WORTHY OF OTAGO

Evening Star, Issue 19005, 29 July 1925, Page 6

WORTHY OF OTAGO

PROVINCIAL COURT PLANS

Visitors to the Exhibition grounds will notice that Southland has rtiade a prominent start on her provincial court with most artistic wall pictures of tho Sounds district, and comment has been made that Otago is being left behind by her enterprising southern neighbor. This is not tho case, how r evcr ; and though there is nothing material to show’ for it in tho court itself, the Otago plans are well advanced. Owing to tho crowding of space in No. 3 building, the Home Court volunteered to take up space in No. 2 building, and as this pavilion is at present well filled with woodworking machinery, it is not ppssible for Otago to make a showing so easily as Southland has done. This will not hinder the very energetic executive from carrying out in full detail the plans w’hich it has drafted out for the Otago Court.

! Various sub-committees have been appointed, and arrangements are w’ell forward for fine displays of wool and skins, seeds and grain, timber, flax, minerals, dairy produce, frozen meat ‘ and fruit, while newspaper readers | w’ould see from a recent advertisement ! that the Scenic and Game Committee is out to obtain the finest specimens of hunting trophies. In tho centre of tho court there will be erected a tree fern wliare, whose i architecture will be based on 1848, when bungalow’s were not. Tho inI tenor, how’ever, will be fitted with I Otago productions more in keeping j with 1925, and this building will bo j the reception room and general centre of interest in the court.

The exhibit of wool and skins will occupy all one side of the court. The display of wool will be worthy of the position occupied by Otago in the production of fine fleeces, and the skins from the lordly deer to the humble rabbit will show what mountain and plain can grow. Close beside them will be seen the manufactured articles.

In the timber display Otago is exceptionally favored as a producer of both native and exotic timbers. Some of the finest samples will be shown, and a study of this exhibit should help to encourage the reafforestation of Otago’s waste lands. The organisers of this display are finding the farsighted policy of the City Fathers of years gone by of great assistance to them in providing a very fine show of locally-grown commercial timber. Seeds and grain will he worthy of this great branch of agriculture in which the descendents of Scottish farmers usually excel. One feature of the mineral exhibit will bo a representation of the amount of gold which lias been won in Otago since Gabriel Read found the first nugget in the gully that now bears his name. It will he an eye-opener to all when they see the enormous wealth which has been produced in this way in Otago, and which it is hoped is prophetic of what yet remains to bo won. The Otago Executive is determined, to have the very finest display of fruit, having the hacking of the magnificent Central orchards, the enthusiastic owners of which have thrown themselves whole-heartedly into the project, and the golden-textured, sun-kissed fruits which will bo on view_ during the Exhibition will educate visitors from lessfavored provinces and from overseas as to the wonderful future ahead of Central Otago'as a fruit-growing country. To enable all the senses to appreciate the beauty of the fruit, that of taste will be called in. It will bo possible for visitors to purchase samples of the fruit that will bo so temptingly displayed. Dairy produce will also be worthily represented. It is just possible that the old-time Winter Show_ attraction of a monster cheese, in which will be buried gold and silver representations of their Majesties, as issued by the Royal Mint, will bo revived, in which case lucky purchasers may receive one or more of these novel souvenirs.

Painted scenes, flowering shrubs, numerous photographs, and attractive pamphlets will bring home to all visitors to the last detail tho resources and beauty of tho province of Otago.