HAWKE’S BAT AUTUMN SHOW

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6490, 9 April 1908, Page 3

HAWKE’S BAT AUTUMN SHOW

A RURAL HOLIDAY. AMONG THE SMALL FARMERS. (Special to tho “N.Z. Times/’) HASTINGS, April The extension of small settlements in Hawke's Bay, where the intensive cultivator with his small holding is steadily but surelv eupplanfcing tuo squatter. Is well indicated by the existence of an autumn show promoted by the local Agricultural and xastorai Society. An autumn show is primarily one for the exhibition of the fruits of the labour of tho small grower, and at Hastings there is now to be seen what tne small grower can accomplish on the fertile soil of Hawke's Bay. It cannot be said that the present show is an advance on its predecessors, or oven fairly representative of the advance of intensive cultivation in the district. A protracted and continuous rain up to the very morning of the show was against the exmbition of products of exceptional development and of extensive displays. There were many good examples of fruit and farm products, but nothing calling for special comment.

THE EXHIBITS. Naturally one expects fruit to loom largo in, an autumn show in Hawke's .Bay, for the district is now the home of the most successful extensive oam.marcial orchard work in the Dominion. But the present show uoas not convey an adequate idea of the importance of pomology to this favoured province/. A fine show was made oy Horton, the Forty-Mile Bush nurseryman, who .'showed two hundred varieties of apples, pears, and peaches. Tho good colouring of the first-named was tuo feature of the exhibit. In the competition classes some g-ood fruit t was also exhibited, the best quality being conspicuous m the pears. Hi connection with these, however, a vvoaknesis was disclosed in the judging. Ibize was apparently the character to which, most attention was paid, quality ]bding somewhat overlooked. It should •hav© been within the knowledge of the judge that fruit from young trees is generally abnormally large, and that tnis is no criterion of tne quality produced from the tree whan fully matured.

The* vegetable section was well represented in the number ot exhibits, but on the whole they were not of high quality. The season, of course, had been very adverse to quality worthy of the district.

Tiie general products oi Hawke's Bay were fairly well represented by exhibits made for competition by two branches of the Farmers' Union, Puketapu and Hastings, the former being awarded the first prize. Both displays were remarkable more for their variety and quality of the individual articles than for effectiveness of the general display. In the Hastings exhibit there was an excellent sample of mohair and some well-grown bops. One of the best individual displays was that made by the Hawke's Bay Beekeepers' Association, it was of a most comprehensive character, including as it did all modern appliances for the industry—observatory-hives, brood comb, and a line collection of commercial products.

A number of good commercial displays were made by the firms of the district catering specially to the farmer. The seed section was not strongly patronised, but the quality of the seed shown was excellent. One disappointing series of classes in this section was that for farmers’ seeds. Out of nineteen classes entries were only received in two—ryegrasses. In one there weroeight competitors, and in the other only cne. In the former the exhibits were mainly from large growers, whose seed has made Hawke’s Bay ry© a household word in both islands. They were machinedressed, and were typical of the best Hawke's Bay rye®. •In the open classes. the ryegrass exhibits 'predominated, ' and there were many of really- high-class quality, although over-dressing was conspicuous in almost every' instance. Williams and Kettle's samples of crested dogstail were probably the finest ever exhibited in this country, both for quality and gen-, eral appearance. THE DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTURK.

One of the outstanding features of the show was the display made by the Biological Division of the Department of .Agriculture. The whole exhibit was intimately connected with some of those industries which are rapidly extending in the district as a result of. the develop, ment of closer . settlement—fruitgrowing,. bee-keeping, seed-raising, etc. It was educational, interesting, and attractive. A honey trophy occupied pride of place, and being, os it was, in the main a replica of the display of honey to to made by Now Zealand at the FrancoBritish Exhibition, it included the finest collection of New Zealand honeys yet brought together. An interesting item in this honey display was an exhibit showing the method of testing the specific gravity of honey, the ascertaining of the water content of honey being , a very important detail in modern beekeeping. An instructive exhibit to local bee-keepera was the method of utilising a kerosene case as an up-to-date frame hive, the cost being not more than two shillings.

Hawke’s Bay being admirably adapted for fruit-growing, it was natural tint tho department, should have an extensive educational exhibit in connection with the important service it is rendering this industry in regard to the combating of pests._ There was a very instructive section in the department’s display for the education of the pastoralist and the farmer generally, showing seeds and their impurities exhibited in such a manner that the ordinary man could readily make himself acquainted with tho form and appearance of the common impurities to bo found in general farm seed. This particular display is one cf importance to the farming community, considering that at least 20 jer cent of the glazing areas of the country are being rendered valueless by the presence of weeds which owe their introduction to a common, defect. A WEAK SECTION.

It IB surprising that in Hawke's Bay, second to no district in the Dominion for sheep country, fatteners do not better support their show, held at such a suitable time of the year. Of course the season has not been a favourable one for fattening-, but this cannot altogether explain the comparative weakness of the rat sheep section DAUfcT PRODUCE. ETC.

TherO was a fair exhibit of dairy produce. One factory—Norcewood—exhibited cheese. lave factories competed in two butter classes. Heretaunga, the if cal -factory, fron both classes by the narrow margin of half a point, better flavour being the deciding factor. Cheltenham Company was second in both classes. Tho home classes were disappointing, though some nice quality exhibits of the handicrafts of the rural home were staged. POULTRY. Tkore was a fair display of poultry, amd considering the time of year. the birdq were brought out in creditable forml THE PRINCIPAL AWARDS. PKESS ASSOCIATION. ~ , NAPIER, April 8. At the. autumn show of the Hawke's Bay Agricultural and Pastoral Society, the district exhibit competition was won hr the Puketapu branch of the Farmers' Union, with 557 points, Hastings branch second with 330$ points. Following were winners of ppints

prizes:—Sheep—Oswald Nelson, 50 points, first; Douglas McLean. 49 points, second. Honey and beeswax —0. R. Bostock. Dressed poultry—J. Robinson. Vegetables —J. Holdsworth, 77 points, fust; B. Chambers, 71 points, second; Douglas McLean, 33 points, third. Field potatoes —W. H. Smith. Poultry—Hamburgs, W. Sinclair; white Leghorns, Mrs W. H. Opport; silver Wyandottes, E. E. Howard; black Orpingtons. Mrs E. Baldwin; buff Orpingtons, Mrs E. Baldwin; ducks. W. Alderman, junr. • Competitions. —Underhand chopping—J. Pent (20secs), 2mln 4osec, 1; E. Redder (40sec), 2min 47e.ee. second. Single-hand-ed sawing—J. Pent (3ssc), Imin 13sec, first; E. Pedder (scr), Imin lilsec, second. Single-handed block-chopping—E. Pedder (40sec), Smin 35scc, first; J. Pent (40sec). 3min 40sec, second. Double-handed sawing—e. pedder and Fiveash (bct), 20sec, first; J. Pent and mat© (2sec), 27sec, second. Ladies' leaping match —Mrs Sunderland's The Sinner, first; Mr S. Grooms's Dick Turpin, second; Mr H. E. Troutbeck’s Pirate, third. Stockmen's comoctition—W. A. Alexander, first; W. C. A. Mackenzie, second; I. H. Tuxford. third. Maiden leaping match—J. H. Mac Niven's Tzara, first; W. Raymond's Cattistock, second; J. H. Mac Niven's Tekohau, third. Dismounting and mounting competition—W. J, Graham, first; I. H. Tuxford. second; H. Hassall. third. Motor car competition— N. HacKersey, first; Jones and Sons, second; Murray Nepe, third.