MANAWATU SHOW.

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 1331, 3 November 1910, Page 3

MANAWATU SHOW.

The Second Day.

ifiNE WEATHEB FOR T0-

DA*.

Town Full of Folks and a

Busy Time.

This morning opened fine, but chilly, with a strong, easterly wind; but as the day lengthened the sun tempered the wind, and although the shopkeepers of Palmerston grumbled about "the gritty wind," the visitor declared his satisfaction in the phrase, "It's better than rain, anyway." Showtown closed down yesterday for its usual half-holiday, is all open to-day, and will -close for another half-holiday to-morrow. The countryside, however, is sending in a large proportion of its population today, and indications are for a big attendance to-day, as well as to-mor-row—although, concerning the prospects for People's Day the local weather prophets are shaking their dubious heads. "The glass is going down! •' they say. Well, it has @one down and risen before—it can rise again, can't it? _ The Feilding Brass Band is enlivening the, proceedings to-day with sweet strains.' ALONG SIDESHOWVILLE. Along the Cuba-tetreet frontage, the .grounds present the appearance of a tented field, with the numerous marquees, tents, and canvas sheds of a most varied assortment of vaudevillian and other magnets for the loose silver of the sight-seer. They make a curious crowd these wanderers over the face of the earth, forming no small portion of our floating population, a strange assortment of men, women, and children, and other more or less highly trained animals. Here is a 200, there is a group of freaks of nature, another tent contains a petrified woman, opposite are jiiva Lee and her piccaninnies and I other wuidervillians, the blindfold marvel is here, also the palace of wonders, likewise some jugglers, and numerous others whose mission in life is to juggle coins out of other folks' pockets in the time-honoured fashion. They follow the line of least resistance, hut do not shout out loud like one of their competitors, a take-your-photo-while-you-wait specialist, ' who cries: "All for one shilling. And if you, are not satisfied you do Nv/T get your money back!"" The public is given a frequent chance to ring in all sorts of trophies, either by putting a ring over a knife o rthe desired article temptingly spread under canvas. If the visitor be-belligerently inclined, then he can have a vicious shot at the grinning figures of niggers or he can insinuate the ball into the open maw that seems so easy to fill. Sideshowville is an interesting place for a promenade, and a better place to spend time than money in.

THE MAN PROM HAWKE'S BAY. Jack Frost recently visited the Hawke's Bay region, and nipped the orchardist and the yiticulturist so severely that, according to news circulated throughout the Dominion, ; lie is feeling as blue as the sky that usually covers him. "Is the damage as bad over your wav as it has been said to be?" A farmer from the other side of the ranges was asked at the Show this morning. He replied: that there was not the slightest doubt some men over there could simply write off any hope of -a return this year from vines or fruit trees. Some men, however, had not fared ho badly, only getting hit in patches in the low-lying portion of their grounds; but therle was no doubt about that frost being the heaviest blow Hawke's Bay had had for many a year. Another farmer, referring to this subject gave some personal impressions of the men and the scenes over in the stricken district. He agreed that much damage had been done and that some men will have a dead-loss season: "But he added, "I know of at least one orehardist who might have pulled \ip on bis loss. When the extent of the destruction was found, lie was advised to plant peas right away, what will I do with them? he asked. 'Why,' replied the man who advised him. 'I'll' buy every peck of peas yp'u grow? But apparently because it was out of his

grove, lie let the opportunity go by— | and those peas, which would have gone a long'way towards making up the loss, have not been planted."""The moral was that the man who goes on the land: should not put all his eggs in one "basket ,and should be prepared to act promptly in an emergency. But aren't we all creatures of habit, after all? FILLING IN TIME. Ho was a gentleman farmer, and despite the fact that he had just enjoyed a good dinner, he had a "grievance. "Why doesn't the Association provide something for visitors to spend their evenings upon while we are in Palmerston during Show week? Year after year crowds of us come here, and every night wo have to complain because there is nothing to see and nowhere to go after dinner." The picture sliows were suggested. He snorted wratlifully. "Pictures! "Why, we can see them anywhere, at any time; and they provide no change. You know, Palmerston folk themselves should take this matter up with both hands. I used to "bring tfi& whole of my family down to Palnierston. for Show week, but there was nothing for tEem during the evenings. "We can play bridge and have music all time at Ihome in the evenings. One doesn't want to come to Palmerston to play cards or ■ loaf in the smoking-Toorn. The Association or the Borough Council- -should arrange a years or years ahead for some big attractions- to : occupy the Opera House during- Show Week. I'm sure tfre town would benefit by such forethought, and farmers'would again get into" the' habit of bringing whole" of their families into -"town *to make a festival season of it; I know theatrical managers have said iii the past that they could riot include Talmerstoii early in November, but I'm sure they woul'fix it all ivp if they were made to see that there was money in it. And if managers could not fix it, then surety the enterprising Palmerstonians could arrange some big attractions. My wife is upstairs in the sittingroom, and I'm down here looking for another couple to take a hand at bridge!"

FEILDING. IN THE PRIZE-LIST. Mr Ernest Short is scoring with, his stud of heavy 'horses. He took first prizes with, his 4-year-old Royal Treasure, his browji colt under 12 months by MaTcelhis—Royal Maid, and his mare Sillott Lady, with foal, and the second prize in the same class with Darling. In the absence of Mr Ernest Short, Mr Perry (Masterton) had a fine op portunity to score in Romneys. In Lincolns, Mr Perry scoops the pool again. The quality of the sheep all round was very high. Mr E. Short, who confined his en•tries to horses and Herefords, also took first and second in the filly class and the championship for bull, the reserve championship going to Mr Levett, of Kiwiteal ■

There is a fine show-in dogs. Mr Harry; Hill, of Feilding, won "two prizes with, his pug pup, and Mr J. , T. Barry scored a'second in tleerhounds. "' CATTLE., ' " " The competition in the cattle classes, said one of the stewards this morning, becomes keener every year. It is not that the entries are more numerous, but the quality improves annually. A prominent dairy cattle man said hp considered the entries in the" dairy classes were as fine a lot as could be seen at any Show. He found it difficult to restrain his enthusiasm when speaking of tjie Jersey this New Zealand-bred cattle were quite as good as the best; imported, and this fact should be an education to those people who seemed to have a fancy for imported stock merely because it was imported. .The Hereford classes have always been keenly contested, and this yQ&x there was no slackness. Several

of the prizes went to the Feilding district, Messrs E. Short, G. 0. Wheeler, aiid C A. J. Xievett being substantial winners. Holsteihs showed inprovement, and competition was exceptionally keen. In this class Mr W. I. Lovelock, of Palmerston North, won the championship and a £10 special prize with his bull Cliffside Laddie, this bull having now won six championships iii two years—two each at Manawatu, Hawke's Bay, and "Wairarapa. The Jersey championship went to Feilding, being negociated by Mr C. G. E. Dernier, with his bull Emilients Fontaine (imported).