NORTHERN A. AND P. SHOWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3337, 27 February 1918, Page 12

NORTHERN A. AND P. SHOWS.

; MASTERTON. During the past week several shows have taken place, the most important being Masterton and Egmpnt, and both passed off well. At Masterton there was a good j exhibition of sheep. The championship in I Lincoln rams was carried -off by a typical animal shown by the estate of the late D. ! M'Gregor, and which was bred by Mr Bland Rayner. The championship for ewes -fell to Mr Bland Rayner. Other successful exhibitors in this class were Messrs W. Perry, W. Howard Booth. F. M. Reynolds, J. W. Conipton, and B. Lumley. Romney Marsh breeders were well represented, and tho judge experienced some difficulty in framing his decisions. The championship in ewes went to Mr W. Perry's Premier 267, which was a magnificent_ type of the breed. The same breeder carried off the championship in ewes, and his own trophy (a salver) for four rams under 21 months. Other exhibitors who took first prizes in the class were Messrs W. Rayner, E. W. Allen, and W. H. Buick. The most successful exhibitors in Southdowns were Messrs W. Howard Booth and J. Knight. The former appropriated the championship and the Glenside Cup in rams, and the latter the reserve championship and Breeders' Association medal. Mr Knight carried off the championship in ewes. The Shropshires shown by Sir James Wilson were_ much admired, and every pen was considered worthy of a ticket. Though the entries in the farmers' classes wero small, the judge remarked that the sheep on the whole showed plenty of constitution and a good class of wool. Tho freezing and fat sheep wero a good all-round lot. In regard to wethers (three shear and under) the judge remarked that the conditions were misleading. It was difficult, he said, to determine the shearings of tho sheep by their teeth. He suggested that these classes be for six-tooth wethers or wethers any age. The championship for purebred iShorthorn bull was carried off by Messrs Dalziell Bros., of Hunterville, and for Shorthorn cow by Mr W. Howard Booth. Other prize-takers were Mr James Kilgour and Sir Walter Buchanan. Mr E. Short swept the board in every class of Herefords, excepting heifers, in which he had to give way to Mr Donald M'Kenzie, of Wood- I lands. The championship in polled Angus I cattle was awarded to Messrs Burling Bros. I Messrs John Aitcheson and C. B. Morgan divided honours in Ayrshiros. whilst Messrs E. Eagle, T. Dixon, and W. H. Booth were most successful in Jerseys. The Brentwood Company took two firsts and a championship in Holstein-Friesians. and Mr G. N. ] Sutton one first prize. Messrs J. and W.

Fisher swent the board in dairy cattle. The fat bullocks were a splendid lot. 1 The judge expressed the opinion that the i three-year-old draught horses would com- ' pare very favourably with those seen r in any show in the Dominion. The jumping competition (hunter's style) for the Buick Memorial Cup brought out 10 contestants, and the jumping was excellent. Pride of place was given to Mr H. -HassaH's Micky j Free, with Mr J. J. Bryce's Twilight 1 second. The trophy has. twice previously been won by Micky Free and once by TwiI light. j There were a v large number of competiI tors "in the sheep dog trials (pulling, driving, and yarding), but Mr C. S. Hay a team was altogether too superior, and succeeded in annexing first, second, and fourth prizes. EGMONT. I Egmont A. and P. Association's thirtyfourth annual show, held at Hawera, was not as good as former years, the alteration of aate -from summer to autumn having probably something to do with the slight depreciation in the matter of entries. The i detailed list was as follows:—Dairy stock, ' 181; sheep, 165; pigs, 40; horses,, 254; dogs, 40; home industries, 420; dag trials, 15;—total. 1115. ! Cattle is a strong section, and. the dairy animals were shown in admirable condition. Although some of the cows had been in milk for five or six months, the different types were all shown in the competition ring in a very creditable manner. Whilst the entries were not quite so numerous aa at.preceding shows, quality was well up to standard, and prize-winners had the satis- ' faction of knowing they had beaten good cattle. The.pig classes were not so strong this year as last, when Mrs J. Wall, of Hastings, and the Mental Hospital, Porirua, had such splendid entries in Berkshires and Yorkshires. Their absence from this vear's show is to be regretted, but is compensated for to a certain extent by the entries of F. W. Fitzpatrick, of Hastings, who entered some splendid animals in both classes. The Berkshire boar championship went to T. J. Hurley, of Hawera, but the sow championship of the same breed, also boar and-sow and two reserve championships in the Yorkshire classes were appropriated by Mr Fitzpatrick. Sheep showed an improvement' on past vears' entries. Mr A. L. Campbell won the Lincoln rain and £we championships, and Mr A. S. Tonks, of Hawera. the Border Leicester ram and ewe championship. The Southdown ram championship was awarded to Mr C. M'Larcn. of Toko, and the ewe championship to the Moore Hunter Estate. In the Komney Marsh classes Mr A. T. Hunter, Wanganui, gained the ram championship, and Mr J. M. L. Blair, Hawera, the ewe championship. Some good pens of fats, both in the sheep and lamb classes, were on exhibition, Mr F. Besley, of Whenuakura, gaining five first awards in the sheep section and three firsts in lambs, besides several seconds and thirds. •At the conclusion of the competition in the Jersey classes. Mr E. D. M'Lennan, of Papakura, expressed himself as welj pleased with the type of cattle brought under his notice. Generally he was well pleased with the quality of the aged competitors. In this connection the champiop (entered by Mr A. A. Ward) and the re-

servo champion in Loth bull and cow classes were fine types of animals, and he thought that the champion bull of this year was superior to the one holding the same position two years -back, when he (Mr M'Lennan) was at the show. The young stock was very promising; but the autumn was not the time of the year to see the stock at thoir best. . . In the Shorthorn competition Mr W. 1. Woods (Papatoetoe) was also satisfied with the quality shown, but the entries were not so numerous as might have been expected. The successful bulls and cows were of good type, and quite up to previous years. In the horses (draughts) the judge, Mr S. Aitkenhead (Helensville), said the draught mares wore splendid specimens and worthy of any show ring. Ho was not so favourably impressed with the young stock, however. The horse events, as in seasons bast, proved a great feature of the show, the leaping and jumping events attracting large entries and fine horsemanship.