THE TAIERI SHOW.

Otago Witness, Issue 2179, 28 November 1895, Page 13

THE TAIERI SHOW.

Committee of Management. — President, Mr William Smith; vice-pres'dtnt, Mr James Ougbton ; Mesrs William Jaffray jun., James Uow, Joseph Allan,- G. Rutherford, R. Gawn, James Cullen, W. G. Todd, Robert Todd, J. Rankin, R. Cullen, D. Marshall, J. Blair, D. Andrew, W. Ohirters, J. Muir, D. Manson, A. Douglas, W. Jaffray sen., A. Dow, J. A. puff, R. Webster, John Kennedy ; hon. veterinary surgeons, Mtssis J. G Douglas and Robert Dickie; treasurer and secretary, Mr J. 11. Allan ; life members — Messrs K. Charters, Job a Finlay, John Shennan, and R. Findlay. The Taieri Agricultural Society held its thiity-fourth annual show on Thursday in a paddock, the property of Mr R. Charters, about a quarter of a mile on the Dunedin side of the Mosgiel railway station. The site is admirably adapted for the purpose. A ltvel piece of green sward is flanked by an acclivity which forms a perfect natural grand stand, and which is well shaded with gums, and the society is to be congratulated on haviug secured such an ideally convenient and suitable sight for a period of seven years. The testimony on all hands on Thursday was that the show was a most successful one. Th's was not because of the largeness of the attendance, for the threatening aspect of the morning kept a goad many, especially of the fair sex, away, and it also to some extent deterred exhibitors from a distance from ri iking experute (So the elements; bub it was in the uniformity of excellence among the exhibits, as well as from their number, that every oue felt when thy ''ay's proceeding wire concluded a little before 6 o'clock, that a success had been scored. The Taieri Sooiety is determined that it at all events shall not suffer extinction from the predominance of its powerful neighbour at Dunedin. If asked to stats definitely in what particular the show excelled, a visit >r would find it difficult to answer. The show of horses was excellent, and among them the draught brood mares furnished a ring that i 3 not of' en equalled in New Zealand. Not that the o.her classes were behindhand, but thete were pre-eminent. The display of light horse? was perhaps not so meritoiiauß by comr.ari3OD, but it was of positive merit. The cattle were also good, but that is no novelty at Taitii shows. The Ayrshires were a fine even lot, full of quality, and hard to judge ; and the shoithorn classes were well represented. It would ba safe to say that Mr Gow'a champion shorthorn bull would be hard to beat in New Zealand. In sheep Romneyß made a display which mada up in quality wha 1 ; it lacked in number, and Leiccste s— a fair entry — elicited the warmest encomiums of the judges. The dairy produce was shown in a booth near the cntrancs g^tes, and it is almost needless to say that the oft-proved skill of the maids and rnatronß of the plain was here again demonstrated. One of the judges sai 1 that the fresh butter was the best Job he had ever seen. The powdered and salt butter did n»t quitß come up to this standard ; but tho farmers' cheese was uniformly of tip-top quality. There was & moderate display of exhibits entered under the head of implements. Under this class, in which there is usually no competitive test, all sorts of mechanical contrivances are usually found, from an American waggon to a rabbit trap. On such occasions inventive geniuses usually display the f ruits of their research and ix^eriment. Yesterday, for example, Mr Mainland, of Burkes, exhibited a 6oz rabbit trap, which is not only lighter, but has a much firmer grip than the trap at present in use. It is much smaller and very much- cheaper. The jaws are actuated by "spiral springs beneath, and the whole is easily concealed, and not liable to be choked with dirt. Mr Legg, of Balclutha, exhibited a novelty in tho shape of a furrow splitter. This ia a contrivance in He form of a knife thsvt cm l.c attached t j thj rear of the mould board of any plough. The merts claimed for this invention are thab it will either split or sk'm the furrow without displacing it. It makes two seed beds instead of one, and for breaking-up it materially aaEists pulverisation. As it only costs 18s it ought to meet with large demand. The Walter A. Wood Company exhibited their well-known reapers and binders and ateo a hay rake. Messrs Reid and Gray showed a Mercer binder and a turnip and mangold sowing machine with patent Eureka

manure distributor attached. Mafsay-Harris and M'Cormick were alao represented in reapers and binders. Mr X Campbell, of Ensb Taieri, showed an American woggou, built to the order of A. and J. Bnyd. At a specimen of the waggon-builder's art it would be difficult to beat. Mr Poolo, also of East Taieri, has eight Tory creditsb'.e exhibits, comprising a lady's rust : c dogcart, a rustic do, three double buggiea in different styles, a Tilbury, a stition waggonette, and a spring cart — all displaying high Bkill in workmanship. Mr Mark Sinclair exhibited a .waggoutt'o showing that maker's favourite pon ts. Messrs J. S. Smith and 00. had an exhibit of Whaka-Ma, a cleansing and verniicidal compound just pub on the market, »nd which is moetiug ke ju d mand. The name is claimed to be Maori, for "Make white, pure, or clean," and as its name implies, it is used for scouring wool or woollen goods, waihing shfep, or for cleansing live stock from vernrn. Though the weatli&r threatened all day, only one shower fell, and it did nob last long enough to mar tbe proceedings. The Taieri show is run on ostensibly prohibition lines, owing to the refusal of the Liccneiog Committee to grant a conditional l'cense, but the ccimmitlea have df.vised a method of securing tho material for hospitality wituoufc infringing Ibe law. The management was all that could be desired, and a word of praise is due to tie energetic secretary, Mr J. H. Allan. The following is the prize list : —