WINTER SHOW.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16567, 3 June 1914, Page 12

WINTER SHOW.

'OTAGO A. AND P. SOCIETY. y-6 [From Ocr Cobbesfondent.] .!•-. DUNEDIN, June 2. the coming-of-age winter show of the-Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society was opened to-day by tho Prime Minister in tho presence of a gathering that' filled the building. Tho weather was about all that could bo desired, and in no previous year has the city boon so thronged with visitors from all.directions. As to the show itself it is very like its 'predecessors in its main features, though 'thero are some that- tell of a progressive spirit on the part of both the-Society, and its exhibitors. One direction, however, in which thero is a falling-away is thedairy produce section. The exhibits of butter and cheese •re,not so numerous as they were on tnaiiy former occasions, but there is still a good display, and that their quality is excellent is fully attested by the high average of points awarded by the Government graders, who acted as judges. . What may be termed the blue ribbon of the competition in cheese, i.e., the award on grading points gained on. the whole output of the season", was won by the Taieri and Peninsula Company, which carried off tho £l2 11 ize with an average of 92.63 points. Tho otheriawards were: Wright's Bush, 92.15, £lO. Waikouaiti, 91, £7. Ryal Bush, 90.56, £5. Milton, 90.87, £3. Gore, 90.96, £2. Brydone, 90.80, £l. For six largo full-cream No. 2 Ched-dar-shaped cheese, coloured, the Woodlands Factory led with 95 points, iollowed by Wyndham 94J, Stirling 94 and Brydone 935, the remaining rine tapering off to 91 points. In the class for six white cheese cf the same shape, the Wyndham Factory topped the list with 9oi points, . the other prize-takers being Woodlands 9*J,' Stirling 94 and Mataura 934, while 91 points was again the # lowest score. In the special class for cheese sent direct from the factory to the show ; Stirling obtained first award with 95 | points, Wyndham being second with | 94i and Woodlands third with 93}, the lowest points awarded being 904. In jtwo cheeses, -white or coloured, the take County factory, scored 95, j Wyndham 94J and Stirling 94, thirteen others scoring over 90 points. | For a caso of three cheese suitable i for export the points wero again very close', the prize-takers being Wyndham 94. Mataura 93J and Stirling 93. ,' The first prize in the class for fac- ! tories that had not won a prize above £5 was taken by Lake County with 94. Railhead (Tahakooa) being second with 93 and Taieri and Peninsula third with 92J. Lake County also won in the class for case of loaf cheese, scoring 95, Stirling following with 94$ and Wyndham coming third with 94. Tho range of points was again close, the I lowest.being 91 i. j The Taieri arid Peninsula Company, ' Dunedra, won this season's grading nrizo of £8 for butter, with a season's high .average of 95.27. The other prize-takers were:— ■•Leppterton (Inglewood) 94.23, £5. Eureka (Hamilton) 94.05, £3. Canterbury Central 92.94, £2. The contests for the prizes for factory butter were close, but the list of factories entered was small. In the class for three boxe3 suitable for ex- ) port the Levin factorv secured the first ! award with 95, the Oamaru factory of the Taieri and Peninsula Company being second with 941, and with another exhibit equalling two of the same company's Dunedin factory with 92 points for thirfl place. The Levin factory with 94$ led in ! tho class restricted to North Island factories. The only other competitors were Opotiki 94'and Tamaki 93^. ,The Levin factory wound up its successes by coming out the head of a ten entry list in one case of butter, | scoring 95. The Taieri and Peninsula ! Company's Oamaru factory was second wi|h 94£, and the same company's Dunedin factory third with 94. The latter scored 93J with another exhibit and five other exhibits, including two by the Canterbury Central Factory, were awarded S2 points. Throughout the whole of the butter classes the differences in points all occurred under the heading cf flavour Thero is a great display of farmers' butiter, and here several Canterbury exhibitors' scored well, a large proportion of tho best awards going to tho northern province. Mrs H. Gason, of Tj?muka, won two specials for tho highest aggregates of points, her individual awards being three firsts, three Seconds and one third. Mrs M. ' |d'Dowell, of Ashburton, also did well j ■ecuring two firsts, two seconds and I two thirds. Other euccessf ul exhibi- I |ors were Miss E. Kempsbell (Mnungaatua), Mr J. Dixon (Tinwald), Miss K. Belcler (Waitaki) and Mrs J. Clements (Pul-erau). '.The ladies make a great showing in the cookery sections and there is a tijide distribution of prizes. it Dressed poultry is sparingly shown hut the show of hams and bacon is ' fijood, the leading prizetakers being! Messrs Hitchon Bros (Milton), Messrs Lindsay and Co. (Invercargill) and Mrs CL H. Kent (Oamaru). iiThe display of fruit was remarkably good, the apples from various parts of Central Otago being excellent both in point of size and colouring. •|Grain and seeds are fairly well shown, tfe exhibits almost wholly coming from or through merchants. Potatoes are plentiful and the quality apparently gpod. The chief awards went to the strath and interior. The disnlav of roots is not so large as on many former occasions, but it still fills un a considerable space and tho quality of the exhibits is undeniably good. Turnips, mangels, carrots, etc., are all good.' The best awards.went to growers on the Taieri with an occasional one to Central and North Otago. | A very interesting featuro of the snow is the section devoted to school competitions and here tho exhibits do credit to the school children and their instructors. It goes without saying that the comprehensive exhibit of the Agricultural Department is the strongest feature cf , t&e whole show. Mr Macphorson has ] inade a departure from the lines previously adopted and while the old-time imposing trophies are missing the exhibits give somewhat more attention to detail. The multiplicity of interesting examples are better set out ar' »re made more helpful for purposes of comparison and consequently they become of greater valuo from an educa- j tional point of view.