land. That is merely “horse sense,” but though we have had the “experimental or demonstration farms” for all these years I have yet to learn that any one of them has been used for this very obvious purpose. Recognising as a prime factor the need for an improved class of

tive system of dairying, came along and, though very sceptically at first, she proved the generous bene factress she always does when her assistance is taken advantage or. in those days, however, the man wno advocated co-operation in dairying was looked upon as a “crank,” and his ideas were frequently classified as “the rosy dreams of an immature brain,” and he was told that ‘.’all his geese were swans” and such-like terms were huned at lum. from all sides. ( Time, however, has proved that in “cooperation” in dairying “Opportunity knocked at the door then, and, even though she lias been so indifferently treated, she has, nevertheless, been a benefactress that has brought prosperity to hundreds of struggling ••cociues' throughout 'iaranaki and the rest of New Zealand. I well remember, in advocating, at Eltham, in February, 1892, the establishment of a co-operative cheese factory, making use or these words : “Cooperation in this district is merely a term, of which we have not even grasped the meaning; but in other places they have not only recognised its value, but have proved its benefits. This is notably the case in Ireland. We are accustomed to look upon the Irishman as a poor, benighted individual from whom wo can learn nothing; but the ract remains that tne Irish dairy farmer, fed by Sir Horace Plunkett, "has made a huge success o. co-operative dairying, and, in so doing, has brougnt prosperity where poverty previously existed, it that is possible to the ‘poor, benighted Irishman,’ how much more so should it be possible to us, the ‘enlightened New Zealanders’ i

dairy cow 1 frequently discussed with my brother, the late E. W. Buekeridge, the best means of assisting the “struggler,” as the dairy farmer so often styled himself in" those early days. Then, as too frequently now, either from lack of means or from lack of the necessary knowledge, the dairy farmer was primarily concerned in bringing his cows into “profit”— as it is".usually mis-ealled—i.e., having them producing milk. “Profit,” to our way of thinking, meant “economic production,” which in other words means producing the greatest return per acre at the least possible cost. As a means to tiiis end we considered two things were necessary. They were improved pasture and improved cattle. The first was so obvious that we felt it could well be left to the farmers themselves, as they must surely recognise its necessitv and work accordingly. Ihe sec-

Though co-operation is merely a term at present here, of which we Know not the meaning, 1 look torw ard to the time when, we will have, dotted round this mountain of ours, eo-operative factories at intervals of every three or four miles, and they will be linked together under one organisation for the purpose of carrying out their business on scientific and up-to-date lines.” The factories at intervals of every three or four miles grew up, tor nothing could stop them once the success of the first few was established; but the organisation required, to make them the success they should be, still remains below the horizon. Jn a cheese-making country, such as Taranaki must be admitted to be,

ond, however, presented many difficulties; and it was, therefore, to this that we devoted our time and thought. Then, as now, the “scrub” bull was far too much in evidence, with the inevitable consequence that our dairy cows were not producing anything like the “profit” they should have been capable of, and the land used for dairying was not, nor is it now, producing its true economic income.

ing of the right type of cattle for the purpose—and with it the* elimination of the constant “battle of breeds”— ought to be perfectly obvious to every farmer.

The initial difficulty, in most cases, lay in the lack of funds to purchase the class of sires or dams to bring about the requisite improvement in the herds. This we found had been oyer come in other countries, and, arguing from the premises that “what had been successfully accomplished by others should be equally possible to us, if we adopted similar methods,” we put forward the proposal that our dairs herds might be gradually built up to a standard that would give us the maximum of earning power for our land. As with the co-operative factory, so with the cattle; we obtained our examples front what had been achieved

in other countries, such as Denmark Ireland and elsewhere, and pointe out the steps they had successful! taken along these lines, and in Oc\ber, 1894, I read a paper —written b. my brother—to the “Eltham Danners' Club” and to the directors tsf the Eltham Co-operative Dairy Company, in which was outlined a scheme for a co-operative stud company for the pun pose of evolving the class of cattle best suited for the most profitable product ion of cheese, and of bringing them within the reach of the poorest farmers, as, in our opinion, cheese was the commodity the dairy farmers would, in the future, be likely to be most interested with.

That the “scrub” bull is still with us, in far too great numbers, is only too obvious at certain times of the year, when they are to be seen, in droves, on their way to “the works,” and if further proof were necessary it is to be found in the “Livestock Improvement Bill”—an explanation of which appeared in the “Hawera Star” of September 2 last—which is shortly to be brought before Parliament, and which is being supported by the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand In the “Hawera Star” of September 9 there appeared an excellent article headed “Dairy Bull Studs,” which very clearly set out what is being achieved in the United States of America by means of dairy bull stud companies, which are co-operative Iv owned and run, and which are proving of immense value there in bringing within the reach of small farmers, who otherwise could not afford to purchase them, stud bulls of proved productive strains, and which are rapidly eliminating the “scrub” and improving the dairy nereis out of all recognition. These Stud Bull Associations were first started in U.S.A. in 1908—fourteen years after we advocated a similar thing for Eilthain—and at the end of that year there were three societies co-operatively run in the United States. By the end oi 1917 (after 10 years) the number had increased to 36, and is still increasing, with the result that herds have been immeasurably improved, production has correspondingly increased, and dairy farming has become more profitable, successful and pleasurable.

In 1864, when Denmark lost the provinces . of Schleswig and Holstein, she was faced with disaster in that, with the loss of those two provinces, she then lost her main source of industry—the manufacture oi porcelain, fortunately, however, for her, she had some far-seeing statesmen who set to work to reform her system of production, and hit upon the encouragement of the peasant farmer as the means. As a result Denmark by the end of the nineteenth century had recovered to such an extent tiiat, from being the poorest country in Europe., she was second oiuy. to , England. the means adopted were the subdivision of the land into small holdings—a. farmer there with 13£ acres, of the best land is quite a large land-holder—and the encouragement of the co-operative principle of farming in all departments. They are now an object lesson to tlie whole world of the inestimable value of co-operative effort, scientifically applied. They have evolved their own type of cattle—the “Red Dane”— arid captured the bulk of the imported butter trade of England with the kind of butter that, appeals most to the British taste. Not content with that, they set to work and evolved the right type of pig. That has placed them again in the forefront on the Jilnglisli market with a. class of baeoii every other competitor has been forced to emulate, but which still holds pride of place with the British consuming public. Another example of what can be done in the way of “evolving the right type” of cattle may be drawn from what has recently been done in Texas. For years the Texan cattle men were subject to periodical ravages of cattle

Time has proved the correctness of our prediction in regard to cheesemaking becoming the principal means of production in this district, and the wisdom of such a project as the breed-