THE LATE SHOW.

Waikato Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 3486, 1 November 1894, Page 3

THE LATE SHOW.

■* The third Agricultural Show, held onder . the auspices of the Waikato Agricultural . and Pastoral Association, hiis"come and gone, and once more the district hia satisfactorily demonstrated its ability to get up a first-class exhibition of this kind and also its willingness to support it in the most appropriate manner, by a full attendance of all classes of the community. We are quite sure that nothing can more fully compensate those gentlemen who worked,hard, organising,and ( carrying out the numberless details neces- , sarily connected with so unwieldy an exhibition as an agricultural show, than to witness the general public roll up in such force and. testify by their presence their appreciation of the efforts of the ■;•■ executiyeand staff. This is really the test of .the Association's .measure of success in this capacity, and. the splendid returns at the,late show must be very satisfactory • to the Association, and strengthen it in making arrangements for the future. • We must, however, express some regret that the smaller settlers of Waikato were • not better represented in the matter of exhibits. This is a matter which should ■•-., eugage the attention of the Associationj. ' .and, if possible, some steps be taken to induce more of this class to come forward . yith their live stdck, etc. It is not unlikely that some of this diffidence may be ~ owing to a feelingwhich we believe exists among! small farmers, that,their stock, though perhaps good enough for general farming; purposes, would ■; stand : but a ! smalLchance of success if competing with the.very flue animals shown by the large .'■ stock breeders and laud companies. This - view has been expressed to us, and may ■, have something to 'do ; with •■ the'paucity ' of exhibits in certain sections. If we mistake not, this question'is met in other /parts of the colony and in Australia, by \ providing certain sections in. the prize list, in which stockj owned by farmers, Holding not,more .than .from one to two. hundred acres; : can be exhibited. .We believe this .plan l answers well, .and although the few. classes which, at the late show, were restricted to exhibitors occupying not more-than , three hundred a'crqs were not particularly . successful in the matter of exhibits; the '■- .questions worth the consideration of the Associationj and the principle might be still further extended when drawing up ; the ;next programme. Anything: which '■'. tends to increase the .popularity and enlarge, the scope df operations-in connection with these; shows, ' also i tends to their financial success and permanence; ut In a . .district like; Waikato; which is.so largely (tnade up of Ismail settlers, everything ,should be done tosecure •\as exhibitors,and we believe that the executive of our, Agricultural and Pastoral 'Association will be the first to'recognise ■ this. Whileon,thesnbject, wemayadd ■Jihat the large'attendance'atClaudelands ;: Thursday.and Friday, coupled with the manner in.which such a body of! people were, by!' ■>. rail,'road, and river, brought and ; taken! ,from ; the Show;grounds, .unmistakably, vproveß.that Claudelands is thespot above >ll others in Waikato r where ; i such;'exhi-! Jbitionsshould be held. >' It is the riaturali .centre of a very large .district •residents from the surrounding towns .and.settles ments having about an equal distance to' travel; and similar facilities jfor.reachmgj y the show Vthink; should be'made* to 1 permanently! secure tKiaaite for /such pubiidf unctions as that which took place laktjweW •' :! ■-' ■ ;" i, ■ ' ■'■■ .'■.•'■-j' v: * ;ii : :,- - h'l '! ~ .»■ '.• ,