HORTICULTURE.

Mataura Ensign, 4 July 1917, Page 6

HORTICULTURE.

MATAURA SOCIETY. A MOST SUCCESS'FUL. TEAR. The annual meeting of the Mataura Horticultural and Industrial Exhibit Society will be held on Friday night, when the following report and balancesheet will be submitted : REPORT. In presenting the 26th annual report and balancersheet for the year ended June 80. 1917, ypur committee is pleased to be able to report- that a most successful year has been experienced. Commencing with a credit balance of £69 12s 11th, the year ,ha;s ended with the very satisfactory credit balance of £B-1 Os lldv The entries for the annual show, which was "held on Wednesday, February 28, were not quite up to those of thei record year of; 1916, but were very, satisfactory indeed, the.' figures being 1491 in 1916 and 1313 in 1917. The show was held a week later than usual, and this proved rather late for pot plants and flowers; but notwithstanding this a very creditable exhibi-tion-was made. /The society is greatly indebted to Mrs R. .Winning, whose dis-play-of pot plants made a splendid show and'.which was favorably commented upott by visitors to the show. The show of vegetables was not quite up to that of tine: previous year, but there was an excellent display of fruit, while there' was -also a very .good collection of ' bakery, etc. As usual, the in mistrial section of the show elicited strong competition and provided an interesting exhibition. Considering the times, the 1917 show was a decided success and clearly discloses the great interest taken .in the society by residents of the town and district. The Hall Account reveals -a much more satisfactory result than last year. During the year the hall was used on 101 occasions, a good many being for patriotic purposes, for which reductions were made in the rent. The society donated the sum of £5 5s in cash to the various patriotic fundsj and together with the reductions in rent has contributed £ll 15s for patriotic purposes. The total amount received far hall rent was £lO3 ss-9d. Before the yeor c'oni- - menced additions were made at the rear of the hall, and. this, together with new spouting at the hall, entailed an outlay of £25 7s sd, thus greatly increns-, inc the expenditure for the year. The hall;is now in good order, and the only extra expense which may have to be met this year is a coat of paint on the buildings. The total expenditure amounted to £99 3s 4d, which leaves the Hall Account in credit to the sum of £4 13s Id. "-' „J____

In the Show Account there is a much more satisfactory sta.te of affairs than last year. The receipts show an increase all round with the. exception of members''lees, which are slightly behind those of last year. The cash donations amounted to £27 10s 6cl, being £7 more than the previous year, while value prizes to the extent of £2B 2s were donated. The total .receipts amounted to £146 16s. 6d, and the expenditure (which is greater than the 1915-16 year) totalled £136 3s 7d, leaving a credit balance from the show of £lO 12s lid. A 'few donations are already in hand for the next show, Messrs J. Hunter, Hugh Smith and A. Latham having donated the expenses allowed them as judges to the society. The lastnamed gentleman desires that his donation be given for landscape painting from Nature. It was generally recognised that the show this year was held rather late, and the committee recommends to members the advisableuess of reverting to the usual date—about the middle' of February. - Before concluding, the committee desires to express appreciation of the devotion to the society and energy displayed by members throughout the year and on Show Bay, and also to thank all donors of cash and value prizes. BALANCE-SHEET. Hall Account.—Receipts: Rents re-, reived, £lo3'ss 9d ; refund pett\ cash, 9s Sd:—total, £lO3 15s sd. Expenditure: Interest on mortgage, £l2; lighting and globes, £7 9s lid; caretaker, £2l 18s; insurance, £6 15s id; ground rent, £1; hall license, £1; rates, £5 16s 8d; patriotic donations, £5 ss; print-

ing, £1 2s 9d; petty cash (part), £2 10s; hall conveniences, £lB Is 2d ; repairs, etc., £9 5s 3d ; bank charge (part), ss; piano tuning, £1 13s 6d ; secretary (part), £5; balance, £4 13s ■ld i—total, £lO3 15s sd. Show Account. —Value prizes, £2B 2s ■; donations, £27 10s-6d; members' tickets,' £ls 15s ; door takings, £sl 12s ; entry fees,. £3 2s; sheep guessing, £4; refund railway guarantee, £4 Gs ; schedule advertisements, £l2 ; prizes unclaimed, 9s;—total, £146 16s 6d. Expenditure : Value prizes, £2B 2s; petty cash (part), £2 10s; secretary (part), £5; bank charge (part), ss; railway guarantee, £6 13s 4d; printing and : ad~ vertising, £25 6s ; rent Industrial Hall, 12s 6d ; extra lighting, £2; labor, material, etc., £5 lis 3d; judges' expenses and luncheons, £8 10s 6d ; cash prizes, £47; orchestra, £3 3s; rent Horticultural Hall, £1 10s; balance, £lO 12s lid;—total, £146 16s 6d. General Statement.—Cash at batik, July 1, 1916, £67 8s lid ; -cash in hand, .Tnly 1, 1916, £2 4s; hall receipts, £lO3. 15s sd; show receipts, £146 16s 6d; donations, 1918, £1 10s;—total, £321 14s lOcl. Hall expenditure, £99 2s 4il; show expenditure, £136 3s 7d; presentation D. C. Brown, £3 3s ;A. T. Howie (1916 prize), ss; cash at banft, Julv 1, 1917, £B3 Os lid ;—total, £321 l.'4s" lOd. V Statement of Assets and Liabilities.— Assets: Buildings, £650; furniture and forms, £62; general, £l2 8s; piano and case, £so;—total, £774 Bs. Liabilities: Mortgage, £200; balance assets over liabilities, £574. Bs;—total, £774 Bs.