Invercargill Show. TO THE EDITOR,

Otago Witness, Issue 2493, 25 December 1901, Page 32

Invercargill Show. TO THE EDITOR,

Sir,— ln your report of the Invercargill show there are one or two remarks which I beg to take exception to, with all due respect to your reporter and to the expressed opinion of the judge whose awards I will venture to criticise. I may just remark that I was not an exhibitor in either of the classes to which I purpose making special reference. Commenting on class 16 (best draught team of four), in which there was only one entry, your reporter remarks " the only exhibitor won i with four geldings, the equal of which h*S nfever bean seen, in a Southland show ring. I have no intention of dispartging the team vi -question. I They were *n exceedingly nice working teamone whicb any farmer would have a right to be proud of owning,— but to say they were superior to anything ever seen in r Southland show /ing is altogether misleading, and calculated to give some of our northern friends a, poor idea of what Southland can do in the line of draught geldtags. Had there been strong competition in the class, then comment would be needless, but when the only exhibitor " won " is is " piling " it on rather heavy to say that never before had such animals been seen in our metropolitan show. Ag°™« phenomenal exhibit was tht, champion Border | Leicester ram, which, according to your report, " possessed such a combination of points as is rarely met with, the judge remarking that he doubted if his equal could be found m the colonies." Then your report continues, that ttiis sheep was selected as the best type of the breed on the ground was only natural. xm» latter, however, is one which the exhibitor may be verr justly ptoud of winning, in the face of such strong competition. In giving an award of this kind, however, the judge inctus more than the usual amount of responsibility, as n© sets up a, standard fa. breeders to breed up to and in the several classes for Border Leicester at Invercargill the judge had an abundance of first-class material to select from, so that we take it that this particular sheep closely approaches his ideal Border Leicester. In Scotland the Border Leicester ram, shorthorn bull, md thoroughbred stallion are generally regarded as the aristocrats of their respective tribes, and in individual specimens of then- we look for a certain nobility in the carriage and bearing which is the hall-mark of aristocratic lineage. Sneaking of the Mertoun flock of Border Leicester*— th.c owneg of ji^i

Lord Polwarth, holds a position unique in the C history of sheep-breeding— a writer of note says : * " They are living evidences of tha purest breed- £ ing as shown m their bloodlike heads, elegant y forms, and stately and graceful movements. U Now can anyone who is qualified to speak a on the subject say candidly that this phenome- ± nal sheep, with such a combination of points as I to be unequalled in the colony, has a bloodlike head an elegant form, moves in a stately and £ graceful manner, oi stands out conspicuous in a any way as an aristocrat of his tribe. Is hs c straight and level above, straight below, and « doe 3he carry an even typical Border Leicester J fleece? Will the judge, or any >ther judge, l say that he possesses in an eminent degree t these essential characteristics of the ideal i Border Leicester? I have no intention of pull- T ing the sheep to pieces, though in common with < a majority of the extra-judicial bench of judges, * I did not agree with the judge in this award, i I would, however, have in silence agreed to i differ with him but for the animal in question ] b°ing held up as without an equal in the colony. < If the primary object of out A. and P. shows is ? to educate the agricultural masses, then at tlie i risk of pitting my judgment against such a well- ' known breeder as the judge of the Border J_.eicesters at our recent show, J say without any i hesitation that the educational value of this ■ award was nil. — I am. etc., , STATION SHEPHERD. !

Mr Lawrence Pullar has handed over to trustees a sum of money to meet the co&t of . a complete bathymetrieal survey of all the , fresh-water lakes of the British Isles, ill* . gift ia in memory of the donor's son. who was drowned while trying to save life in ' Airthrey Loch, and who had already begun such a survey of the Scottish lochs, 'ihe i work is expected to occupy six years. The ceremony of riding the marches of ] the royal burgh of Dumfries was revived on September- 26 for the first time since 18*2. The burgh boundaries extend to 15£ miles, and they were ridden by commissioners appointed by the Town Council. These were escorted into the town by a mounted procession, ahd a proclamation was read by the town clerk, and a sneech made by the Provost. The latter also presided at a luncheon j -which followed, and to which about 200 gentlemen sat down.