NEW PLYMOUTH WINTER SHOW

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 13 June 1928, Page 5

NEW PLYMOUTH WINTER SHOW

Oi'FICIAELY OPENED. FINE, DISPLAYS. Under the patronage of thu GovemorGenerui, and in the presence or a very large assembly of citizens and visitors from all parts of the province, tha Winter Show a:t New lUysmoortli was officially opened yesterday afternoon. 'lll© Vice-llegai party first mad©' a general l tour of the exhibit™ with the president of the society (Air H. O. Sampson), the Mayor (Mr H. V. S. Griffiths) and Mr C. E. Bellringer, M.P. When the official enclosure in the No. 2

I hall '"'as reached. Lady Alice Fergusson was presented .by Miss Sampson, with, a haiidfsome bouqueit. Speaking into a mderophone that carried his voice to all ,parts of the building, Mr Sampson welcomed their Exci'dJencies 1 on behalf c,f the Taranaki Agricultural Sociejty. He recalled that the. society was inaugurated 54 years ago, and remarked that one of the original members, Mr George. Tate, of Watara, was exhibiting that day. He deserved rongrat illations on hjs achievement. ■ The boys’ and girls’ club work was, in bis opinion, the most important activity undertaken by the society. The movement, though' actually stabbed here by the Farmers’ Union, was now run by the society in collaboration wilth the union, calf-rearing and root-growing < ompetil icn.s being hold, lie believed iho clubs were doing more to keep the young people in the country than anything else rhe society had been connected with.

On behalf of the citizens of Itew Plymouth. the Mayor congratulated. 1 the president, committee and members of the society oil the excellence of the show. It was gratifying to note the rapid it y of its growth and to know that town and country were combining in one offprt to show vliait the province could produce. He hoped that the new spirit, growing up between town and country would become stronger still. Mr C. K, -Bellringer added his eongia t-.iilaitions to the society. “Your president has oiily called upon me to open the shorv formally, but 1 ruppuse ,i should be held to have faffed in my duty if 1 did not make .some preliminary remarks,” .said his Excellency. He an cl Lady Fergusson came from a . t at Scotland that ‘had many afi--r ..s of farming, he said. They had sheep and mixed- farms, but ,some of ins listeners would know that Ayrshire, il anythi.rg, was a. dairy-farming country, llieretore tliey took a special interest in coming to a district like Taranaki, which was so bound up with the dairying activities of New Zealand.

"I suppose the majority of voting people from Great Britain serve'their dairying apprenticeship in Taranaki, but I. do not think ’they arc very wise in doing that,” remarked his Excellency facetiously. Hl2 explained that hi. views on agriculture were received more sympathetica'Jy in Southland. r Jhe Ayrshire cow was much more appreciated there than here. However, lie would nob touch further on that subject here, for it was a delicate question.

One of the most important things, in dairying wa,s to see that full value was obtained from what one had got. He often felt that sometimes people were '■oiiifmf with getting a low standard u! out oi the stock they bad, when by putting into practice the teachings of science instead 'of remaining njt. say. a 2401 b fat >’evel, they would get more through their better methods:, 'hit is no good embarking ran a greater enterprise before you have-tried to get more out of what v’ou have got,” advised his Exref lonov. SHOWS A XI) PB OGB ESS. These shows, lie said, hot, only stimulated com petition, but brought penpYtogether to compare. notes and learn, fie considered if was greatly due to S'liowisi that such progress had been made in agriculture. if lie wore going to succeed, a- farmer to-day needed to lie a. jao.k-of-ail'l-trades, .something of an engineer, a botanist, a chemist, and other things. At one time (lip farmer had not much time for .science, holt ho was afraid that attitude, wits aioi good to-day. Denmark, New Zealand’s great competitor in England, of all tilings appreciated and welcomed science. Therefore, said Sir Charles, lie very much welcomed of boys and girls’ clubs to show bow science- could help to

grow, not two blades of grass where one grew before, but there or four. Ho wished the clubs tang Jiiife and prosperity, for they wefe doing a great service for the farming, industry. His Excellency then declared the, .show open, and was thanked for his. attendance by Mr Sampson. A;s the Vice-Regal party left the official enclosure cheers were given for them at the call of Mr Bellringer. THE EXHIBITS. , Among the many fine displays were attractive trade exhibits, the plain, and fancy work division, home industries, honey exhibits, fruit and vegetables, childten’s work of all kinds, boys’ and girls’ chibs’ exhibits, roots and chou moodier, farmers’ field competitions, exhibits of Maori curios,'PJunket stall and many others.

SOUTH TARANAKI SUCCESSES

Messrs. Gordon B. Stoddart, of Munuia, and C. Willis, of Matapu, were very successful exhibitors from the South Taranaki district.

i 111 the garden vegetables section, Air. Stoddart gained first awards for silver beet, spinach, rhubarb, and brown globe onions respectively, two seconds for rhubarb and lettuce, and a third for carrots, while ho was second in the collection of vegetables class, scoring 60 points against 80 by the winner, Mr. B. S. Longstafi, of Tarurutangi. 111 the potato section, Mr. Stoddart took three first awards, including the collection class, two seconds, four thirds, and two higldy commended awards. He also gained a. first- and second award in the apples classes, making his tally ten firsts, nine seconds, eight thirds, and two highly commended awards. Mr. Willis was conspicuous among che prize-winners in the- field roots and farm produce section, gaining first and second for White Belgian, first and special for Matchless White, first and second for Barriball and Sinclair’s Champion, and first and second for yellow carrots respectively; first and third for long red mangolds, first and special for yellow globe, first and second for sugar mangolds, first for Jersey Queen, and first and second for drumhead cabbages. Mr. Willis’s successes consisted of nine first, five seconds, a third and 1 two specials. Other successful exhibitors Horn South Taranaki were Miss Thelma A. Ingram, of Hawera (who secured a second award with an oil painting), Mrs. E. M. Lind, of Awatuna (third in animal or child photographic study)-, Miss L. Gorbishley (third in crochet bonnet class'), and Mrs. F. D. Hill, of Lowgarth (third in specimen of pen painting).