GENESIS OF THE SHOW.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 124, 18 February 1908, Page 4

GENESIS OF THE SHOW.

SOME MASTERTON HISTORV. .In the past rive years the trade of Mas< tertcn has doubled itself. During the past year the cash takings on the Masterton railway statian were £15,600 in ex , cess c? the previous 12 months. To-day tho trade of the Masterton district' runs into many'thousands of tons per week. - It exports wool, stock, butter and flax, in very largo quantities, and it grows almost enough grain to keep itself. Masterton could grow more grain, but wool and stock pay better. : , :Trado. was - somewhat different in. tho lato sixties, ..when five wagon loads of- stuff per week - sufficed for the want 3 of thoso pioneers of industry to whose pluck.and resourcefulness we largel yowe our present comfort. . THE OLD DAYS. , One cannot write anything- about -Masterton . without' a : referenco to these old days, about which thero appears to bo much traditional history, moro-or less ■ vague,'-but : interesting. The coach ; journeys . over the Rimutakas, and tho noblo band of Jehus are inseparably connected with the history of, tho district. Thoso, ; wero'the days of Hastirell, Bannister and Company, with J. Hayward in charge, and later J."Macara, and tho champions who held tho ribbons ; were "Dick" Greening, Ezra Higho (nicknamed "Iko" for short), and"Pat" .Cookery. * Tho. old'settlers talk of tho doings of theso men oven now. "Iko'' and- "Dick",: Greening wero„men who wero' said' to have driven coaches • over.' tho Rocky Mountains before. they came to New Zealand. 'The coaches left Wellington and Masterton' at about half-past 6 o'clock each day, , and the journey. usually occupied 12 hours. Horses were changed at Uprer Hutt, Pukuratahi,- ondjFeatherston, and the single faro was 30s.' Tho Masterton streets had a ,bad name then. They were mostly : mud, but 'there 'wero log 'bridges' near the Club Hotel; and Chapel street. In early days tho road on from Masterton to Woodville through the bush was principally '-'corduroy" right up to 1877.' ' A'' corduroy-road is a road of mud bridged with saplings. It was tho sort of; road wjiieh kept tho liver and tho languago of tho travollers in a state,of,perpetual motion. - THE.FIRST SETTLERS. . .The' first settlers who climbed over tho Rimutakas into the district, .and. faded'and braved the'adversity of .years'! word J. "Wrigley (1851), G. W. Woodroffe Henry Bbntley and T. C. Chamberlain (1855),' William Bootiiani, A; W. Renall;- C.' Dixon, J.-'Mastefs, W. Porrj'-,; Jones, B. P. Perry, Farquhar, .Gray, William Adams, J. ,V.., Smith,' W. H. Donald, It; P. Dagg, Hi' Bannister, R. Hare, and others. ' The. Masterton Road Board iDistrict;was created, in 1863, with Mr. A. ;W.'Renall asi'chairirian'and en^irieor.' The settlers wero faced'with great'-difficulties to: provido tracks;: and roads, .'andVMr. - Renall appears to hafo'.bceri a'lyory.onorgotkj'iiian in' his'position,' so much so 'that at the aiiiual moetirig of\tho ratepayers in 1866, convened' by public notioo (thero woro'no newspapers),' Mr. Renall. was .especially thanked for his past services. to 'tho district, , This meotin" decided to raise £100 by way . of a special rate, and tonders we'ra called for metalling: tho various "lines." . They'could hardly bo do-, signated-"roads.", .. . ... ...., , ; It'-has never been iquestioncd that our first settlers/ were' meu -of but; tho. 3trangor might think tlio placo harboured some suspicious .when ~lio reid in tho minutes of''a'meeting held; 'iiiVlß67i that' "/the attoildance wwat? t largo..and | rc^peotablo." l The troubles of j: settlerd'-regahling' tboir riccessary.,roads . tho,popi I —they aro always | : witii ; us. ', In thoso, days tho''deputation; might.,; comprise!- ■ Andrew .-and','..Robert Cockburn, Andrew .Taylor, Alex.'Mu'tiio, and Henry. Jones,, who-:would draw! .tho'-Boord's atteritibn to the ".disadvantages' '■ they, .wore .'under':for tho-.want:Of-a.road to'their home6tends v; on : the- i Lower Manaia, whilo ' to-day it is a deputation from: One Tree 'Hill or •Boar Bush Gully, whicb - asks ' for roads. Still,. tho'place was . gradually jnflod, and' tho Crown lands became more settled by degrees. Wool arid skins were the-only export lof any consequenco. ■ There was practically no butter ,in . the place,-and . the greater part of, the'wheat : had.