LINKS WITH THE OAST

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30803, 15 July 1965, Page 20

LINKS WITH THE OAST

There are some ihteresting historical associations with this week’s national ploughing final at Chertsey. This week’s match is being held a mile from Chertsey township. Another match, described in a newspaper report as being the first annual match at Chertsey, was held within a mile of the township on September 14,1878 — just short of 87 years ago. Among competitors that day was Mr Robert Magson, the grandfather of Mr Alan Magson who is the current president of the Rakaia Ploughing Match Association and one of the country’s leading match ploughmen, and also Mr W. Hood, the grandfather of Mr W. A. Hood, on whose property Saturday’s match is being held. The late Mr W. Hood’s wife, aged 90 years, still enjoys good health and is likely to be present at this week’s match, provided the weather is not too bad. Mr W. Hood was about 16 when he ploughed in this match and another Mr J. Hood was also a competitor that day and tyas placed second in the single furrow boys’ class winning a £5 prize. Mr Robert Magson was

third in the important double furrow champion class, winning £2, and he also won a suit of clothes for having the best groomed horses. The champion class incidentally carried a first prize of £ll and special prices for the match included a set of tripod harrows valued then at £7 7s. The site of the match was a paddock belonging to a Mr Murphy. Between 300 and 400 visited the ground during the day and amongst them was “a considerable number of -the fair sex.” The paddock was said to be of a rich brownish soil with a sprinkling of stones on the surface, but as incisable as butter beneath and as level as a bowling green in its general appearance. It was virgin soil with tussock burnt off the surface. The match began at 10.30 a.m. and by 11 o’clock 28 teams were at work making what was described as a most respectable turn-out for a first event. A pleasing feature of the arrangements for

the match was the earliness of its finish—the last furrow was turned not later than 5 p.m. and the judges did their work so well that the results were ready for declaration immediately thereafter. One of Wood’s reapers and binders was on view during the day and Mr D. Middleton as agent for Mr J. Anderson of the CanterburyFoundry, had one of the McSherry drill grain sowers on trial in an adjoining field. This latter implement was said to be well adapted for grain sowing in New Zealand as it could be used without any wast? of grain in the windiest weather. A large company sat down in the evening to a dinner provided by Mr Stening of the Chertsey hotel and laid out in a large marquee adjoining the house. The first match of the Rakaia Ploughing Match Association was held at Hatfield on July 27, 1923, on a paddock loaned for the occasion by the Davison estate. According to “The Press” a slight sprinkling of snow fell during the dark hours of the morning of the match but the day turned out fine. The shops in Rakaia closed for the afternoon.