A CITY FARMER

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 110, 5 November 1927, Page 17

A CITY FARMER

BEATS" THE RURALS BULLS CROSS RIMUTAKA SHOW INCIDENT OE 1875 i The stimulus that has been given' t-- "Old Wairarapa" inquiries hy the early days articles accompanying the Wairarapa Jubilee Show (Carterton) has brought to light tile fact that, according to the defunct Wellington newspaper "Independent," people in the Lower Valley in 1870 were considering a scheme to open up communication with Wellington by way of the Wairarapa lakes. The scheme, details of which are somewhat shady, pivoted on the employment of steamers suitable for uavjgating coastal and lake waters, also on the keeping open of the lake's outlet to the sea. ' Later the "Independent' 1 was. incorporated in the "New Zealand Times" (now itself passed over) and that paper on 2nd December, 1875, writes interestingly of the Wairarapa Show, just held at Masterton, following one held in 1874, at Tauherenikau. "Owing to its distance from the centre of the Valley,'' writes the "Times." "the Show did not obtain as .many entries in cattle and sheep as that held last year at Tauherenikau, there being, in fact, only one exhibit from the Lower Valley. Mr. George Hunter, of Wellington, however, set a good example to those at a distance by forwarding two bull calves, twenty sheep, and a couple of Berkshire pigs. His energy Wi.s rewarded by his stock going to the top of the list in these classes."

Mr. Hunter farmed at Island Bay and Happy Valley. In 1875 he was a member of the House of Representatives for Wellington. The quotation confirms what was stated a few weeks ago by the veteran breeder, Mr. W. B. Allen, of Clareville. Mr. Allen, who afterwards became a prominent sheep exhibitor, states that ho remembers Mr. Hunter's stock appearing at the 1875 Show at Musterton. "For the Masterton Show two young bulls came from Mr. G. Hunter's Happy Valley Farm, Wellington, in a low four-wheel-ed boxed-in lorry. They were put up at the old mill (Renall's) and were washed in the mill stream for the Show next day." . ■It has-to bo remembered that in 1853 transport.over the Rimutaka was by pack bullock, and even in the middle 'seventies . road-improvement had not greatly progressed, though it was farther on than the lake steamers scheme of 1870. v ' Here is. a remarkable fact about this Masterton Show of 1575: "The Show was held in the reserve leased from the Defence Office and a singular illustration of the change of times these latter days have seen in New Zealand was found in the circumstance that the secretary's office was located in an old ditched and loop-holed redoubt, formerly put up for refuge and defence m troublous days." The following "index" has failed to hold good in: course of time: "An index of the direction which the opinion of farmers and squatters is taking in the way of sheep may be found! when it is known that this year there was a remarkable increase in the entries of Lincolns and an equally remarkable falling-off in Bomney Marsh. In Leicesters and Cotswolds, the prizes With one exception, fell to Mr. G. Hunter. In Lincolns the Messrs. Beetham, Buchanan, and M'Master divided the honours with Mr. Hunter. . . Messrs. Bidwill and M'Master took the places m Eomney Marsh. In Merinos Mr. C. A. Vallance had all the prizes, beating sheep imported by himself with those bred by him." Mr. Hunter's bull calves were sold at auction after the Show. One. brought 50 guineas from Messrs. Bcetham, the other £50 from Mr. Eoekel. : Comment is made in the paper on the want of cheap and rapid transit, which did not, however, deter Mr. Hunter in setting an example to the Lower Valley, for "notwithstanding the difficulty, risk, and expense of sending valuable animals from Wellington to Masterton, he sent up some very valuable young stock roared on his own farm, and was rewarded by eleven nrsts and two seconds out of fourteen exhibits. The paper emphasises the need of the then country railway which reached Masterton in 1880. . Also, "the candidates for the district at the next election, Messrs.- Andrews, Bunny, and Pharazyn,. were on the ground, and though not entered for exhibition were quite as, much on show as were the stock. Their courtesy and attention !to all was conspicuous, and formed the subject of no small comment in connection with the near approach of polling day "