HOROWHENUA SHOW

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1832, 17 April 1907, Page 43

HOROWHENUA SHOW

THE FIRST EXHIBITION. !Ai VERY SUCCESSFUL GATHERING Tli© Horowhenua Agricultural and Pastoral Association has had a very successful inauguration. Its first show, held on Wednesday oh the course of the local racing club, was a modest but most hopeful rural exhibition. The movement to hold an A. and P. show in the Horowhenua county has only been in existence about two months, and the patronage already extended the new society augurs well for a prosperous career. The entries of stock and the attendance of the public at yesterday’s show were both gratifying. Pedigree stock were not catered for, neither were male animals. But the society does not intend to adhere to this policy, and will probably alter its time of meeting to a date a little earlier in the year so as to encourage the exhibition of thoroughbred stock, and enable stock in-general, especially milking cattle, to be shown to the best advantage. The Horowhenua course is well suited to the holding of an agricultural show, and the committee had erected ' good pens (which, however, might he a little more roomy) for the stock, and generally had made suitable preparations for their patrons. The section most numerously patronised and which contained the best quality was that for fat sheep, in which the display was highly creditable. Cattle were rather disappointing, but the light horse section, though naturally rather uneven, contained a number of very useful types. The Weraroa Experimental Station exhibited a collection of its live stock, and this formed the most attractive feature of the show. Fine weather induced a very good attendance, between two and three thousand people being present. The show was officially opened by the Hon Mr Millar, Minister for Labour, who was introduced by Major Liddie, president of the association. In congratulating the society and the people of the district on having held their first show, Mr Millar said, though not an expert, ho could say when his *ve was pleased, and he considered they had a very creditable show. They had one of the finest districts in the colony. and, judging by the exhibits he had seen at the Horticultural Society's Show Hat morning, they had land and a cljmate equal in growing fruit to any part of the colony. During the past five years they had made wonderful progress. In 1931 the population of the county was 46Ni, while in 1906 it stood at 6602. In the former year there existed in the county the Levin dairy factory with two creameries, the output being 137 tons. There was also a dairy factory at Otaki, just then built. In 190.6 the output from the Levin and Otaki factories was as follows: —Levin (with three creameries), 288 tons butter: Otaki (with three creameries), 157 tons butter; while there were two factories and two creameries at Shannon, with an output of 158 tons of butter, and another creamery at Waikanae. Ihell >e stock in the county for the yen’s lrivutuned was: —Horses, 1901, 2467; 1900, 3196. Cattle, 17,639 and 26.679. Swine, 3353 and 5176. Sheep, 158,653 and 130,858. Though slieexi had decreased, said Mr Millar, this was more due to the increase in the dairy industry, and consequently increase in the cattle carried on the land. The Minister concluded by formally declaring the show ’>pen. Mr Field, M.H.R., having expressed the hope that it would not he the last visit of the Hon. Mr Millar to the district, said when the association was ■ first formed the question was raised as to whether there was any call for forming such a society in the district. It was inferred that they wen© having too many agricultural shows. He maintained, however, they were entitled to hold their own show. In the lower portion of liis electorate they had a sheep country second to no other portion of the colony. North or Paekakariki they had the garden of the province, if not the garden of the colony. Wellington received the hulk of its milk supply from them, and also the greater part of its garden produce. The district was destined to be one of the most thickly populated, as it was one of the most fertile districts in the colony. He had hoped that Air Millar would have beeai able to tell them that - day that' the Weraroa Experimental Station would he the site of the proposed dairy experimental school. It eeemed to him beyond doubt that the question must be decided very soon. H© hoped the same feeling would not exist at Levin as existed at Palmerston. They must get the school for their own place, and, if not, the next door neighbour should not have it. ©peaking of the relative merits of the two places everything was .• to be said in favour of Levin. They were in the centre of /' magnificent dairying country, and GovV, ernment land was prepared for the ty ■purpose. They, were certain to be on 2 -fee Alain Trunk line. . Instead of goring to Palmerston the line would go Foxton. Therefore, Levin was . be the junction of the Main WMum :im& witlrt the J&anawa/tu + line.; jbeyselected -as site for, the - Schools 'y-'ijvTiTl. i. ,tv>

