PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL SHOWS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 51, 6 October 1880, Page 2

PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL SHOWS.

Now, when the usual agricultural shows in New Zealand are being generally advertised, and arrangements are being J I entered into, which it is hoped will reader , i them each and all successful, a few re- j i marks on the conditions essential to success may not be out of place. Good management at an agricultural show is rare, though apparently very easily accomplished ; but it is in reality by no means so simple as outsiders uaij^lat suppose. It is almost impossible to foresee and to avoid the numerous errors which exhibitors somehow or other manage to fall into. Horses are apt to be entered in the wrong classes, pigs to find their way into sheep-pens, ewes to be mixed up with wethers, and draught stock to take their stand alongside of thoroughbred horses, in a way which, to the uninitiated, seems to imply either gross carelessness on the part of the officials, or else supreme stupidity on the part of those in charge of the stock. At large shows in the old country, very careful and systematic provision has to be made, in order to render confusion almost impossible. In New Zealand, however, the number of exhibitors is comparatively so small that a few simple precautions will generally suffice to keep all straight. In the first place, punctuality should be rigidly insisted upon : then, if a plan of the ground has 1 been, prepared beforehand, with every I pen numbered, and each class marked with a distinguishing letter, half a dozen regulations will render confusion or mistakes almost impossible. If no stock for exhibition is admitted into the ground unless the person in charge can produce a duplicate of the card attached to the pen or stand which he is to take up, one great source of error can be altogether avoided. The production of such a dupli^ cate card will always prove sufficient to establish the title of an exhibitor to his stand, even if some later comer should challenge the occupant's right, or jump his claim. Of course, these cards should not bear the name of the exhibitor until after the prizes have been awarded, but the secretary ought to be able to fill in the name of the winning exhibitor as soon as ever all the prizes have been awarded j ia any particular class. | The right o£ entry granted to spectators i during the judging is very apt to prove a fruitful source of trouble. It ought to be distinctly notified that, during the judging, bystanders are forbidden to make any remarks upon the stock being judged. Loud remarks are very harassing to the judges — whose task is by no means an enviable one — and are almost sure to provoke brawling and " slanging-matches " among the spectators themselves. We believe that judging by points is by i far the best and soundest principle. Then if three judges are appointed to each class, i i it has been often found advisable, when- ! i ever any doubt about the best animal arose between them, for each judge to | fill up his book separately, and afterwards for them all to compare notes together. "Whenever disputes as to the age of any animal arise, it is advisable for the judges to adhere to their original award, until they have leisure to inquire fully into the matter, and have satisfied themselves of the truth or otherwise of the protests lodged. It has been customary at English shows in large classes to award either very highly commended, or highly commended, or commended cards ; where this is done, in the event of a prize-winner being disqualified, the next on the list of animals noticed, has simply to be promoted a step, and all the trouble and botheration of re-judging is avoided. At country meetings, it sometimes happens that unbidden guests cheat the gatekeeper and the association, by climbing over the fence. The best way to detect such scamps, is to hand to each visitor when he gives up his ticket at the gate, a pass-ticket- in return. The custodians of the ground might claim the right of | ejecting any person not provided with a pass-ticket, and could challenge any supposed intruders, with some likelihood of exposing the rogues. It is not usual to award prizes at a show to any animal which is unsound. But it is by no means every judge who can rely upon his own knowledge of the diseases of stock. For this reason, it is always wise for any society to take the precaution of having a veterinary surgeon on the ground to pronounce with authority whether an animal, whose soundness lias been questioned, is really disqualified or not. Non-professional men may generally be relied upon to agree to differ upon such points, and professionals are apt to do likewise ; hence, though one good " vet " is a decided acquisition, more than one would be " de trop." At a recent show of sbire horses held in London, we see that every animal noticed by the judges had to " pass the doctor," i.e., undergo a careful veterinary examination by a gentleman appointed by the committee, before being considered eligible for a prize. To those who know how constantly disease or vice is transmitted by stock from one generation to another, the above precaution will seem a wise one. We remember to have heard an old hand among horses declare that " a groom using a measuring tape was certain to lie." We do not quite endorse such a sweeping asse tion, but there can be no doubt that the judges should see that measurements of a light-heeled or restive horse, if not made by themselves, are at least undertaken by some disinterested party, if such a one can be found within hail. We may remark that we have always noticed that a good secretory generally implies a good show ; the Patea district has fortunately secured the services of a gentleman with tact, energy and businesslike habits. But unfortunately no secretary can be hi half-a-dozen places at once, and the committee would do well to place I themselves under the orders, of their

secretary upon show day, and undertake such duties as he may allot to them. There is sure to be plenty of work for all. Above all things, the secretary should not forget to forward free entr nee and dinner tickets to all the judges ; he should supply each set of them -with a faithful anil efficient attendant to he vozistantly at their side, and should remember that their duties are such that they must be treated like angels on a visit to earth, if they are to fulfil their trust satisfastorily. Pressmen or reporters need both ample opportunity and reliable information. Unfortunately, showyard officials sometimes seem to forget that very few newspaper men have had much practical experience in farming matters, and that, if not well piloted, may easily spoil the whole report of the show, by mixing the pedigrees of prize stock, or by confusing the Lincolns, Leicesters, and Cotswolds. We are perfectly well aware that there is very little that is new in the above remarks 5 nevertheless, some of the points we have alluded to aye constantly overlooked or neglected, even at shows where one might expect everything to be in apple-pie order.