WINTER EXHIBITION.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 135, 9 June 1926, Page 9

WINTER EXHIBITION.

OPENED THIS AFTERNOON

AUCKLAND'S GREAT SHOW.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY INDUSTRIES.

WEALTH OF PROVINCE'S PRODUCTION.

EVERY BIT OF SPACE TAKEN UP

Five years ago representatives of the Auckland A. and P. Association and the Auckland Provincial Industrial Association met and discussed the possibilities of holding a joint winter show. At that particular time there was apparently little or no realisation of the close relationship between the primary and secondary industries of this country. A3 far as the two Auckland associations were concerned, however, it was realised that the two were bound up in each other, the result being that combined shows were instituted.

From that time onward progress has been the slogan and the venture has never looked back. It has been a case of getting together, and to-day the man on the land and the man in the town are beginning to have something in common. More Space Required. As year has succeeded year more space lias been required and it has been found increasingly difficult to meet requirements. When the Prince's wharf was built the Winter Show Association approached the Harbour Board for the use of the spacious sheds and permission was readily given. Last year the huge two»storeyed buildings were fully occupied, and it was anticipated that the 1026 function would eclipse all others. Thi~ forecast has proved correct and instead of a winter show the affair has developed into an Auckland Winter Exhibition, covering a floor space of 102.000 square feet. It is realised by the executive that the Auckland Harbour Board cannot be expected to supply accommodation for all time, and discussions have taken place concerning the possibility of securing a permanent home for the Winter Exhibition, as well as offices for the A. and P. Association and the Industrial Association.

Speaking to .a "Star" representative this morning, Mr. J. Findlay, general manager of the Exhibition, expressed the opinion that a general move should be made in the direction indicated. The finances of the combined associations were in a healthy state and it was possible that some arrangements would be come to in order that suitable buildings would either be acquired or erected in the near future. Auckland's Great Industrial Display. Although it was announced that the 1926 Auckland Winter Exhibition would not be opened to the general public till 2 o'clock this afternoon, there were liundreds of visitors in the buildings this morning.

This year's function has many new and important features, and several of the exhibits have been brought up from the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition. There are side shows too numerous to mention, some of them not having been seen in Auckland previously. Then there are the farm district events from Pukekohe, Te Aroha, Thames, and Te Kuiti. The schools' exhibits' are well worth seeing alone, and the various trade displays should not be missed. A feature of this year's Winter Exhibition is the Home Industry section. The Dairy Exhibits. Outstanding are the dairy exhibits, the entries received numbering 362, an increase of 130 over last year. Exhibits have come from all parts of the Dominion.

Commenting on the exhibits, the judges, who are members of the Government grading staff, said the quality and general appearance of all the butter and cheese was well maintained, and thoroughly typical of high-Trade New Zealand quality. In the cheese section fine flavours and 'iodies were in evidence. In the rimess class the winning entry called for -rf-ial mention. The finish and get-up vere absolutely perfect.

BUTTER AND CHEESE.

RESULTS OF CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Tn the New Zealand butter championships. 45 entries were received, the winner turning up in the Waiaruhe Dairy Co., Hawke's Bay, with a total of 06 points. The Moa Farmers' Co., Inglewood, was a close second, with 9-51

points. In the cheese section the New Zealand championship went to Taranaki, the Alton Dairy Co. scoring 95A points, XoTi-er Valley Dairy Co. being second with 95, and Woodville Dairy Co. third ■with 94* points. The points prize for butter was won by the Rangitaiki Plains Dairy Co., with 377 point?, whilst that for cheese was secured by Lower Valley, with 253 points. Complete ilst of Awards. Following is a complete list of the butter and cheese awards: — Dairy Company Flavour. Body. Colour. Total.

