THE New Zealand Herald AND DALIY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1898.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10908, 12 November 1898, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DALIY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1898.

t is deeply to be regretted that the feather yesterday was unfavourable or the Agricultural Show at Epsom, ['he exhibition is one creditable to Auckland and to the committee of nanagement and the painstaking secretary. As the rain fell so freely, it s to be hoped that yesterday's unjleasantness will ensure excellent veather to-day, when the visitors will ind both opportunities for varied imusemenfc and instruction. In several points the exhibition is one oi strong contrasts. In branches of rural industry, where one would have exexpected a. display which would havs filled the eyes of the visitors as wel is stirred their hearts, disappointment ivas unavoidably felt. There ar< jnly two exhibits of locally-madi pickles and sauces, although man] thousands of pounds are sent out o the colony every year to meet the de mauds of the population for thesi articles of table use. We should pro vide not only for all our wants ii these respects, but furnish a large ex port to countries less favourably situ ated. Again, in the matter of pre served fruits, jams, and jellies, then was an insignificant display when it ii remembered that the Auckland provin cial district contains nearly one-hal of the orchard areas in the colony. Wi trust to see a vast advance made ii these respects in future years, foi there is no reason why the local-inadi articles of these classes should noi entirely supersede the imported. Thi material grows in the greatest luxuri ance, and care and skill on the part o the local growers, or local factories should do the rest. In regard to fare stock, the display of horses is one t< be proud of, both in respect to numbe and quality. In light stock, the ex hibition is specially strong, though ii the heavy-draught section there are i number of animals which would provi a credit to any agricultural district Judging by the number of mediun heavy horses shown at different times it would appear as if the quicker stepping horses are now being used fo agricultural work in preference to thi heavy Clydesdales and Shire horses si muoh in favour years ago. While tliii change is noticeable in respect to horsi stock, there is also a very markec change taking place in regard to th< bovine stock. A few years ago thi display of Channel Island cattle wai almost non-existent; now they form i big feature in every- exhibition. I few years ago not a single head of thi polled Angus breed was to be seen ii the show pens, but yesterday then was quite a respectable display of thii remarkable breed-a breed equalh celebrated as milk-givers or beef-pro ducers. In our warm climate theii black colour may be taken exceptior to, but in every other respect all thai can be said about them is in thei] favour. Pigs were in greater numbei than in previous years, but still farto< few as compared with their value ai arm stock, especially on the smal farms which as a rule prevail in Auck land The great variety of ways ii which their flesh can be prepared fo' human food, the prolific character o this stock when properly cared for, an < cause which they yield, °ulc cause a:much greater degree fatten kf T d6Votßd to them than is™ the case The quality is here in severa breeds, but settlers will find it profit able to raise a hundred for one that ii now produced, and the low price o agricultural produce generally shoulc a use every branch which can yield , man'to be' 0 tT I , ndUStrious husb ™d tent T! f-l 10 the fullest « te nt- The exhibits of sheep frorr some cause or other were fewer thai i y some bUt ] am^ lgßt th ° se showi T inpni ■ splendid animals. Th< Lincolns as a class formed a splendi »wv thi i?? 4 but the £& fleeces, for lustrous beauty ° th< fleeces, for which ti,„ t • , 1 celebrated St 11001118 are « • rat , ed - The Leicesters were f<v„ Shropshire dZL f best ' th( display, both in a « a splendic ton. Not n iii ece and 05 ®ut t" 6 tr p rt a ' eo,ih ' SsSSwE when it io l 0^"' 0018 ■ is strange dent reported tW m rau corres pon aged 241b 4 0z fr n 'm i 8 BeaSon aver merino rams t.hn vi. r P Ure brec 301b, Jd the lowit mb liP Th in? Thes < able of rieldin? m r ois 5 t0 be and°the are invariably brines „ i' I menno ffo ° the longwool class P f price thai tio » devoted to dn the ° tracted as mnM u produc at was divided. This i • 6xhibitior divided Thin , 6x hibitioi ith the dairy nm!n ar ',. ln Valine * Ur was made The C \dI l ' eSh dear ? usck - th? Govern™ Jge Was Mr Auckland. This year S B^er ai judging by pointful e nci le ol ties and conditions ° r seoi ® e d qualibutt©r and cheese W <py *^' ed to bott J l6 right direction aS" * Bte P » j? on of it Wag • tl f , tile lnaugura, £* f fadicfJ changes oflv 1 nds f. rst departures fmm ?i, f'"J other iatt

P atronise t points wee awarded 'to Wj-i both m ofeese and butter R want to how what the £ your is liktw that they it with the flavour of ttt l( >re cheese provded f or their N This desire s « very natu ' as all exhilitions of this i'N chiefly for e(ucative purpJr 8 V? no reasonable objection T' * e * natural dean on the part % tors should lot be o-i ven 1,16 % form. To do this, there appe?^ but one way .pen, and low the euston now in Tftm , ■ tof & " Royal," and otherMims, 10 prov.de samples ivJS&f lie at fixed charges, so that *k can be educated to hi4 6r „ discrimination in the "matt!? lecting delicate articles 0 f dirf '* • Home the adoption of this £ , Ai ■ not only had , useful educating' but has also provided a con J demand for the higher classes J® peting' articles. This demand i by the competitors, and th» * obtained for testing samples.? 6s ' been satisfactory to the ram, w■ s : as well as to the funds of tft bition under whose officers'ft.® are made. This method is certaiftt far more satisfactory way tw V ' ing at samples of 'butter or r under conditions which prevent*' taste and flavoui, and even A tang known to the ea, er ft gator. e estlV • 1

Another alteration seems to i# • naturally follow from a system.fi,; scientific method of judging the ? ity of these articles. Why,,,J" , 1 utter making one of the feature ' ; ure exhibitions At the <%,,,» the "Highland," and other L shows, butter-making on the *2 is one of the most attractive feaS' to the genera l public of those lar! : exhibitions, and we have no hesitZ •° r ? !71 1 " ki ! ,ul »w»ii in Auckland would be just at i(i||jj! to .how tie,, .kill in the pr , of this table requisite as are th dairymaids in England or Scotlan. Such a feature in future exhibits would not only be an evidence of tV personal skill of the successful pr» winners, but it would bring beg the attention of many rural" seta • in New Zealand who have had bojys- "• tematio agricultural training in ti e ir youth, the merits of the vaiouj methods of ripening cream, t thedifferent kinds of churns which-the but.term would use, for inthis as in other classes of work, one worker prefers one form of tool,while another gives his or her pretence' for another form, and the nasonS which each worker would give for hi! or her preference, would convey much pi s< tical information which we think would have a most beneficial effect I'pc the great body of dairy produ■w Not only would such a section be highly instructive to those in. terested in the daily business, but it • would prove a very popular and atI tractive feature in the exhibition. Ait exhibition of the process of cheese manufacture would not be practicable, • because that operation takes too long a time, and requires too many details i : to be attended to in order to secure 1 success, but the operation of bute making can be completed easily within half-an-hour, a time which many, % will patiently devote to witnessing' the whole process of changing cream v into butter prints fit to be placed on ,■ the table. i'