-;.to be,-imported.' Mr. :A. W. Renall aground a certain amount of wheat for those who brought tho cereal and mnde thoir own bread. ; The. first .import of grain, to any extent.from ;-'Mastarton' .was in /] 880,' when the, consignment; was stored in Mr. J. .Joseph's,ibig building in AYelbngton. , Sliortly 'after this tho frozen mutton industry was established, chiefly' by. the efforts of some indomitable' farmors, who plaoed their faith in its future. Later on when the meatcompanies wero ill a' parlous .state, numbers of farmers' sold 1 -out, but. thoso who hold on to liheir shares may, woll congratulate thehisolves ; to-day, for the wealth ; of, tlio' place lies: mainly-iniwool and frozen mutton.' In this connection tho advent of such firms as Levin and; Co., Dalgety and Co., Abraham and Williams,'-'Cruickshank and Co., tho W.F.C.A.y and the Loan and Mercantile gavo tho distriet and'tho town further -importance as an agricultural and pastoral centro. With an,'energetic''population, excellent facilities' for the .dispatch., and sale of Btock and a. splendid gcograrihicml position,' tho Masterton district has as great possibilities as any in tho'Dominion; ,; ;; '; " , . ."HISTORV-OF THE ASSOCIATION. ; Tho. history of the Masterton A.' and P. 1 Assoeiatipn dates from September 26,.. 1885, although A. and P. Shows had boon hold ,'ii the district previous to that time. Ono ahow Ms' believed to -hare' been 'hold in the Park ,somo .time in'-.1873, and tho old residont states unreservedly that',it ,was a very, good show, as shows went in thoso days. .".The merinos weren't bad, and :there woro>- some, very; good.',,hacks." . The next show held in Masterton appears to . have been in 1877, in. conjunction, with tho 'present Wairarapa -A. and, P. Association, which later, boughta new' show '.'ground at Carterton. < There, was constant-friction at': tho between the north and south, owing to tlio price and cost of clearing new grounds, and as providence appeared "to'set its veto on tlie new purchaso by a downpour each' j r ear of the Carterton i Show, • the members at tho Masterton end suggested that the luck might bo changed by a' changb of site. Thcro' were numerous -meetings and deliberations on the subject, but eventually the majority, of tho northern members seceded altogether, and I formed an association of. their, own. '• 'CHE FIRST MEETING.'

The first! meeting to . cousidor this propos.il. was held in tho Tcmplo Chambers, Mastertoil; on September 26,' 1885: • There' appears to hayo been an excellent attendance of mombere.'. F. E.' Chamberlain, Presidentof tho .Farmers' Club-,-was in thochair, and,after'reading a letter:from Mr. H. H; Wal-' tcrs, Secretary.of thb.'Wairarapa A. .ahd : P, Association, 'stating that'that body had decided'not to .romo've tho show from'Carterton to Masterton/ it was unanimously decided to f.orm'thc.ncwassociation, as proposed. riRST OFFICERS. : The: following were the first officers of the Association:—President, Mr. B. S.' Hawkins; vice-prcsidents, Messrs. Edwin Meredith and B.Pf' Perry;. treasurer, Mr. M. Caselberg;' secretary, Richard' Fitton; auditors,'. Mossrs. James' Brown and William Sellar;' general" committee,' Messrs.- A. W. Cave,' David Carman; R. K. and-T. E. Chamberlain; - N. R. Elder, A- A. Elkins, F. B. Chalmers, Farquhar Gray, David Gudd, John Hessoy,' "William lorns,' A. Johnston, W. Lowes, J. Macara, R.VB;: Meredithj.rJohn: .Morrison, James; Mai'r, C. Macqu'nne, T: Parsons,. J. Raynor, — Sharp;'J. Stu'ckey, J..C. Vn.llanco, Job Vile,.. A. Walker, and R. Welch. Of this, mimbetv many are dead, and there now remain, in tho .district Messrs.' Mv Casolberg, James Drown, W. Sollar, A. W. Cave, T. E. Chamberlain, D. Guild,. John Hesse}', W. lornti,' J. Macara,, 'Parsons, and — Sharpu