Other Butter Contests. Results in the other butter competitions are as follow:— Best Box of Butter, suitable for export, to be taken out of grading stores at a date in March fixed by stewards. — Rangitaiki Plains Dairy Company, 95 points, 1; Cambridge Dairy Company. 945, 2; Rangiwahia Dairy Company and Konini Dairy Company, 94, pqual, 3. Box of Butter, suitable for export, manufactured under the most favourable conditions, delivered to the grading stores on or before April 29. —New Zealand Dairy Company, Ngatea, 95 points, 1; Shannon Dairy Company, 94*, 2; Golden Bay Dairy Company and Kaitaia Dairy Company, 94, equal, 3.

Box of Butter, suitable for local trade, in lib pats.—Konini Dairy Company, do points, 1; Rangitaiki Plains Dairy Company, 94*, 2; Cambridge Dairy Company and Cheddar Valley Dairy Company, 94, equal, 3. Box of Butter, from North Auckland factories.—Maungaturoto Dairy Company, 94* points, 1; Kaitaia Dairy Company. 94, 2; Whangaroa Dairy Company. 93*, 3. Box of Butter, from Sout , Auckland factories.—New Zealand Dairy Company, Ngatea, 9o points, 1: Aria Dairy Company, 94*, 2; Rangitaiki Plains Dairy Company, 94, 3. Box of Butter, for export, made by a buttermaker or first assistant. —Cheltenham Dairy Company, 95* points, 1; Levin Dairy Company, 95, 2; Masterton Dairy Company, 94*, 3. Box of Butter, for championship of Auckland Province.—Te Awamutu, 95 points, 1; Whangaroa and Eangitaiki Plains, 94*. equal, 2. Box of Cnsalted Butter, suitable for export.—Masterton and Cambridge, 95 points, equal. 1; Karamea and New Zealand Dairy Company, Ngatea, 94*, 3. Box of Butter, made by exhibitors who have never previously won a prize at the exhibition. —Shannon, 95 points, 1; InterWangauui, 94*. 2; Masterton, 94, 3.

Pointe prize for butter.—Rangitaiki Plains, 377 points, 1; Masterton, 376 A, 2; Cambridge, 375, 3. The Cheese Section. New Zealand Championship.—Alton Dairy Company 951 points, 1; Lower Valley Dairy Company, 95, 2; Woodville Dairy Company, 94*, 3. Case of Cheese for export, to be taken out of the grading stores on a date during March—Pembroke, 93* points, 1; Te Horo, 92*. 2; Tarawera, 92, 3. Case of Cheese for export, to be received at the grading stores by April 29. —Pembroke, 95 points, 1; Ngaere, 94*, 2; Rahotu, 94, 3.

Case of White Cheese for export.— Awatuna. 95 points, 1; Lower Valley, 94J, 2; Ngaere, 94, 3. Case of Cheese for Championship of Auckland Province. — Opouriao 041 points, 1; New Zealand Dairy Company, Eureka, 94, 2; Kakepuku, 93*, 3.

Case of Cheese made by one who has never previously won a prize at the exhibition. —Lower Valley, 95 points, 1; Waitoitoi, 94*, 2; Westmere, 94, 3. Case of Cheese, made by a manager's first assistant, suitable fo. local trade. — Ngaere, 93 points, 1; Kuku, 94A, 2; Tiratu, 94, 3. Best Finished Rimless Cheese.—Tiratu, 100 points, 1; Pihama and Lowgarth, 98, equal, 2. Points Prize for Cheese. —Lower Valley, 283 points, 1; Pembroke and Alton, 282*, equal, 2.

THE DISTRICT COURTS,

FRANKLIN.

The productivity of the Franklin district, so essentially a small farm area, is amply illustrated in this attractive court, which has a range of dairying and agricultural exhibits so comprehensive that visitors will find it difficult, on a cursory examination, to appreciate the full scope of the activities depicted. The court is framed in a triple archway of flax, bordered by wheaten sheaves, and the exhibits stand out prominently against a background of yellow paper. An enlargement of the late Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey is placed in a central position. Other features which immediately arrest attention are a

