SGGESTIONS FOR SHOWS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1716, 18 January 1905, Page 65

SGGESTIONS FOR SHOWS

Writing on the subject of agricultural ghoTO, an inspector of farmers' institutes in North-Western Canada offers some remarks which are deserving of consideration. He says: —'lnstead of so many prizes being given for stock, let there be quite a number given for stock judging by men and boys of various ages. In fact, there is no reason why a large number of prizes now offered at the average show could not be cut out, and the remaining ones placed by farmers and farmers' sons in competition, to. whom prizes would be given for correct work before being decided by the department s expert judges. By reducing the number of sections in each class of live stock there would be time for competitors to pass upon them before the regular judges pronounced the final decision. In this way stock-judging could be made a feature of the show rather than a side issue as at present. Then additional prizes could be given for the best fitted and beet shown animals in var.ous sections, thus encouraging individual work in fitJng animals. There is an art in fitting and showing animals, and it ought to; be encouraged. Then there might be pr zes for the best-groomed, fastest walking team; also for speed in harnessing and mih a messing, hitching tip and driving a certain distance and unhitching, besttrained horses, etc. When all this is through, let some time be given to a school of stock judging in which a review of the previous work would be a feature. The same line of work could be applied to other exhibits, such as classes for grains, grasses, vegetables, roots and dairy products. A school for judging grain, following the judging in the vot.lus classes by farmers and their sons, would be very interesting and draw out many a competitor.