THE FIRST SHOW. The nireting wasted no limo in further .preliminaries, and then slid there decided to hold the first animal show in Messrs. Lowes and lorns's now saleyards, Masterton, on Wednesday, November 25, 1885. A noticeable measure at this meeting was that tho secretary was instructed to collect all subscriptions as early as possible. Shows have coma and gone, and will come, and will so possibly'till the great'millennium, but in the light of the past history of ■ tho various A. and P. Associations, it seems that tho motion that "the secretary ho instructed to collect subscriptions as soon as possiblo" will bo a perennial one. As tho' saleyards were only fit for stock exhibits, tho newlv-formcd' association was placed at the disadvantage of showing horticultural exhibits, "cereals, salt butter in kegs, butter for export in tins, fresh butter, cheese, hams, and flitches of'bacon" in the thcatro, which building was about a mile and a half from the show grounds. It was decided to leaso the saleyards for a -term of years, and a change of locality was only mado in 1897, when the Association removed to its present private grounds- in - Dixon Street.' Tho wonder is that the change was not mado earlier. , ' FIRST JUDGES. ' The following we.ro the judges appointed for tho-first show: —Messrs. John Morrison and Edward Barber (cattle); T. St. Murray, A. M'Kay, and T. Stillborn (sheop); A. Brown, and J. Morrison (draughts); J. 0. Hayward anil Wallaca Smith (thoroughbreds).; E. Barber and D. Knight (pigs); — Gapper and I. Harding (implements);, John J. , Fitcbett (vehicles). AN IMPORTANT INDUSTRY. . Tho importance of tho frozen meat industry;" which was then trying to get upon its. legs,', was recognised by tho fact that freezers in pens of . four and six tooths were mado additional sections to the prize programmo. THE PRIVILEGES—THEN- AND NOW. Tlie committee did not appear too sanguine as to the attendance'for tho first show when it' placed the following reservo prices upon tho privileges:—No: 1 publican's booth, £7; No. 2 publican's booth,. £7;'- refreshment stalls, £6 and -£4 respectively; •' fruit- and fancy stalls, nil. At,tho show-which is being held to-day, 1 tho'privilege of the publican's i. booth wa3 sold for £112. ' : r ■ - ENTRIES AND SHEEP CLASSES. , The entries for the first show wero about ■150, which:was satisfactory, considering.that the,. Wairarapa Show had . boon .held a few weeks..previously.. In going through . tho cataloguo for that yoar one .observes that, in addition t-o classes for .Lincoln and Romney Marsh.sheep, there were sections for. merino, Cotswold, Downs, and Leicesters. Cotswolds, mdriuos, and. Hampshire Downs were cut. out of the catalogues some years ago.. Tho show !'was so successful from a local.point.of viow. [ that it was decided to hold ,a ram and ewe ! fair, in tho following. February. At .the coil-, elusion: of this gathering ~tho secretary ported'that'tho credit, balance at, tho bank, was £39 Is.-3d., .whilo tho sum of £120 was, placed;at fixed deposit. In its first ordeal of six' months' ti.o Association had emerged with; honour and profit. . , : ENTERPRISE OF THE ASSOCIATION., .' The history of tho Masterton A. _and P. Association has always been ono of enterprise! Even in its youth, in 1886, there was tabled H notice of motion- by s».ir.. i'erry that tho proposal of tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce to open up a "wool trade with japan,- China,- and India should bo-supported, by tho Association" if it-was'' calculated' toconfer benefits upon tlio • population of Now Zealand.. Wool was,very low in price then, and almost, any straw was-ywortfi, grasping in order to ofiect a change for tho bolter. Possibly it .was; found tho scheme of sehdidg wool to the East'would not pay tho shipowners. ; The' Association also advocated, with no uncertain voico, tho necessity of the Government providing .by :Ac.t;of Parliament- for tho compulsory dipping of sheep every autumn. , '• 'i ' -'FREE FROM SCAB. ; It is, noteworthy that in..this, year (1886)> the Wellington yPr.dvincial'-.'District 1 ' was 1 "declared'by tho authorities to be free the dreaded sc?b. .. • ', '•'*«'• ' j . THE 1886 SHOW. '•"< It rained 'hard- and often for tho-1886 show; rained . bol'o?b -and after tho'' termination, of the gathering to tho delight of those in the' South'. Wairarapa, whoso Carterton show had been- deluged for years.' 