King Country Chronicle. Wednesday, June 28, 1939. THE WINTER SHOW.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4803, 28 June 1939, Page 4

King Country Chronicle. Wednesday, June 28, 1939. THE WINTER SHOW.

To-morrow the Hon. W. Lee Martin, Minister of Agriculture, will open the annual exhibition of the Te Kuiti and District Winter Show Association. Now that the Te Kuiti Agricultural and Pastoral Society has definitely disbanded, the annual Winter Show remains the only exhibition to advertise the potentialities of this part of the Northern King Country, and as such it should receive the fullest support from the residents of Te Kuiti and district. Though greatly handicapped throughout the years by lack of suitable accommodation, the Show developed into an exhibition of which a small centre like Te Kuiti can well be proud. Owing to the success of last year’s Queen Carnival, however, the Show Association has buildings designed to suit it, and a great advance was made when the annual exhibition was held immediately following the completion of the building. This year, to judge by the excellent entries and the demand for space within the Show building itself, the exhibition will be more popular than ever. Though its primary objective is, as it has always been, to demonstrate the potentialities of the Northern King Country, the special attractions and interests to which much attention have been given this year, make the Show a feast of enjoyment and education. That such an institution as the Winter Show is necessary to the advancement of the district scarcely requires comment. In the young district of which Te Kuiti is the centre the possibilities are as yet only scratched; though a great advance has been made in recent years in this area, that fact has as yet only become partially known outside. Carrying capacity has so improved that it now compares favourably with any other type of country in the Dominion, and a most gratifying improvement has occurred in recent years in the quality of the stock carried. At the annual sheep fairs for the past two or three years sheep of outstanding tyjae and constitution have been brought forward by local breeders, and instead of mixed offerings of cattle, the bulk of the offerings at local sales are well-bred Polled Angus or Hereford sorts. Also, though dairy production has during the past year experienced the decline common to the whole of New Zealand, we have the outstanding record of the Mokauiti herd testing group, and the achievement of Mr. J. Campbell’s herd averaging 4251bs of butterfat, to assure us that the dairying prospects are there and that dairying can be greatly extended in the Te Kuiti district. Improved farming methods and the use of manure are slowly removing the cloud that has hung over the King- Country for many years, and the Winter Show has done more than any other body to dispell' that cloud. For that reason alone the Show is worthy of the wholehearted support of the community, but it is also an outstanding exhibition for a small country town.