THE EXHIBITION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13846, 8 March 1907, Page 6

THE EXHIBITION.

NOVEL AND INTERESTING ATTRACTIONS. (From Our Special Corksfoxdcxt.) ■ CHRISTCIIURCII, March 7. The attendance at 1 lie Exhibition to-day was 13,760. Tho flower show was again the great- attraction, and tho performances of ] the Besses o' th' Barn Band liavo lost none ' o£ their spoil. 'Tho orchestra also drew ] largo attendances both afternoon and even- . ing. I Through tho kindness of the general manager of the Exhibition the cadets wero ' enabled to witness the fireworks and listen lo the Besses o' th' Barn Band last, night, general leave having been granted for the ' purpose. Both the West Coast and liawko's , liny Battalions leave for the north to-mor- • row by tho To Anan. Tho I'alinerston '■ North BtiUalioii will immediately take their j place. For next. Wednesday night, which will scotho hist performance of the Besses, a grand combined programme of fireworks, alternating with band selections, lias been arranged. The exhibits at Wonderland's pet show to-morrow .will ineludc a great variety of pets, such ;ts pigs, hedgehogs, donkeys, lambs, ami tortoises, besides more ordinary domestic favourites. Several members of tho committee of the 1 Canterbury Automobile Association. paid a ! visit io the. Exhibition sports ground this , morning with the View of testing tho suit- < ability of the track for the purpose of the \ motor car gymkhana which will lie held | next Saturday afternoon. Various events ( were reheased, and the memliers expressed . tho opinion that the track was eminently | suitable. The double atiraciion of Sal.tir- , day afternoon will be the conjunction of the , famous Besses o' th' Barn Band willi the gymkhana. Tho Canterbury College Sports Association has'definitely decided to imiti ii.: annual sports gathering' on the sports ground on Saturday week. Numerous applications aro being made daily by various schools and collectors for various agricultural sets and cotton pods in the .Fijian court, which is one of the most novel and popular in the Exhibition. ; Arrangements are being made,by which all articles for distribution will be handed over to the secretary of the Education Board at ; the clceo of,tho Exhibition for division j among the different'schools. j Letters have been scut to all the principal football clujjs in the colony inviting them j to send teams to take part in'the football ■] tournament which it is proposed to hold , in April. Arrangements are well under way for tho . approaching international lire brigade com- ' petitions, which aro expcctcd to bo the ] largest ever held in the colony. Tho confetti carnival, which it is sug- ■ gested should bo the closing feature of the i Exhibition, should prove a unique and ; mirthful function. Theso carnivals are ! regularly hold in (lie streets of Paris and : other large Continental towns at. certain holiday seasons, when the people, masked, , and wearing fancy costumes, parade the j streets, showering all and sundry with con- , fctii, and throwing strintrs of coloured paper which wind about liko lassos. Confetti carnivals, combined with other amuse- . mcnts, have, been introduced with much success into a large number of towns in the United Slates by tho American company which 1 is offering to conduct the function at tho Exhibition. EXCURSION FROII AUCKLAND. (Per United Peiss Assocunoy.) AUCKLAND, March 7. _ Two hundred excursionist.? to tho Exhibition left Onehunga to-day by the Rotoiti, A CONSIGNMENT OF GRAPES. (Faost Our Owsr Corhespondext.) CHRISrCHURCH March 6. There arrived at the Exhibition 10-day a consignment of grapes from the Government experimental vineyard at Waercnga, in the Waikato. Tho grapes are of the Golden Chassclas variety, and were brought south by one of the staff of the viticultural division of the Agricultural Department. They were very carefully packed for the journey, and arrived in perfect condition. The rjrnpes are sweet and thinskinned. A Press representative was assured that grapes liko those could be sold here at 3d a pound and leave a. sufficient profit, lo the growers, who wero satisfied with anything from a penny totwopence a pound in the vineyard. The Government's Waercnga vineries consist of poor gum land bought at 10s an acre. Tho average yield of Golden Chassclas grapes is four tons to tho acre. There are now thrco acres and n-half in bearing vines, and 20 acres are occupied with young and American stocks for propagating purposes. Altogether there are. from 450.t0 500 acres of outdoor grapes of bearing ago in the Auckland province. Mr Bragato, Government Viliculturist, states thai much better grapes could be grown in the northern district than at the Government experimental station in the Waikato, as the climate is warmer further north and tho soil is also better adapted to vinegrowing. It appears that- only the risk of damage has prevented theso Auckland grapes finding their way south in bulk before now. It is being demonstrated that with careful packing and gentle handling the fruit can easily bo landed here in good condition.