'Notwithstanding tho bad weather tho allow returned a profit. Tho annual report' of tho next year .'says that tho result-of. the-1886 show justified the Association in tho opinion it entertained of tho great advantages offered by Masterton in its compa.ct population 'and central position. Referring, to tho .exhibits -at tho»sliow, tho report stated that it was important, to .note the great improvement in the stock' oxhibited, more especially in sheop aj'id draught horses. It was held that ovory succeeding show in this rcspect would tend to'. mark a decided improvement upon its predecessor/ This opinion has been borno out by the results of succeeding shows. : THEEIRST" ;R AM AND EWE- FAIR. ■ Satisfaction was expressed at tho result of tho first ram and ewo fair. Fair prices had been realised. Tho growing appreciation evincod for tlio high value of first-class sires .was .commented upon by. tho iaimers, and tho hope was expressed that rno day the Masterton Ram and Ewo Fair would occupy a very high position in tho district. • This; hope lias been realised simply through careful breeding. : To-day there are Masterton f armors who, can-take .their stud stock to any'ram fair in tho Dominion;.and com-' mand generally 'as'- high" prices' as any breeder-, in _Lincolns, Romnoys, and' English Leicesters. ' -This ' week the annual ram and owo' fair,, to be held in Masterton will catalogue' some 3000 animals.'.' ' ."y ; -.'THE DOWN I SHEEP.; The presence- of tho 'Down rams- was; tho subject of isatisfaecory notice at the first ram and-'owe fair,of tho Association, their high" qualities .for hardiness, '.early/maturity', and .Isymmotrjr. of carcass were ."/aid to demand tho careful.' consiciefatidri 'of-farmers. It should bo montioned,'. however,' that tlio Down sheep' havo not- como into'tho same favour in this .district as tho Romney and tho Lincoln. Thoy can hardly bo expected to, owing to tho fact that exceptionally good land'is required to fatten tho lambs for tho frozen meat : trado. 'i . FoW: fanners; ill- this district can depasture tho animals properly. Another factor, .against them is. tho. price of wool. When wool was down in'price, it really did not matter about tho weight of tho fleece, but now that prices are up, tho longwools have, again come back into favour. : 'V'-'V.* •-'•i'..-'-;.-: THE ISS7 BALANCE SHEET.. Some idea of-tho--financial'position' of,the Association may". bb -gained" from tho • 18S7 , balance; sheet. -; Tho receipts'for, .tho year , ended June 11 had been £445 65., afid the balance of £19 195.. 4d. .There was a bank balance :of £19 l l9s. 4d.;' and £120 on fixed deposit-in. the bank.'- Unpaids subscriptions ■ amounted to-£22,- -aiid', paid-up :to £116. Mr. R. 'S. 1 -Hawkins, .who liad held office - as president, sinco tlio inception of the As--1 sociation iii ;188a ; - resigned; his position_ in March, , ISB3'.",'Tlii's resignation was accepted with niucliyregret, and ho was mado a life member: of tho Association.

A RUN OF FIVE YEARS.- . Tho 1887 show 1 was evfen moro: successful than tho previous one, still it was. felt that thoro sliould .bo only one show in the Wairarapa.;''There wero proposals': of : an ; amalgamation 'of thn,two rival' Associations in 1888 oii' the * undertaking that .'the one sWow be held outside of both Carterton, and Masterton, but nothing resulted, The 183S show again showed a credit, tho total balance, at .tho annual meting in 1839 being £192 lis. Id. ' '' The membership ■in 1539 was somothing over 150. At -' tho conclusion ' (if the ,1889 show ;it was noticed that tho net increase' on "the previous ..'year's? balancesheet was--£79 12s. yd., making' a- -credit balance,, of . £272 - 3s.- 4d.,- ; The amount on feed deposit was £200.' Entries'' for tho -shows riiiming frqm 1883 to-1889 .had numbered from 430't0 abofit 5001' Thoro isVno , availablo:, record, howovor, - to' ahow ; -theVcorfigures.

