WAIMATE PLAINS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1774, 7 March 1906, Page 26

WAIMATE PLAINS.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) The eighth annual show o-f mate Agricultural and Pastoral Horticultural Produce and was held in the Manaia Domain last week The Society was favoured with very fine weather, which has been somewhat scarce on the Plains this summer, and the show attracted a large munbei of visitors from the surrounding disti ict. One XJ of entries which aroused a great deal of interest for the last two years was conspicuous by Hs absence from the schedule this year. Ther no class for milch cows. In amDkmg district—a famous milking district—such as this undoubtedly is, a large ,? n , 1J , this class should not be difficult to obtain and last year the opinion was generally expressed that the animals penned ivould with difficulty have been excelled in any show in the colony. It is to be hoped that the Society will again see its way to include this class m its St of exhibits. All the other classes were well represented, and in some there were very fine entries. TJnloitu nately the season has Been a bad one for garden produce, or that sechon would have been much better filled the officials worked energetically, and all arrangements were well carried out. I lie secretary (Mr C. R, L. Esher) received greaf praise for the excellent manner m which liis duties were performed. Luring the day a number of jumping competitions were got oft tinder the supervision of Contain Mitchell, whic added much to the interest of the proceedings. Mrs J ; Campbell s Czanna placed another win to the long list of her successes in pony jumping, beaHng Miss Maggie Briegs’s Rawhite. /He latter, however, finished a dead heat with Mr A. Mitchell’s Bushy Park _ in the open event: tied with her rival Czarina in the lady’s jump, and came out first in the high lump Mr R-. Lambie’s motor car was again on the ground, and proved a never-end-ing source cf attraction, besides bringing in a considerable sum to the Society. Some parents indeed saw it go oft the ground with .a sense of relief, mst they should become "stoney broke by the incessant demands of their youngsters toi more rides. , ~T The exhibit of the Moorshead Nursery Company was a very fine one and occupied a large part of one of th© marquees. It included a very fine specimen ol lilium auratum platyphyUum. an _ excellent collection of pot and foliage plants, and a Targe and showy exhioit of both cactus and collarette dhahas. tb» latter a lately imported variety, which was much admired. This, company s exhibit, indeed, was a show in ltselt. The judge of the decorative class was much pleased with the artistic arranlament of the tables, and had some difficulty in awarding honours, but finally placed Mrs R. Hicks first and Mrs Limbrick second. The former used cornflowers and asters; the latter nasturtitims. Japanese anemones, and ferns. Cakes and fancy bread drew a large number of most attractive entries. indeed. fmm the entries shown it is qnes--1 ion able whether a food fair would not nrovo a profitable show m this distrm P'lmiblv when the new hall as available l|,i< sugirestion may be taken up for some public object. _,, , . , The financial result of the slmw m not vet to hand, but the Society will undoubtedly have 4i handsome balance >n hand. . ... Lord Plnnlu'l while lounng this district made n visit to Lawson I 1 als Mountain House, w*l»or« h© was met by th© Forest Reserve Committee. The day beim? fine, a rev pleasant time was (cjnent. and the Oovcrnor oxurcssed Ironself as favourably impressed with the scenery of the Reserve, and with tbe attractions foi’ tourists which Mount Elgin out possesses. His Excellence* lunched in the new cottage, and afterwards.. in coidpauv with tlie committee, visile/ Hewsou’s and Victoria Falls', Will\i(v« Pnolb. and' (Tie Crystal Hath. Mv and Miv- -St. Clair, the on retaken?, are to he. oO’uulimented on the excelleiit .nrrangemenb; th°v had made th© entertain, men!: of their distinguished visitors.