A GREAT APPLE SHOW

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1832, 17 April 1907, Page 65

A GREAT APPLE SHOW

REMARKABLE DISPLAY OF , QUALITY. A FERTILE DISTRICT. There is a society at Levin which holds two shows in the year for theexihitaon of the products of the district—for those of the farm, the orchard, and the kitchen and floiver gardens; and the exhibits it displays in apples, roots, -and vegetables raise the shows to a very high rank. The society— Avhich boasts the comprehensive title of the Levin Horticiiltural, Produce, and Industrial Society—held its autumn fixture on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was declared by those having long experience of the shows to be in no way an advance: on its predecessors. If so, then there has been quietly held from year to year in a ManaAvatu toAvnship an exhibition of produce Avhich for quality—which is the one characteristic by which the value of a show should' be estimat ed —Avould compare with similar exhibitions in any part of the Avorld, and probably stands alone in the colony. It Avas a fine demonstration of the fertility of the district and its rare suitability for intensive cultivation. It gave colour to the opinion of Mr W. H. ’Field,, the district member, expressed ’ at , the, opening ceremony of the local A. and P. sboAV, that the district Avas the garden of the province. The display of apples is the depart 1 ■ meiit the society specially prides itself upon, and -the collection this year Avas certainly a remarkable one. The Judge was Mr Horton, the well-knoAvn PahiatUa nurseryman) who has recently returned from the Exhibition, where, he took the gold medal for the best collection .of fruit. , Mr- Horton declared emphatically that there was absolutely nothing in the various fruit displays made at the Exhibition Avhich could compare Avith the LeArin collection, and his 'oavii gold medal display Avbuid only be worth a second ticket Avere it competing" at Levin. He expressed regret that the .society had not taken advantage of the opportunity presented by the Exhibition to make a display of its fruit there; tlie impression it Avould undeniably have created. Avould have proved a splendid advertisement for the district. He had been at the Exhibition for several Aveeks and liad carefully examined different fruit exhibits from time to time, criticising and comparing -them in company Avitli pomologists and other authorities, and he Avas convinced that the apples seen, at the Levin show lvere “miles -ahead” of anything he had seen at the Exhibition. Probably, said Mr Horton, there is no better country in the colony for commercial apple-gro.Aving than that around Levin. The fruit Av-as better grown and better coloured, with a firmer texture) consequently more suited for--export than that grown in any other district lie knew of, (Speaking of the individual displays at the shoiv, Mr Horton said there Avas not a bad sample in the lot. The opinion of Mr Horton on the quality of the apples exhibited-was fully corroborated by Mr Mayo, the Avell-knoAvn nurseryman of -'Aorangi, Avho was a visitor to ’’ the show, and several other authorities on apple culture. An indication of the class of fruit staged by local gro Avers is contained, in the fact that it quite outclassed that of displays made by .professional nurserymen from other districts, one of ’ Ay-horn exhibited eighty■four varieties. The principal class avss for .cookers, of which there Avere twenty-four plates. The quality Avas so even that two firsts and tAvo seconds AA r ere aAvarded. A v-ery fine exhibit of Peasgood’s Nonsuch only gained h.c., oAving- to one of the apples being slightly. bruised. A special prize Avas aiA’-ard-ed an exhibit of Reuette du Canada, as being a good all-round apple—fair keepers and excellent both for dessert and cooking. In addition to the big competitive collection the Weraroa Experimental Station exhibited a very fine collection of oA r er fifty' varieties, the: method of display being excellent. Second in importance to the apples was the display of roots ; and the finest samples Avere seen in the Experimental Station’s exhibit. The turnips (eight varieties) and mangels (tAvelve varieties) were particularly good, Avliile there Avere excellent carrots (seven varieties), grown with and Avithont manure, kohlrabi, onions, and a big collection of potatoes (twenty-s-ix varieties). The particulars supplied as to variety and manure used mad© ’ the display of great value. - Some very good roots were also shown in the display. of the Boys’ Training School. In the competitive classes the quality, or rather, size, all round Avas magnificent.' Onions were i,n great display; some samples Avere from a crop estimated to yield sixty -tons to tlie acre. The pumpkins Avere huge in their proportions. ■ One must have weighed 1201bs. Shown Avith the pumpkins were big Watermelons and other good specimens of the gourd family. The vegetable section Avas also remarkable for some enormous cabbages. The display of floAvers Avas admirable, and some very clever decorations, espediallv of parasols and hats, Avere shoAvn.

In a central position stood a very fine begoliia metallioa, exhibited by Mrs Erouse, the wife of the president. The exhibits in the.farm produce and home industries sections were poor alongside the main features, but here and there exhibits Avere of good quality. The two. State displays, those of the Weraroa Experimental Station and the Boys’ Training Farm Avere two of the best arrayed of their kind yet seen in the colony. They were both highly attractive, and the former Avas of considerable educational value. It was flanked by maize-stalks tAvelve feet high; flax in pots, a second season seedling and; the same variety four years old—a magnificent leaf fully ten feet high; and several varieties of millets. In addition to the fine display of roots and potatoes there Avere tomatoes (five varieties), onions, vegetable marroAvs, pumpkins, etc. The Boys’ Training Farm had constructed a most artistic little “bay.” , The feature was 1 a centrepiece, the name of the school and the date being picked out in butter on a groundwork of parsley; and there were gourds of all varieties. A good collection of vegetables AA r as included in the display, as Avell as'samples of the Avork of the boys in ironing shirts and collars. • Much of the success of the shoAv Avas due to the srdeiujlid Avav in Avhich the groAvers of the district Avork together to the one end; The officers of the society are an energetic sejb .of officials, 1 and in the president,, Mr James Prouse. and the secretary, Mr E. J. • Judd, the society possesses officers Avho ably fulfil their duties.