GATE TAKINGS FOR FIRST DAY

Southland Times, Issue 23998, 13 December 1939, Page 13

GATE TAKINGS FOR FIRST DAY

The gate takings for the first day showed a substantial increase on those for the last three-day Royal Show at Invercargill in 1934, but were below those for the first day last year when the show was held on only two days. The total for the day and evening receipts yesterday was £126/9/-, which is almost double the amount in 1934. Last year’s first-day takings were £154/9/6. The details are:—

Southland breeders have shown considerable enterprise in their importation of these sheep and it is said that there are more Suffolks in Southland than in any other part of New Zealand. Tht dozen entries penned yesterday, including several from Canterbury, served to give a very good idea of the sheep and no doubt they will be inspected with great interest by farmers during the next two days. Another section of interest was the Dorset Horn breed which is also favoured for the production of fat lambs. This is a breed which has aroused conflicting opinions among lamb raisers because in some circles it is held that the breed is more suitable for the quick production of butchers’ lambs than export lambs.

Merinos are seldom seen at a Southland Show, but they were represented by a good entry yesterday. Unfortunately, the section was robbed of interest by an absence of competition, but the appearance of this foundation breed of New Zealand pastoralism was welcome after a complete absence from local shows for some years.

Good evidence of the return to favour of the Leicester breeds was to be obtained from the fairly large entries in the two sections. Both Border and English strains were forward In good numbers and the quality of the sheep was perhaps the highest for 10 or 15 years. Lincolns were also well represented. POPULAR SECTIONS The Romney Marsh and the Southdown sections were the strongest in the show and provided the basis of the whole magnificent display. Heavy entries for both breeds can be produced in Southland and the sections are likely only to be exceeded at a few North Island shows.

It is typical of the wide range of Southland sheep farming activities that the province can produce a high standard of sheep in a big number of breeds. Although Canterbury breeders provided a fair amount of the competition in all sections, the basis of the display was found in the Southland entries and such strong sections of high quality sheep could be found in few other provinces. The pig industry has made some progress in Southland during the last few years, but it has been very slow compared with other dairying districts of the Dominion where a huge export trade in pigs has been developed. As dairying in Southland is concentrated on cheese-making the farmers have fewer inducements for raising pigs as whey is not in itself an ideal pig food. It is probable, however, that better use could be made of the whey from the Southland factories in feeding with concentrates instead of the present method of disposing of the whey as a useless product. Some of the pig entries yesterday were attractive, but the competition was not as strong as could be desired, indicating that the poten- . tialities of the industry have not been fully realized.

1939 1938 1934 £ s d £ s d £ s d Day 46 9 0 55 6 0 37 12 0 Night 80 0 0 99 3 6 31 12 0 Totals 126 9 0 154 9 6 69 4 0