Cattle.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 14043, 29 October 1909, Page 7

Cattle.

Though the entries, in .cattle,this year were double what they fwere fast year, tlicy were still nothing hKe they snouta have been m a. district such as tins, especially considering that dairying is now takmg hold; and iiKely. to play a prominent part in the destiny of South canterbury. Btrango .as it may appear, the class for milch cows was tne poorest of the lot, only'two coming; torward. farmers will-not take the; trouble to exhibit their cows. How to bring about un alteration in this: state ot affairs is a .problem not easy of solution. Certainly i; no blame can be laid at the door..of the Association, for they have done, all that can reasonably be expected of them to induce exhibits. The, day of more intense farming is not far off,'however, and when it conies a keener, interest will be taken in cattle, and; with that interest, a greater pride in-them which will probably lead to emulation in the show ring on a much larger scale than has been known in the past. Dairy farmers especially will find it to their advantage to 'take such an interest, in their herds. As to fat cattle, it is hard to say why these.; are not more in evidence. It has long been a reproach to the South Canterbury district that the local butchers have to go south almost every winter for their supplies. The best, of those at the show yesterday were not grown in this district but came frqmOamaru, though there is just as good cattle' fattening land in South Canterbury as any to be found in North Otago. The biggest class in the show was shorthorns, and it was fitting that this should be so, for the shorthorn ■ is ' undoubtedly the best all-round breed of cattle, that ia when inilk and ; beef • are the joint

desideratum. If a shorthorn heifer turns out a duffer for the dairy, she can be readily turned into beef and will turn out well on the hooks. . ThuTis not so with lighter breeds such as the Avrshire or the Alderney. The champion shorthorn bull yesterday was.',Mr J. W. Chamberlain's Duke of. Albany, a seven-year-old animal of fine -.proportions, showing most of the best points of his breed. In the class "for two-year-old bull, Mr 11. J. McKeqwn. showed a sturdily built and symmetrically shaped true-to-type animal which was awarded first and reserve champion. Two good yearling bulls w;ere shown by Messrs Hedley and Bennetts, and there were also some good heifers sent forward by Messrs Hedley, Harkness, Spring, Lyall, and McCallum. Only two representatives of the Holstein typo canio forward, and it must be said that they were really good ones, sent in by Mr Gladstone Robinson. In Herefords Mr W. Grant was the only exhibitor, and the animals .shown worthily upheld the good name of ' his Hereford herd. There were seven Alderneys, and they showed plenty "of quality, but the trouble with the Alderney is that it is too small for fattening; puriKises and too delicate to stand the cold of our winters. Mr G. : ;H. Blair, of Timaru, showed two hulls for which he got first and second respectivelv, the rest of the prizes going to Mr W. J. Silcock. of Ashburton. In Ayrshires, Mr Robert Brown, of Waimataitni, was the principal exhibitor, nnd he took first prize in every class. His exhibits showed ■ plenty of quality, but were on the small, side.. 'Mr Brown secured the championship with his new bull, Lord Cashmere, bred at the Porirua Asylum, and purchased, by him recently. In the fat section some vpry well topped were spfri. with the condition put on (\venlv all over, and they were a credit to the growers.