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Cheers were given for the Hon. Mr Mijlar and Mr Field. Of all sections of the show that for light horses was the most liberally patronised, and in many cases there was quality as well as numbers. There were 118 entries in ton classes, and the bulk of the competing animals showed good quality. T. D. Thomas won in ponies over 13 hands, and A. G. Gibbons in the class for under 13 hands. J. Potts’s Frisco was considered to bo the mar© most suitable for breeding hacks, T. H. Powle’s Nganoe the best weight-carrying hack, and H. Ransfield’s entry the best light-weight hack. ‘ The best lady’s hack was considered to be C. L. Hartmann’s Hauraki, and the best walking back H. S. Hadfieid’s Miko, Swainson and Bevan were very successful in harness horses. They won for best dray horse, for the best pair of horses, for draught mare most suitable for breeding purposes, and for heavy gelding or mare. P. W. Watts and Co. won with a three-plough team, S. A. Broadbelt with horse and milk-cart, R. Butt and Co. with a tradesman’s single light horse, T. H. Powle with a single harness horse, T. Bevan with a single harness horse underTS hands, and F. A. Bill with a harness pony. Bright Bros, exhibited the best filly or gelding. The cattle were few, and only fair on the general quality. P. E. Palmer won in the dairy cow class with a good Jersey grade, and won easily. The two heifer classes were both won by C. Palmer, and the three heifer class by J. Saxon. In the two female fat classes G. N. Woods and J. Kobbeil were the winners. Fats were the feature of the sheep section, and F. S. Mcßae, the wellknown Palmerston fattener, won the majority of the first awards. Mr McRae won the following fat and flock classes: —Five fat wethers, three fat .wethers, three ewes (Lincoln or Lincoln cross), and five fat lambs (freezing). None of those winning sheep had Down blood: they were principally English Leicester crosses. The three fat maiden ewes class was won by W. H. Weggery with good but heavy Romneys. The same exhibitor won the class for three flock Leicester ewes. The only other winner was H. S. Hadfield, who showed the best flock lambs, very nice Romneys. In this class a pen of Roscommon Romneys came third. Several good pens were on the ground for exhibition only, the best being the Romneys of H. S. Hadfield Malcolm McLean had an interesting exhibit of Angora goats. A few pigs of fair quality were sliov n. The vegetable, fodder, and home industries sections were disappointing. The best of a few vegetable exhibits wore some excellent samples of Sutton’s Crimson King swedes, exhibited by 11. J. Richards, and some good potatoes ,Up-to-Dates), shown by the same exhibitor. In the home-industries section Mrs 11. Ansiice staged very fine samples of bottled fruits. A small but good lot of poultry wss penned. The best birds were the black Orpingtons of A. H. Ourhrie, of Wellington, who showed some nice typical birds. Good silver Wyandottes were shown by P. W. Brown, and a good type of white Leghorn (the American standard) by A. Roxburgh. P. 4\. Brown won in both Indian runner duck classes, in one case against eight competitors, and the other against seven. The quality in these classes was cl a very good average. The Weraroa Experimental Station stock included the Shire stallion Hertfordshire Boy, the Clydesdale stallion Sir Talbot, and five of their progeny; tli© imported shorthorn bull Kelmscott Lad VII., and four cows from the fine dairy herd of the station, including the great cow Alary and tho very handsome cow Sweet Briar. Five pigs were also shown, an imported Aliddle Yorkshire and three Berkshires. Particulars of the animals were attached to each of the pens. Throughout the day the State display created considerable interest. The competitions, which were very popular, resulted as follows: —Best boy rider, George Lee and W. Blows, a tie; best girl rider, Jessie Stratton; ladies’ driving competition, Airs Collyns; gentlemen’s driving competition, J. R. McDonald; pony jump, 11. Kirby’s Jack; jumping competition, L. G. McDonald’s Betrayer; trotting race (saddle, one mile), J. S. Walton’s Florrie; tkread-the-needle race, R. Russell; trotting race (harness, one mile), P. Winiata’s Mac. The boys’ band of the Weraroa training farm provided good music throughou the day.