THE WYHDHAM PLOUGHING MATCH.

Otago Witness, Issue 1499, 7 August 1880, Page 13

THE WYHDHAM PLOUGHING MATCH.

This great annual event of the Wyndham district came off at Mr A. Noble's farm, Oluney, on Friday, the 30bh ult., and drew together one of the largest gatherings ever seen at a ploughing matoh here. The distance from Wyndham is barely two miles, on a good gravelled road. The farm is on a terrace overlooking the far-famed Edendale Plains on the one &ide, and the no less famed Redan Valley on the other. A considerable number of people came from Longbush, Mataura, Inveroargill, and the Tol-Tois districts to be present at the meeting, and it being such a short distance from the township, the townspeople oame out in consider* able numbers, while a large number of ladies —some in traps, but principally on horseback — graced the proceedings with their presence, and helped to make the ploughing matoh a suooess. Mr Milne, of the Farmer's Arms, did a roaring trade with a booth on the ground, while the owner of the ground (A, Noble, Es<J.)> gave a splendid dinner

to the workiog committee, judges, reporters, police on the ground, &0., &0., in bis lately, erected farmhouse — a very substantial building of two stories. The trial ground was a little further down, and was a paddook laid down in English gra^s two years previously. It wa3 Blaming towards the Bun, but it was the beist ground in the district for showing good work, as it was rather rough in places, and bad a hard clay bottom. The depth ploughed waß six iucbe3, and the hard clay in the bottom did not improve the look of the work done, which was, taking into consideration the nature of toe grout d, first class all round. One novel feature was that the single and doable-furrow ploughs were olaesed together, a great mistake, takiag into consideration, the rough nature of the gn uud. It did not give the double-farrows a ohanco to oomr fcte on level terms, and, as will be Been by the prize list, the single furrowß beat the double hollow, taking the first four prizes. One of the double furrow ploughmea entered a protest, on the ground that they had help several times during the match., in measuring the distance, &o. The Committee sustained his protest on that ground. It is only justice to the Committee to say that Rule 5 was read before the men started. It says : " That each ploughman be allowed a hand to lead his team for one round only at the feering, and no person to touch or otherwise interfere with them until he is finished." This was the only clond that occurred during the match, and the utmost good feeling was displayed all through. The judging gave pretty general satisfaction, and one fact worth notioing was that in the Junior Class tha ploughing of a young lad, James Milne, would, if classed, with the Senior Double- furrow b, have taken the first prize. The ploughing does not call for any special comment, only that the second ploughman on the list was considered by the majority of the farmers present as entitled to first honours. SENIOR CLASS. Judges— Mr James Mabin, Benmore ; Mr William Stirling, South Wyndham ; Mr Allison, Mataura. Open to allcomers, except winners of two first prizes in either class. Prizes :— lst, £5 ; 2nd, £4 ; 3rd, £3 ; 4th, £2 ; L sth, £1 ; 6th and 7th, 10s each. Tha last-named was an extra prize, and was the gift of Mr Noble. Ploughman. Owner. Maker's name,, James M'Millan* James Carpenter (s) Ponton I James Smith* Owner (s) Prater 2 A. Forsyte Mrs Brand"(s) Kidd 8 Thomas Milne* Milne Bros, (s) Ponton 4 James Irvine Owmr Beid & Gray B A. Watt Owner Reid & Gray 6 George Milne James Milne Reid & Gray 7 I DuncanM'Dermid Owner Gardner 8 William Lumsden Lumsden Bros. Reid & Gray 0 D. M'Kinnon Owner Gray, Uddystone 0 A. M'Kay H. Munro Do 0 * Disqualified ; (s) single-furrow. JUNIOR CLASS. Ist prize, £3 ; 2nd, £2. Ploughman. Owner. Maker's name, James Milne, jun. James Milne, sen. Reid & Gray 1 Allan Gait, jun. Allan Gait, sen. Do 2 SPECIAL PBIZES. Best outs-and-ins— A. Forsyth, meerschaum pipe, gift of S Rogers, Invercargill. Best outs-and-ins (Juniors)— Jas. Milne, lady's riding whip, gift of Messrs True and Hall, Invercargill. Best finish (Seniors)-^J. Irvine, hunting whip and thong, gift of Messrs Guthrie and Larnach, Invercargill. Best finish (Juniors)— James Milne, hunting crop, gift of W. J. Winter, Wyndham. Best-groomed horses— A. Gait, lady's bridle, gift of Butler Bros., Dunedin. Best team of two horses— Mra Brand, pair gate hinges, gift of R. Kidd, Wyndham. Best team of three horses— A. Gait, pair watertight boots, gift of Lunner Bros, Wyndham. Straightest ploughing— James Smith, Toi-Tois, violin, gift of A. Kidd, Wyndham. First finished prizetaker— W. Lumsden, arm chair, gift of R. A. Elliot, Wyndham. Ploughman with largest family— A. Watt, cheese, gift of Laidlaw and Golden, Wyndham. Best-kept harness in daily use— Bridle and pair of spurn, gift of Edmond, Forsyth, and M'Neill. Best decorated team— Mrs Brand, pair trousers, gift of Temploton and Co., Wyndham. Best feering— J. Smith, Toi-Toia, pair plough socks, gift of W. H. Mathieson, Wyndham. i- Youngest ploughman making best work— £2, gift of Shanks and Barr, Mataura. Oldest ploughman— James Cashnee, pair leggings, gift of Mr Monagan, Wyndham. Youngest ploughman— A. Gait, a silver albert, gift of M'Kay Bros., Wyndham. Tidiest ploughman— Britannia metal teapot, the gift of Hayman and Co., Dunedin. Extra prize of 10s was given by Mr A. Noble, which fell to A. M'Kay. The dinner in the evening was a very successful affair, a large number sitting down to it. A report of the proceedings is unfortunately crowded out.