THE AGRICULTURAL SHOW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15169, 7 December 1912, Page 9

THE AGRICULTURAL SHOW.

Sir,l should like to bring before tho Aiiflkland A. and P. Association somo, points in connection with the recent show. As a past exhibitor lit Christchureh and Southern centres generally, I was much impressed with the seeming "one-horseness" of the dairying exhibits. - There seems to bo a decided scarcity of the warm-hearted and "healthy competition which to a great extent has made smaller shows a ffreat incentive to the production of the best article. I maintain that without a, great effort on the part of those concerned the Auckland Show will dwindle' down till even the present successful owners and breeders of stock will consider their efforts in the dirccton of exhibiting entirely Over-rated as an advertising medium. To_ speak frankly, I was, with others, disappointed in Auckland's show, and am an the same time at a loss to understand irhy Auckland, the record-breaker in dairying exports, should hold an inferior place to other districts in tho matter of its- annual show. . The prizewinners of Friday and Saturday last. wore noble specimens of their respective' breeds and classes, and I know tUat Auckland can and does produce as good quality stock as the best to be found elsewhere in this Dominion,' or out of it. . . But there ' remains the fact that in many oases , prizes- were awarded to entries,which were conspicuous by their solitude, and this is not a healthy state of affairs. A more liberal prize fund would be one way of ensuring a fuller catalogue, and one would think a little more advertisement also a corrective for the existing order of things. 'My contention is that when an exhibitor of, say, a bull has won precedence over a dozen otjher good animals, ho has attained a more worthy position than when he. is a competitor in a class of four, secures first prize, and the other remaining beasts alf. following with a second, third, and V.H.C., respectively. My greatest pleasure was inspecting the Jersey section of dairying stock, where the best animals wore truly noble scions , of .their breed. AGBIcOLiK.