Tho 1890 show was remarkably strong in sheep. Tho-names of Messrs. Williams and Beetliam, John Raynor, Edwin Meredith, Fsrquhar Gray, and W. B. Allen, were prominent, while Messrs. Perry Bros.. appeared . in Lincolns and fat sheep. Horses wero a fair entry, whilo cattle, dogs, and produce were weak. Implements and vehicles numbered 61, tlio wliolo totalling 485. Prize money offered was about £200. Tho show was stated to bo a success,' and _the profits for tho year were put down_ at £70, making tho -total reserve fund £270. At the annual meeting Mr. A. W. Cave was electcd President. .. In the . aaino .year steps wero takon- to discuss tho advisableness .of ar : .ranging for one ram fair for the Wairarapa district. instead of two as at that time (one at Masterton and one at Carterton). Tho ■Wairarapa Association proposed that the two societies should amalgamate, tho annual show to bo held at Carterton, and the Ram Fair at 'Masterton. .The Masterton Association retorted that the- fixing of tho site ;for tlio show effectually placed the proposal out. of court. Tho northerners intimated their willingness to discuss an .amalgamation doaling only with .tho ram fair. Somo years later the matter was settled by the Masterton Association holding its show in the autumn, and. also taking, tho ram fair to .Masterton, but holding it in conjunction with tho Wairarapa Association. Tho 1891 show resulted in a profit of £78. - ' • A NEW SITE. In-1892 it was felt that, tho Association would do -well to procure its own . grounds. The presont grounds, then owned by Mr. Richard M'Kenzic,' and comprising.-at tho time about 20 acres,, were offered to the. Association at £30 per aero. The offer was accepted, but tho grounds were not availablo for use until' 1597, when tho purchase was completed, an dthe show .was given an im-petus-in every way. , Somo years later another thirteen acres wero purchased ad,iom'ing tlio now show grounds at a cost of £1-5 per aero. Tho Govcernment- valuation .of the grouhds 'is now £6700, whilo -tho buildings' and-yards are estimated to produce something like £3500. Tho total is £10,000 which should bo a satisfactory nucleus fund should tho Association decide to' mako another change : of sito.to tho' beautifully-appointed Solway Park. V : BAD DAYS. ' - The Association appears to' have, fallen upon bad days for several years following the 1891 show. .Jhere was , not tlio same policy of -push' adopted as in' tho' previous "years',, and things 'seemed to 'drift.; The . entries, which in 1892 were placed at' 511, had dropped to' 334 in 1896. .Few details arc available so far as figures are concerned, 'but tho minutes show 'that .the members were taking ah. active interest in tli'o' preparation' of the. new grounds , and. matters of general farm interest. The name of Mr. Isaac Sykes, at present' managing director of the Banks Meat Company, occurs -with great frequency in the-written deliberations of the Associa|tion:- ■' ■'•' " ; ', AN AUTUMN SHOW: V -'■■■ ' In 1895 Messrs. Stuckoy and W.-Perry first 'broaclied tho subject, of • an. autumn show, and .a motion in .its-, favour was carried,, the first-,show being, tho last !t'o bo held, on ttie old grounds. ./.This was' in 1896. There-was 'no,, show hold ; in-,1595. The . 1896 shoiv, '(appears :to have been tlie weakest, in the his-itory-of, the • Association.- .. tr ..V ; THE PAST'TEN YEARS.-- ' : '- j The first'show on tho present grounds was held on February 24, 1897. Tho total-entries |were about 560," but although this was an increaso !on former ; years,'''competition was,too limited. iTho biggest class was sheep, which there,wore 230 entries." It .is understood that funds -.short, owing to' the 'oxpenso .of the; new grounds,,- and. that one ,'or two'good frielids, notably the spcretary, VMr. W. Lowes, gave material help; in-keeping .'•the wolf from tlio d00r.,, Now. buildings oon- l '!tiiiued to bo the grounds, now mom-; 1 ..bei's 'continued.; i/b. conle"along; aild -arrange-' '.ment's wero made for the bredtioii'of a grand l '! istaiid, at the',end. of '1897., As,' it r \ya's , im-| "possiblo,'for the Association bank:' ovordraft 0f.