miniature haystack, and a mass \ of ensilace. There is a. goodly | display of cheese, butter, honey and beeswax. On the central shelves there rises an array of gleaming bottles of fruit preserves, je'flies, jams and pickles, and on the right other bottles, all neatly labelled contain a large variety of farm seed. Fruit there is in abundance —big lemons, pears and apples, rosy of cheek, with here and there a string of passion fruit. Fifteen different varieties of potatoes are displayed. Lucerne, maize, flax and an assortment of vegetables are given prominent places, with an outsize in pumpkins very much in the foreground. This wopper pumpkin turns the scale at 1001b. The root crops display is a distinct credit to the district. Kauri gum, obtained in the district, only a short distance from Pukekohe, is also shown. Anion? the exhibits on the manufacturing side, are hott'es of aerated waters and confectionery. Beautifully mounted stags heads and specimens of pheasant and Californian email nre exhibited in order to show that the district offers possibilities of good sport to the man who is fond of the gun. <• Thames-Hauraki District. An ornamental column of butter, ■worked and moulded in intricate scrolls and artistic designs, which an expert must have spent hours in carrying into effect, stands amid an array of silver cups and prize trophies in the centre of the Thames-Hauraki district court. The column rises to a height of nearly 3ft, and the prominence given to it impresses upon the mind of the most casual passerby that the cult of the golden calf is one that has returned rich rewards to the hard-working dairy farmers of thia district. The prize cups set out on the central table were won by exhibitors of butter, cheese, and dairy cattle at North Island shows. A model dairy farm is another striking feature of this court, standing out from among a great collection of"butter. cheese, eggs, honey, an-1 other farm products. Vegetables and root crops were railed to Auckland by the truckful in order to stock the shelves of this almost over-full court. Red beet, kumaras, onions, potatoes, artichokes, pumpkins- —woppers. some of them —turnips, mangolds, maize, and the wholesome American corn cob. a tasty dish when served up with butter, make a rich and colourful array which sivea an immediate and lasting indicatin of the productivity of the prolific farm lands on the Plains. The Thames School of Mines has arranged a collection of base metals which compels attention. Gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc won from the rich earth of the district are all neatly set out in a ease, which includes, too. "many varieties of kauri gum. The fruitgrowers are well represented with an abundance of apples, lemons, pears, and tree tomatoes. Bottles of wine, cordial, and natural Puriri soda water have a place on the shelves, and other secondary industries carried on at Thames have provided such exhibits as eonfo?

tionery, bicycles, a violin case made | from New Zealand wood, and engineers' j accessories. Good quality flax has been i used to decorate part of the wall space, | and a corner of the court is hung with pretty raffia bags and hand-worked cushions and trays. Te Kuiti. Lycopodium and Prince of Wales fern have been used extensively in decorating the Te Kuiti court, which is essentially the exhibit of a farming community. An eight-months-ola lamb, of monster proportions, attracts interest to the centre of the court, and visitors who inquire as to the development of sheep farming in the district are informed that the

