SOUTHLAND CHAMPION PLOUGHING MATCH.

Otago Witness, Issue 1812, 13 August 1886, Page 18

SOUTHLAND CHAMPION PLOUGHING MATCH.

This event, which winds up the ploughing match season in Southland, is not only looked forward to as the most important match of the season in the district more especially concerned but is also regarded with a considerable amount of interest in districts which are precluded from taking an active part in it by reason of their remoteness from the scene of the contest. The match this year was held in a paddock belonging to Mr Gray, in close proximity to flhe Makarewa railway station, on the sth inst., and proved as successful as usual. Our Southland agricultural reporter was unfortunately prevented from attending by indisposition, and we are indebted for the following description of the match to the Southland The paddock on which the match took place was one which, so far as its natural features and situation were concerned, was eminently suited for the purpose. Level as a billiard table, and looking well upon the surface, its area was sufficiently extensive to accommodate the large field ; and the committee therefore had apparently reason to congratulate themselves upon having secured an excellent bit of land. But the ground had been grubbed aud would not hang together; in fact so brittle was it that the high class work which has been the feature of former matches was almost an impossibility. There were in all 31 ploughs on the ground, 22 in the double-furrow class and 9 in the singlefurrow. As compared with last year this shows a slight, very slight, falling off, the numbers then being 24 doubles and 9 singles. Of the 22 doubles which competed this year, Reid and Gray were the makers of no less than 17, and the implements used by the first eeven prizetakers were manufactured by that firm. There were also two ploughs by Anderson and Findlay, two by Gardiner (one of them securing the eighth prize), and one by Ransomes. First honours were again secured by John Hamilton, the son of Mr J. W. Hamilton, of Stratharran. Not only did this youth, for he is no more, gain first prize in his class, but he also took the special prize for the champion lot of the field, defeating the capital work done by the single furrow men. To attain so high a position amongst the ploughmen of Southland is an honour of which any man might well be proud, but when it is secured by a mere lad he is entitled to all the more credit. His lot was, considering the nature of the ground, a grand one, and his finish superior to anything of the kind we have ever seen done by a double furrow plough. The popular opinion was that he would be very near it, and the result proved the correctness of that opinion. It is quite evident that Hamilton has improved considerably since last year, when, although he secured the first prize in his class, the championship went to a single furrow man (T.Hannah). Having now been the winner for two years in succession, Hamilton becomes the owner of the Reid and Gray plough and the set of flexible harrows which were included among the prizes offered. Second in the order of merit came R. Smith, he also having been second last year. His work was capital, and although doubtless the judges had good reasons for their decision, they must have had considerable difficulty in choosing between the first and second men. Charles King was third with a well ploughed rig, but his work was scarcely up. to his former champion match standard. Perhaps the difficulties he laboured under had an injurious effect, his lot being rendered hard to negotiate through an old ploughed rig running diagonally across it. The work done by the others in this class was •f a very creditable nature, and those who were awarded the other prizes thoroughly deserved them. In the single furrow class some of the work was a little rough, but most of it was excellent. The first prizetaker was A. Hall, and the public voice generally endorsed the award. His furrow was straight and well packed, while his finish was a splendid example of what can be accomplished with the old swing plough. M'Lean, Crawford, John Smith and A. Jones were placed in the order named, while J. R. Wilson secured the prize for the best break. All acquitted themselves well, and the measure of success which crowned their efforts was honestly and fairly earned. As a whole the ploughing was a credit to Southland, especially when the nature of the ground is taken into consideration, and the fact that the contests were very keen and close must be a source of considerable satisfaction to the association.

A novel and interesting feature of the day's proceedings was the gorse cutting contest, for which there were five entries. The men were set to work at a five-year-old hedge which had never been previously trimmed, each having three chains allotted to him with a time allowance of three hours in which to complete their work! The first prizetaker, D. Patterson, got through his task in 1 hour 23b minutes, the second being quicker by half a-minute. The trimming was done in a neat and workmanlike manner, and the judges' decisions were accepted * without a murmur. Several implements, &c.,were exhibited on the ground during the^ day and attracted a good deal of attention. "Mr R. Cockerell showed one of his disc cultivators, Mr W. H. Mathieson had a farm waggon and a spring cart in a prominent position on the field, Mr Colbran (of Messrs Turner and Colbran) explained and demonstrated the merits of his sectional box beehives, and Mr G. Young's patent stump extractor was exhibited at work. A public trial of the lastnamed appliance will, we understand, shortly take place, when farmers and others will have 'an opportunity of judging as to its capabilities. The following is the

PRIZE LIST : Judges— Ploughing : Messrs Wm. M'llwrick BJCWaikiwi), John Sinclair (Toi-Tois), and J.B. Suttou (Thornbury). Special: Messrs A. ,' Christie (Toi-Tois) and J. E. Hunter (Benmore). Gorse cutting : Mr James M'Kercher (Longbush). Double-furrow Class— lst prize, £10, doublefurrow plough from Messrs Reid and Gray (to be won twice by a Reid and Gray plough), and set of flexible harrows from the New Zealand Implement Company (to be won twice in succession); 2nd, £10 and pair of revolving coulters, gift of Messrs Cowper and Wilson ; 3rd, £6 and American timepiece, gif b of Mr N. J. M. Rein ; 4th, £3 and pair of watertight boots, gift of Messrs Price and Bulleid ; sth, £2 and roll of bacon, gift of Mr G. Froggart ; 6ih, £1 and ham, gift of Messrs Palmer and ♦ W^tcftlf ; 7tb, set of $wo-horse swingletrees.

gift of Messrs Anderson and Findlay; Bth, workbox, gift of Messrs Moir, Johnson, and Co.; 9th, a white shirt and a hat, gift of M'Leod Bros. PLOUUIIMAN. OWNEK. MAKBKS. 1. John Hamilton J W Hamilton! Reid & Gray 2., Robert Smith Self „ 3. Chas. King Self „ 4. Walter Blakio Self „ 5. John Brown Brown & Walker „ G. David Clark T. Clark „ 7. S. Clark Self „ . 8 H. A. Ladbrook Self Gardiner 9. Jas. Irving Solf Reid & Gray Single-furrow Class.— lst prize, £10 and a box of tea, gift of Mr A. Scrutton ; 2nd, £7 and a kerosene lamp, gift of Messrs Trew and Hall ; 3rd, £4 and a pair of short leggings, gift of Messrs Sloan and Sons ; 4th, .£2 and a roil of bacon, gift of Messrs Quinn and Co. ; sth, lamp, gift of Mr T. M'William. PLOUGHMAN. OWNER. -\rAKERS. 1. A. Hall Self Ponton 2. A. M'Lean Self „ 3. A. Crawford Self Gray ( Ud'gstone) 4. John Smith Self Ponton 5. Allan Jones Self „ Gorse Cutting Contest. — Three chains per man and three hours allowed — Ist prize, £2 and a pair velvet cord trousers, gift of Messrs Thomson and Beattie— D. Paterson (time, 1 hour 235tnin) ; 2nd, £I— Jas. M'lntosh (time, lh 23min) ; 3rd, one pair leggings, gift of Messrs C. and D. Fairweather — R. M'Callum (time, lh 42min).