SUMMER OR AUTUMN SHOWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3443, 9 March 1920, Page 10

SUMMER OR AUTUMN SHOWS.

The highly successful exhibition of stock held at Tahuna Park last month, despite the" influenza scare, by the Otago A. and P Society may tend to stir up kindred associations, North and South, to go and do likewise. It would, we think, make for a general quickening in agricultural and pastoral interests if the Otago Society were to circularise other associations in the South Island, and point out to them their experience of holding shows in the summer as against an autumn fixture. _ It has been the custom for many years in Otago and Southland, and in Canterbury also,, to hold their shows some time m November or December. Last year, owing to the prevailing influenza, Otago postponed- the summer show till the autumn, and Southland had to follow suit. This year Otago again held their exhibition in February, but Southland reverted to its earlier date It would seem requisite at the present time, in s order to make these exhibitions go with a swing, for the Otago committee to convince the larger societies north and south of Dunedin that the autumn show is the "thing." What are shows intended for when all is said. For entertainment and education to a, certain degree, but ultimately the commercial aspect looms large Stock breeders are in the business for profit. There are few philanthropists. Take sheep for instance. There are three outstanding view-points of value: (1) the relation of a show to the improvement of sheep; (2) .the relation of such an exhibition to stud sheep; (3) the relation of an exhibitioW to the commercial value of sheep. A show's chief and main value rests in the results of comparison between competing animals, with its educative influence in making for more uniformity among flocks, in respect to flock likeness, type, and character, due to opportunities of comparison open to breeder's observation and ability to act thereon. It offers to the stud-stock breeder of observation the results of certain systems of management, as nothing is better than the combined exhibits of each "Of the different competitors. Their particular system "goes, or it is passed over as lacking in the virtues which present winners. No matter how great the improvements. of a flock may be or how great the material .profit a studmaster may "pouch," it would be of small use if the continued result did not bring about an increased commercial value to tihe ordinary flocks of the Dominion. We cattle back therefore to the commercial aspect of shows, and we submit that our neighbours are waiting . enlightment. The views; of Mr W. D. Hunt on the value of summer show dates: are entitled to close consideration.' He speaks as a successful sheep and cattle breeder. His Friesian herd is making history, and the prices realised for his annual output of surplus Romney rams speaks for itself. Addressing the members of the Southland A. and P. Society he said:— V . '

Since coming to live in the North Island I have seen something- of February shows, and I have come to think very strongly that February is much the more suitable date for a summer show in Invercargill. Looking at the matter first from the point of view .of. your society, the object that your society has in 'view is to get the largest number of exhibits of the best possible quality, and to get the largest possible attendance of the public. I think both these objects will be attained by showing- in February. Looking, at the question from- the sheep breeder's point of view, sheep in February will be shown shorn, whereas in December ■they are shown in the wool. The December date is always ven-y late for showing in the wool, and it is difficult to keep sheep in proper bloom until then. The get-up. of shorn sheep for shoving in February is a very much simpler matter than the get-up for showing in the wool in December. Keeping valuable stud sheep in the wool until the middle of December does them an injury, and it is difficult to shear any that are for sale in such a manner as to enable them to compare favourably with earlier shorn sheep when the ordinary time for giving delivery of stud sheep comes round. Getting sheep > up for February seems a comparatively simple matter. All that is neoessary is to t shear them in the natural way. a bit earlier than usual, and they will practically ■ get into show form under natural conditions. February, too, is the time when the buyers of stud sheep are on the market, and breeders of sheep will make much better sales at a February show than they will in December. Most stud breeders prefer to buy stud rams in February with say. four months' wool on them, than to buy them in wool in. December. I do not think I would be far wrong I say that a dozen stud rams are

sold after they are shorn for every one that is sold in the -wool, and after all it is the sale of their stud sheep that nearly all breeders have in view when they go to the expense and trouble of getting up their sheep for show purposes. I feel satisfied that you will get a much larger entry of sheep at the February show than you will in December.

From tho point of view of the cattle breeders February, again, is a much more suitable date than December. Practically all the cattle in a stud herd in Southland are in show condition in February. Very few are in December unless they receive special treatment. Like the sheep breeders, cattle have business in view when they are showing. December is too late to sell yearling bulls and too early to sell calves, but I feel satisfied that stud breeders could work up a good sale for their calves in the autumn months, and February would be a very suitable date for them to be seen. In Great'Britain and the United States of America calf sales of stud stock are now becoming quite a feature, and very high prices are being obtained for them.

From the point. of view of attendance, February is undoubtedly the _ month' when the. weather is at its best in Southland. It is the best time of the year for visitors to come to Southland. It is a time of the year, too, when farmers have more time on their hands than they have in December, and I think the attendance at a February show would always be larger than one held in December. I feel satisfied, too, that it would bring more northern visitors to Invercargill in February than in December. I feel satisfied that Southland has a great future as a stud breeding ground, and the largest part of the work in demonstrating this will fall to your association. I am sure from what I have seen in other parts of New Zealand that stock can be bred in Southland with a bone and constitution that cannot be equalled in any other part of New Zealand, and, added to this, stock bred in Southland will thrive well in any other part of New Zealand they go to. The speaker "probably has traversed all the ground in favour of holding the show in February rather than in December. It rests with the other side to present their case against an* autumn show. It .seems to us. however, that in order to meet the requirements of dairy folk and cattle breeders generally that a bull show sale in each province some time early in December would be advisable. That would leave the herds depleted of all but the rejects it may be contended, but there would be the calves on hand. Surely it rests with the respective provincial associations to provide their stud-cattle breeders opportunities of offering their stock bulls to owners of * dairy and cattle herds at the proper season. It is important that this matter should be threshed out in good time in order to work up the details and present show fixtures worthy of the Provinces.