THE MANAWATU SHOW.

Evening Post, Volume LX, Issue 116, 13 November 1900, Page 5

THE MANAWATU SHOW.

REVIEW OF THE PROGRAMME. To-morrow the Manawatu and West Coast Agricultural and Pastoral Association is to open its fifteenth annual metropolitan show. Judging will begin tomorrow morning, and Thursday will 1 be the People's Day, when Palmerston North will be the rendezvous of many thousands of folk from the thre© provinces. With each succeeding, year the -association's programme grows in thickness, and this year's catalogue is only a few pages short of 200. , Hi* Excellency the Governor is the Patron of the Association, and Mr. Arthur E. Ru^ell, of Pnlwrrston North, is its Presidt'it. As alre-rfy stated, the total number of entries (46. 'j) is a big increasp upon lait year's record, and 218 more than the total entry for the great show held in Ci-ristchurch last week. Since the doniise ct tho Wellington society, city interest in tho Manawatu show has considerably increased, and the whole province now is proud of Palmerston's annual festival. The management of the snow has become a pattern for other bodies. There is quite a host of class, gale, and ground stewards and other assisting committees, each with its distinguishing badge. The * judges have been carefully chosen, and are all men of experience and expert in their various department's. Mr. J, Holms, of Southland, who gave such satisfaction] at the Carterton show the other day, is to judge Roniney Marsh sheep and Hereford cattle. Mr. C. W. Reid, a member of a North Otago family of sheep-breeders, is to judge the Lincolns. Mr. H. Campbell has been brought from Hastings to make the awards in the Leicester and Cotswold classes, and the Downs will be judged by Mr. William Beetham, of Wairarapa. The judge for Ayrshire, Jersey, Alderney, aad dairy cattle (Mr. F. L. Wright) is a breeder of fame from Drury, Auckland, 'whilst the judge of both fat cattle' and sheep (Mr. A. L. Joseph) hails from Riccarton, Canterbury. Shorthorns- are to be judged by a committee of three, and Mr. John M'Rae (another fwell-lcnown Wairarapa breeder) is to award the prizes among Polled Angus. There has been a very strong .entry (361) of all classes of horses, and the leapers, hunters, saddle, and thorough- | bred animals are to pass under the experienced eyes of Mr. George Hunter, of Porangahau, Hawkea Bay. Mr. W. M'Kenzie, of Masterton, will judge the ponies, and Mr. Archibald Hall, who is known as well at Otaki as a breeder as be is in Wellington as the manager of the tramway service, judges the light horses and the driving contests. , Mr. W. R. May, of -Nelson, goes up to adjudicate upon pigs, of which there is a strong class,- and Mr. W. Symonds, of Hastings, judges the vehicles. Two gentlemen Horn Wellington, Messrs. J. Horraa: and J. Iremonger, are to judge dogs and poultry respectively. Mr. Iremonger did similar service the other day for the Carterton Pastoral and Agricultural Society. As the association is affiliated, with the New Zealand Kennel Club, a number of tiptop dogs have been entered for the competitions, which include the Ladies* Silver Challenge Shield and the New Zealand Collie Club's Gold Medal, both for, collies. That the association is well supported by the people of the province generally and tho Palmerston district particularly, is proved by its list of membership, which contains just upon 1400 names. There is 'hardly a corner of the country which, is not represented upon 'the list, sotha*. it is not to be wontlered at that ab showtime Palmerston North is taxed to it« utmost to accommodate visitors. All th« available accommodation ' was secured* weeks ago, as some city folk have discovered to their regret. For the People's Day special trains are to run from the city to suit the many wiho intend taking the run up, and trains will leave Palmerston for Wellington at 4.53 and 5.20 p.m. On the first day (to-mosrrow), although judging will be the chief occupation, in the afternoon the show-ring competitions will include tandem and single driving, steeplechase leaping and pony leaping. The ring competitions on Thursday will include pony-riding, for both boys and 'girls, the grand parade of horses and cattle (starting fct 2 o'clock), wood-chop-ping and sawing and the hunters' competition. There will be no less than, 2000 industrial exhibits and 600 implements. Altogether, the twenty-five acre show-grounds should on Wednesday and Thursday present a rare sight, and one of tho most interesting imaginable.