THE MAEREWHENUA ANNUAL PLOUGHING MATCH.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 746, 31 August 1878, Page 2

THE MAEREWHENUA ANNUAL PLOUGHING MATCH.

This event, to which the majority of operative agriculturists forward with some degree of impatience, came off yesterday on a portion of the estate of Messrs. Burton and .M'Mastc-r, situated ;>lj:iiit two miles from foe Railway Station. The-day was prtrticuLvly fine, and could nor haw. Ix-en bolter suked to the operatoes on the soil, both man and beast. Ti;e attendance w;:s scarcely so large as that of last year, but the majority of those present hailed from many miles around. The ploughing, too, is said not to equal that of last year, when our local men walked away tiie laurels won by locally made ploughs, and we concur in that opinion, although it would be difficult to give any reason for the falling off. We therefore trust that our yeomen will not again allow themselves to be beaten by oat ?;'<'<-vs. and that competition with new b-W-:! will have the effect of emulating the;:;. The judges for horses and harness were—Messrs. Henry Balfour (Maheno), George Aikenhead and John Donaldson (Oaroaru). The teams were as a whole excellent, but varied in character. In some instances they were composed of powerful animals that were capable of doing any amount • >{ good service on the r--ads, whiia 1 ; in others they were quite lig L :t eii'iug!'. for farm work. The team 3 that won the first and second prizes for i Messrs. Christie and White from the Taieri are the property of Messrs. J. and A. Dalgleish, of Pcipakaio. The teams of Mr. Pryde and Mr. George Hutcheson were ako admirable, although not well matched, aud the latter obtained- the prize fur the best groomed team. Mr. D.- : war's team, three light chestnuts, Were, however, up to the "mark in this respect, and received the prize for the bust matched! team on the .ground. We werieiStruck by the appearance the liarness on the horses, the most at-

tractive being that or. Messrs... Pryde and G. firstmentioned sot was manufactugjcL Messrs. Hojge ajff&Co., o| t "was not hanjjsoMe- aiidifelabog; tfate;. the priize, had:; on&been olflfeect for the best sefepf hnrg lifeas. MrvgHutcheson's was madefy Mfe r ffi£*maker as lisefril tlie best kept harness Mr. Joseph Gard was adjudged the prize. The judges for ploughing were ; Messrs. George Morton (Waiho), John M'Farlane (Waiho), and Andrew Aikenhead (Oamaru). The majority of work was so uniform in its character that it was only after careful inspection and deliberation that the work 1 of those worthy of the prizes could" be I picked out from amongst the rest, and we are of opinion, however much we may re--grot that the Taieri ploughmen were victorious, that the decisions should have given satisfaction to all. The ploughs were by Messrs. Eeid and Gray, Jack., Steel and Hendry, AVbonton (Dnntroon), and Fowler (Taieri). Everybody knows what a Eeid and. Gray plough is. They-. have penetrated into almost every. part, of the Colony, because they have been proved a useful implement, and the same might almost be said of Messrs. Jack, Steel, and Hendry, who are also most successful makers of ploughs. But it is not everybody that knows anything about a Woonton or a Fowler. The first-mentioned is a simple furrow plough, splendidly adapted for garden or orchard work, and can be drawn easily by one horse. A wheel is substitutes for the usual sole plate. Fowler's ploughs are a study. For complication they surpass anything of the kind we have ever seen. .Although this is considered to be a disadvantage, we have little doubt that an operator once having learned to understand all its adjustments, could do quite as good work with it as he could with the most simple implement. Mr. Harris, of Dnntroon, supplied liquors of various descriptions to the thirsty ones, and it was surprising, although the wind was blowing upon them from Mount Dr»'iv"tc, arid its companions, how thirsty sriuf of them were. Sandwiches, pastry, ai.>i fruit were also provided on the g; ound by Mr. Harris, and Mr. Draper. The match may be viewed as a success, thanks to the arrangements which, were made by the Hon. Secret-ray, Mr, James Gardiner. Jn the evening a dinner was held, at whioh a large number of settlers were present. The following are the particulars : Class A—Swfng Pliß'giis. First Prize, L 4 ; snoanci prize, L2. OWNER. PLOUGHMAN, MAKKR. G. Hutcheson Ciydusdaie Eeid nntl Gray 1 Woonton K. Buster Woonton 2 Class B—Poole Furrows.—Open to al! coders.— First prize, LS; second prize, L 7 ; third prize, LO. fiU'\E!l. l't-OUGFIMAX. }TAHIUI. ri-Meish fhristju Fowler .-. 1 Thievish' 0. White Fowler .. 2 W'li. Dewar G. Jlarshail Reirt and Gray 3 "'Wh'--!,-,™ ll l !';. ISarnctV J. Alien ' Keid and Gray r> ~ ,- ~ , ~ „ . f Jack. Steel and , ,!■ J\. v-.asa J.li. trulfe - Hendry 0 "'w'-ir'n-ck" 1 )_ AV ' llmvdcn Reid and Gray 0 .lames Prydc Clydesdale Rcid and Gray 0 Class C—Doittk Frrir.ows—Open to non-prizetakeis only.—First prize. L 7 : third prize, LG. mrssn. iT.orciiMAX. makkr. J. Gard J. Gard Eeid and Gray 1 T. H. Woonton J. isn-tlo Woonton .. 2 G.. Hutchison A. Brainier- Reid and Gray .S .'•. I/"wis J. Bunee Woonton .. 4 | Andrew Bell A.Bell Keld and Gray 0 Andrew Bell J. Uobson Reid and Gray o j EXTRA PRIZES. Class A. Best, break—M. Clydesdale. Straightest ploughing—M. Clydesdale. Best outs and ins—E. Baster. Class B. ! Best finish—W. F. Christie. Best break—Geo. Marshall. Straightest ploughing—W. F. Christie, Class 0. | Best break—Aliek Bremnor. I finish—Joseph Gard. Best team on tiie ground—J. and A: Dalglcish. Rest niatehe' team—W. Dewar. . Best groomed team—Geo. Hutcheson. Bost decorated team —Geo. Hutcheson; . . Best kept harness—Joseph Gard. • •