SUMMER SHOW

Southland Times, Issue 21887, 13 December 1932, Page 6

SUMMER SHOW

OPENING TO-DAY WELL BALANCED DISPLAY PROMISED INCREASED ENTRIES The catalogue for the Southland Metropolitan Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s sixty-sixth annual Summer Show, which will open to-day, gives promise of a very interesting display of live stock. Entries show an increase on last year’s total and all sections are well filled and the exhibition is certain to be well-balanced in all respects. Visitors from the north have frequently expressed surprise at the excellence of the Southland Summer Show, and it is freely admitted that the capital cities of the other provinces of the South Island cannot stage a show of such all-round merit as Invercargill. It has even been said that Invercargill is the only centre in the South Island capable of staging a Royal Show truly representative of all classes of stock. To-day will be a very busy day as some 700 exhibits will require to be inspected by 16 judges during the day, and unless an early start is made judging is likely to be very much protracted. Some of the cattle judges in particular are faced with a heavy task as the entries in the Jersey and Friesian sections average about 80 entries in each, while there are excellent entries in all the other cattle sections, the display of cattle promising to be quite worthy of a province devoted almost entirely to dairy farming. The judging of these sections is usually followed with keen interest by a large crowd of supporters of the various breeds who spend the day watching the parades of high quality cattle passing around the rings. The sheep entry is a very large one, totalling over 350 and all the chief breeds are very well represented. A notable feature about the sheep exhibits at the Southland shows in recent years has been the increased popularity of the Southdown breed which has now come into its own as the favourite breed of ram for mating with flock ewes for the production of fat lambs for export. Southdown cross lambs have been proved to be the most suitable for the shape of carcass and early maturity and are very favourably commented upon by the trade at Home. There promises to be an even better display of fat lambs than in past years and entries in this section are very large. The lambs are very far forward this season and some remarkably fine exhibits should be seen in the pens to-day. After a very favourable spring and early summer, the general condition of all classes of stock is excellent, and it is expected that the exhibits shown this week will show more bloom than has been possible in recent seasons when the stock have shown the effects of wet and unfavourable springs. District shows this season have been notable for this feature and it will probably be even more noticeable at the metropolitan show where will be exhibited many of the successful prizewinners at the district shows and other splendid stock from further afield. Although the entries show an increase in comparison with those of the previous year, some names which have appeared very frequently in former catalogues are missing this year, the breeders in question having decided that the present situation did not justify the incurring of considerable expense involved in showing stock. That they have ceased to support the show is regrettable, but it is probable that when conditions improve their competition will be as keen as ever. The fact that the show will be even larger than previous ones, despite the absence of these breeders, is very satisfactory. The horse entry, which will be forward to-morrow, should also be very attractive. There are large entries in all the classes, the heavy horses being particularly promising.