■roduetion if fat sheep has increased five-fold in six years. Butter and cheese exhibits have been alloted space proportionate to the importance of this industry. Last year 12130 tons of butter was loaded at Te Kuiti railway station. Samples of virgin clay, hewn from the hills near the town, are items which will provoke much inquiry. Just above these hangs a photograph of the brick works, and samples of the excellent bricks produced are piled on a shelf nearby. Other pictures depict the Te Kuiti "Hospital and the Nurses' Home at Hamilton, both of which were built of bricks manufactured at Te Kuiti. Limestone in lumps, dressed and undressed, piled on the floor, is a more interesting exhibit than one would first imagine, since a number of cards are arranged in such a manner as to set forth the uses of this valuable stone. Those in charge of the court point with pride to a knot of hand-dressed flax, the strands of which are almost as fine as silk. They have been dyed with natural chemicals from tree bark by means of a process at which the Maoris are adepts. Two bottles of mineral water, obtained from a spring which bubbles to the surface some four miles and a-half from Te Kuiti, have a central place. The spring provides a constant supply of muriated saline water, closely resembling the renowned waters of Bbmburg and other continental spas. Nor is mineral water the only boast of the district, since Te Kuiti people direct the attention of their Auckland friends to a picture of the foaming Wairere Falls, which have been harnessed recently in order to provide electric current for the township of Pio pio and surrounding district. The court embodies a particularly striking collection of rare native plants and ferns, which should interest city dwellers who seldom get the opportunity to visit the busk A case of apples, packed and wrapped for export in a manner that would do credit to the best Canadian firms, a huge display of root crops worthy of the golden acres of Canterbury Plains, an aggregation of pickles, preserves, jams and jellies bottled by students of the Te Kuiti District High School, and some exhibits from the manufacturing concerns of the district, including some good preserved ginger, are, among a wealth of other items, thoroughly interesting and indicative of the resources of the King Country. Te Aroha and Districts. Distinctive in character, by reason of the original lines followed, the court which represents Te Aroha and district is one which will provoke much interest and comment. Those responsible for its preparation are deserving of congratulation, since, as the result of their labours, an exhibit of great educational value has been set up. Divided into three main sections, the court provides an opportunity of learning useful facts in connection with Te Aroha's principal activities—dairying and dairy by-pro-ducts, the spa, and sports. The whole court is set against an attractive background of deep blue, and is brilliantly illuminated by big arc lamps, totalling 4000 candle-power. As many lights have been used to illuminate this court as arej available for the whole of the remain-1 der of the exhibits and side-shows on I the shed floor. On glancing at this unusual court, one's eye at once rests on a gigantic butter carton, which, if it contained a pat of butter large enough to fill it, would weigh over a quarter of a ton. Immediately below this are set out four big clear-glass bottles, the largest one containing whole milk, while cream, skimmed milk and whey are in the smaller receptacles. All the 46 constituent elements of milk are exhibited lin labelled bottles on the tiers below. Seventy different by-products from milk are set out on the left-hand side of the central shelvs. The pictorial story of Glaxo, from the milk-can to the baby, is given along the bottom of the lowest shelf. Casein and some of the almost unlimited variety of things which may be manufactured from it are shown. Galilith, prepared from casein, is a material which is used extensively in making piano keys, combs, pencil holders,

cigarette holders and other articles.

Smoke screens used in the war were largely the result of experiments with casein.

A fascinating fountain, electrically operated, plays constantly in the section devoted to the spa. Twenty-two samples of natural mineral waters are on view, with their analyses set out in bold lettering. Ailments which have been found to respond to treatment at the Te Aroha baths are also enumerated. Maps and notices show where Te Aroha is situated, how the traveller may reach the town, how much it will cost him to get there, and what he will be charged at the hotels and at the baths when he is there. Over on the right hand side there is an array of sports materials, calculated to give an indication of the nature of the outdoor pastimes which may be enjoyed by the visitor to Te Aroha" Above the eonrt a huge sisn remarks: "Te Aroha and District. The Gem of the Waikato." The annual production of the district is also advertised so that all may read: —Butter 4120 tons, cheese 1430 tons, powder 2000 tons, casein 220 tons.

FERTILITY OP GUMLANDS.

No land in New Zealand has been so misunderstood as the gumlandi which are a featirre of the North Auckland landscape, but that they will yield to treatment and scientific farming has been convincingly demonstrated on numerous occasions. At the Winter Show a fine exhibit of roots and grasses is being made by Mr. John Knight, of Albany. In IMS Mr. Knight took up an area of 31S acres in tli2t district covered with ti-tree. fern and gorse. Wattles were planted as a shelter belt, and then Mr. Knight began to get the land into order, with the result that it is to-day a wonderfully fertile area, capable of growing the best of produce.

"The gumlands are all right," said Mr. Knight to a "Star"' representative this morning, "but it is no use a man going on it who won't work, or who does not understand it." He eaid taat the secret of success was to tile-drain the land, deep cultivation, and the use of lime. He considered that the best grass to put down was Poverty Bay rye, but paspalum and lotus simiis were also of great value, particularly paspalum, which provided succulent feed during the driest months of summer. One field which had been put down in Poverty Bay rye had been cut for seventeen years in succession, and v.\"s ="til in .ivrnt li-?nrt.

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