ROYAL STOCK SHOW.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 72, 24 February 1931, Page 5

ROYAL STOCK SHOW.

RESULTS OF SMITHFIELD JUDGING. The New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board has received a report from its London manager regarding the display and judging on Smithfield market of tho lambs ex the seventh Royal Show held in Hawke’s Bay last October. The board offers . annually special prizes at the Royal Agricultural Show for fat lambs most suitable for tho Dominion export trade, and tho typo most desired to keep up its reputation on tho London market. The lambs are judged alive on the showground, and prizes are awarded by tho Meat Board for tho best pens. All the lambs entered in this class are then killed and shipped to tho Board’s London manager, who .arranges a special display of them on the Smithfield market. The quality of the carcases is judged by three judges appointed by the Imported Meat Trades Association, and further prizes for tho best lot of three carcases as judged on Smithfield are also awarded by tho board. This year tho winning pens of lambs wero as follow: Judged alive on Showground : First prize, Lot No. 1233, A. Peters, Dannevirko, £ls; second prize, Lot No. 1253, D. (j’ollis, Kairanga, £10; third prize, Lot No. 1243, A. Sruthers, Hastings, £5. Result, of award on Smithfield Market: First prize, Lot No. 1240, W. R. Maxwell, Hastings, £ls; second prize, Lot. No. 1253, D. Collis, Kairanga, £10; third prize, Lot. No. 1241, W. R. Maxwell, Hastings, £5. Tho board’s London manager reports that the 72 lambs entered in this class were displayed on a stall on Smithfield Market, and attracted a great deal of attention. The judges were very pleased with the whole exhibit, particularly with the prize pens, which were light in weight and therefore very suitablo for tho butchers’ trade. Those lambs were perhaps not quite so showy as other Royal Show lambs, but they were ideal from tho butchers’ point of view. Most of them showed tho Down characteristic, which is so much thought of on Smithfield. The lambs wero purchased by Harrods’, Pulliam and Sons, Lyons, Ltd., Thompson and Coy., and W. White. The roport of tho judges appointed by tho Imported Meat Trade Association is as follows: —“The judges thought that it was a truly remarkable exhibit for quality considering tho very early date in the year on which the show was held, and in consideration of the lightness of tho oxmbit as a whole. The judges wero, however, anxious to stress their pleasure at finding the lambs which took their eye as outstanding and deserving of tho prizes to be so light, and, therefore, so suitablo for the trade. There have been perhaps showier lambs on Smifchfiold, but they have been heavier and more wastful—this particular show, and the winners in particular, were ideal lambs from tho butchers’ point of view. They show tho Down characteristic to perfection, and there is not a fraction, of waste in tho prize carcases.’’ Tho judges also spoke in the highest terms of the dressing and tho addition of tho carcases as shown on Smithfield, indicating the greatest care and good workmanship all along the line. PORKERS AND BACONERS. The Meat Board has also received a report regarding the judging at Smithfield of the pigs from the Royal Show at blastings, which were awarded the board’s special prizes for porkers and baconers most suitablo for export and of the type most desired by the British trade. This year tho winning pons wore as follow : Porkers. —First prize, lot . No. 1428, Bowen and Wilson; second prize, lot No. *429, Bowen and Wilson. Baconers. —First prize, lot No. 1418, A. Struthers; .second prize, lot No. 1417, A. Struthers.

Result of award on Smithfield market. Porkers. —First prize, lot No. 1424, W. G. Wall; second prize, lot No. 1428, Bowen and Wilson. Baconers. —First prize, lot No. 1417, A. Struthers; second prize, lot No. 1418, A. Struthers. The board’s London manager reports that tho 35 pigs entered in these classes were exhibited on Smithfield market on December 22. The pigs wre particularly good, the baconers especially being of very fine quality. The porker pigs wero purchased by Dewhurst and John Roso and Company, while the baconers went to Harris and Company, who were so delighted with the appearanco and quality of these pigs that they made a special show of them.

The report of the three experts appointed is as follows: Porker pigs: Pen No. 1424, first prize—Excellent quality, well dressed, and a very nice, clean, white finish. Pen No. 1428, second prizo—Quality good, well dressed and finished; a very suitable butcher’s pig. General remarks: All the pigs shown were a high standard of quality. It cannot be too strongly impressed upon the shipper that the London market wants small, long-bodied, clean, white pigs, and that bad coloured carcases will always be at a discount. Baconer pigs: Pen No. 1417, first prize—A remarkably good pen of pigs; most suitable in every way. Pen No. 1418, second prize— Another remarkably good pen of pigs; it was hard to choose between the first and second. General remarks: A generally excellent lot of pigs. The first and second prize pens were of outstanding quality and the best baconers we have seen.

FOOT AND MOUTH SERUM

The history in England of the foot and mouth troubles does not give muclr hope of the method of eradication used in the past becoming anything more than temporarily effective (says an exchange). Just when it would appear from a fairly long absence from outbreaks that the disease had been eradicated, the trouble would develop in some other corner of the country, and all the ground gained after months of vigilance and expense would be completely lost. As _ far as this Dominion is concerned it is improbable that the embargo on stud stock coming in will be lifted whilst a shadow of risk prevails. It is undoubted that the British authorities are doing all that is possible to ensure exported stock being free of the trouble, although the slack manner in which they hanclle such an easily mastered pest as the sheep scab may raise doubts in this respect in some quarters. But apart from the precautions taken, the slightest risk of the infection being brought in makes the embargo imperative. If it cannot be controlled in the farm lands of England, what chance would there be of it being checked if it got into the back country? However, a serum has been tried successfully, in England in the prevention of tho trouble, and it may succeed better than the methods of the past. The Ministry of Agriculture has used the serum on farms surrounding an infected farm, instead of slaughtering as “contacts,” which, it is admitted, has not had satisfactory results. This slight variation of the slaughter policy is expected to diminish secondary outbreaks, slaughter and compensation out of public funds, and loss and inconvenience caused by restriction of movement of animals. In a recent outbreak in one case 11 cattle, in another 19 cattle and three pigs, and in a third 14 cattle and 28 pigs were treated and did not develop the disease.

SYDNEY WOOL SALES. SYDNEY, Feb. 23. At the wool sales to-day tho offerings totalled 10,679 bales, of which 10,637 were sold at auction, also 1127 privately. Tho average price of the wool sold last week was 9.6 d per pound. There was keen competition at to-day’s auction, especially from the Continent, Japan and Bradford. The market was very firm, and in many cases in sellers’ favour. Greasy Merino fleece made up to 23Jd.