SPECIAL SHOW NOTES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 817, 25 November 1878, Page 2

SPECIAL SHOW NOTES.

.Amongst the agricultural implements on exhibition during the late Show was a Bradford and Perkin's patent water ballast roller, shown by Messrs. E. Wilkin and Co., of Christclroreh. This, unfortunately, did not arrive on the ground until late on the iirst day of the Show, and after our reporter had written his remarks upon the exhibits of implements. As many of our country reade .s may be ntere.sled in this roller, we now purpose .eiving a brief notice of it : The roller is hollow and is furnished with brass plugs, which can be unscrewed to admit of a funnel, through which water to any wcight, according to the character of the land required to be rolled, is admitted. The iron work of the machine is entirely wrought, the rollei-s being made of boiler plates. It is also fitted with a scraper ; it is formed of two distinct sections, revolving on the same shaft. Altogether, the roller is a very handy implement, and lias given great satisfaction everywhere. Mr. John Anderson, of Christchurch, also exhibited a McSherry drill, which only came to hand on Friday morning. Of the McSherry grain drill we append the following description, conceiving that it is worthy of special notice, both as a grain and turnip sower and on account of its compactness and lightness_of draught : —The machine is furnished with an uppci and lower longtitudinal hopper ; the former for grain sowing, the latter for turnip or clover. The quantity sown deponds on the speed to which the delivery attains, which is regulated by cog-wheels of various diameters, numbered according to the quantity of seed desired to be sown per acre; thus No. 22 sows 2 bushels to the acre, while No. 11 sows three-quarters of a bushel. The machine can be regulated to sow from a quarter of an inch to six inches in depth. The land requires no after harrowing, and it will sow 14 acres a day : and lastly the number of acres sown is shown by an indicator immediately beneath the hopper beside the left wheel. We are further tcld by the acent. Mr. Middletoii, that one of the purchasers °f these machines in Canterbury informed him that he considered that they had saved him LIOOO this year in the cultivation of 500 acres.

A few remarks may not be cmt of place with reference to the flour exhibited by Mr. W. A. Young, of Palmerston. We may premise that this flour was not shown for the purpose of competition, but with the view of bringing prominently under the notice of agriculturists the excellent qualities of the grain from which it was ground—Californian club wheat. This wheat—a sample of which was shown—was imported front California by Mr. W. Cowan, of Waikouaiti. It is a very small but compact and heavy wheat, not possessed of a very bright color, but on grinding the color of the flour is not so iiruoh affected by this peculiarity as people might suppose. The flour is remarkably sweet, and must be a very superior breadmaker, and if a shade brighter would be equal to Adelaide and North American superfines ; indeed it is the best bakers' and confectioneers' flour we have ever sampled in Otago. We strongly advise the Hakateramea and Otago interior farmers to procure this seed, as it is particularly adapted for the climate and soils existing in our interior high levels, they being remarkably like the lands from which it was brought. The bread from this flour, of which there was a sample shown, we regret to s;iv was not tried. While on the subject of grain and flour we may also mention that Messrs. Murdoch and Watson and \ir. Xorman Lane showed sonic prime samples of wheat and oats, and were awarded first prizes. Tin's goes to prove the assertion of practical men that our interior lands arc vastly superior to the const for the production of cereals. There was another exhibit on the ground not included in the programme which calls for a few words of commendation from us. We al!"de to some really excellent beer shown by Mi-. .lare.es Speight, of the City Vavwe.-y, Dmicdiii. This beer was sampled by many eoimoiseurs. who pronounced it io be some of the very best they have tasted in the Colony. So good was it considered that Mr. Speight at once received ordcrs-for large, supplies of it from several hotelkeepcrs in Oamaru.