£500,' it jiroved itsi independence' ;;by,'raising. £300 by "means "of debentures. >i '- } The 1899; show, ran its entrie^uj);'to. nearly "1000, counting 128 -'implements, while', tho sue-' -oeeding exhibition-,did not reach 900 entries. .There' was a. tremendous impetus in 1901; ■when Mr.. Isaac, Sykes assumed, tho offico; of ' secrotary. The, mombers' list increased, wonderfully, while the cash donations woi'o a Vreeord. Tho show itself surpassed all others,: ' ahd tlio thick catalogue, the .first really sub; . stailtial book - publisnod b t v the : showed just on 1400 entries. Year,by year tho entries havo increased till'the'present season, When they establish New' -Zealand:records in several classes/ In 1902 the sheep .'entries nlono totalled 683, and-'in 1903, 701, which appears to-, bo a rccord, tho number .of sheep in, the pens aggregating 1034. Tho oxcollent position of the; Association in 1901 is shown by -; tlio fact, that during the year ; tho not profits were £290 19s. lid., , after jpaying ■ a\vay 1 about ■ £1500. •' ThoAssociation, then ; and , there decided to 'hold a two-days' bliow, aiid 1903 was tho first . year .of- this -change.. At. tho meeting, of the general committee in 1902, tho financial statement showed a credit at. tlio bank of £600 ss. lOd. Ac-; counts to tho amount of £ilßl 13s. 9d. were passed for payment. This item gives .an idea of tho manner, in which the Association has grown of recent years, -and tho effect its boing lias upon business. . Tho two-days' show was received with great favour. The number of stock ontries for tho 1902 show was set down at 1435. In 1904 there was a profit of . £484 4s. 9d. on the year's transactions, and tho mombership .reached... 786,. being, an incrOaso of 50 during the twolve months.'.; In 1905 tho sum of £193 16s. was taken at the gates. ' The net: profits for the year wero put down at £263, Bs.. Id. The' entries, excluding implements and vehicles,' numbered something over 1600.; Tho only fly. in the ambor was the list of'unpaid subscriptions which was long, and- represented the respectable total of ;£227 10s. Tho assets of the Association wero esimatcd at £5889 10s. Id. The annual show of .1906 was said, to havo been tho most successful yet held by tho Association. . The, entrjes, .occluding ■ implements and vohicles,/were.about. 1700.- The receipts for tho year wero £239 ,os.. 9d." over those of tho previous year.,. The sum of. £783 7s. 10d.' was expended- oil-improvements and plant, which included a new grandstand. Experimental, farming was largely studied and with considerable pfofit to N all : interested. In the succeeding year', £568 > lsl lOd. was spent' on improvements,, and. the .annual show., again forged ahead on its predecessors. Tho total ontries wero 1655.,. •

The Association has'at every opportunity done-its best to educate 'farmers. A'prize essay competition oh practical farming was formulated in 1902 on the suggestion of. Jlr. W: Perry, and- attracted much interest throughout New Zealand; field competitions with root crops are carried on every year, and. the Association fathered' the Veterinary Association till it could/do so'no longer with financial safety to itself.Noiv, Von the occasion of its most successful sl\ow,i graced by yice-regal patronago, the Association is thinking of acquiring a now ground. Backed up, as it is by business men, enthusiastic on behalf of its welfare, and able officials, it is not too much to say' that the Masterton A. and P. Association will moro and more retain its prominence as an Agricultural and Pastoral institution. With men such as the president (Mr, J. D. Cruicksharik),' the secretary (Mr. G. Sykcs), and.a most cffectivp cominitteo to watch its interests, there is no'need to fear for its.future. PRESIDENTS. ■ - Following aro tho names of those gentle--men who linyo held tho office of president of tho Association R. S. Hawkins, 1885, 1886,1887. ' 15. Moredith, 1888. . W. Lowes, 1839, 1890."' , A.' W. Cave, 1891, 1593,. 1894.. .. . . . . Farquhsir Gray, 1892. W. 11. Jieetham, 1893,. 189G, 1897, 1898, : 1899. ' " ~ ]). ,J. Cameron, 1900. D. Guild, 1901. ; W.'Perry,'l9o2, 1903, 190-1. : F. C.' Lewis, 1905. ' : R. Gray, 1000, 190". J. D. Cruickskankj 1908.

SECRETARIES. R. Fitton, 1885, 1885, 1888. T. Mackav.,lßß7, 1888. . , A. Walker, 1889. 1890, 1891. ' "-' C. B. Gayfcr, "JBO2. - .. ....... W. Lowes, 1593, 1891, 1895, 1896, .1897., 1898, 1899, 1900." ~ T. Sykes, 1901; 1002. " ' . / " / J. ]?. Emmctt, 1903,' 1904. ■■ G. R, Sykcs, 1905, 1906, 1007, 1903J - \ v ' Y THE ENTRIES.' . Following is'a 'list of .the'entries,'with-a list of those of 1007 for comparison 1907. 1908. . Competitions 1 '...' 161- - 185 > Horses ... ... .... 293 . . 268 'Cattle ... ' ... .... 178 .233 Sheep . ... . ... ... .... 541 G24 Dogs ... '60 08 Y Pigs 51 52' ' Produce ... ... ' ... 156 144 : Horticultural: 249 245. ' ... 1635 ' , 1819 ; . Increase 134..