MY COUNTRY NOTEBOOK

Otago Witness, Issue 3830, 9 August 1927, Page 53

MY COUNTRY NOTEBOOK

Bv

MURIHIKU.

(Special to the Otago Witness.)

By a lucky accident I was in Auckland last week, and had the opportunity of looking over their annual Winter Exhibition, which is run partly on the lines of our Winter Show. At first sight, in Auckland, manufactured exhibits predominate. Nevertheless, the show of butter and cheese, the extensive exhibits of the work of school children, and the six magnificent district courts would do credit to any show anywhere in the world.

The exhibition is held in some spacious Harbour Board sheds, and is very handy to all the principal tram stops. It is quite evident that the Auckland general public enthusiastically supports the exhibition. The flaring electric signs attract —like they did in Dunedin—all the young people to the roll-downs and the electric rabbits we all know so well. The charm of the big box of chocolates apparently still appeals. However, the townsfolk attended late and early; the country people came in in their thousands to see the show, and incidentally to see the Canadians play Soccer, so the turnstiles eked merrily, and the exhibition was a financial success.

Getting the children interested is one of the leading principles in the Auckland Show. There are all sorts of exhibits, just as there were in the Dunedin Exhibition. There was a class for the best exhibit of work from any District High School, to be displayed on a space of 10ft by 4ft. The half-dozen exhibits in this class were very creditable. For primary schools there arc classes for writing, drawing, mapping, plasticine modelling, dressmaking, woodwork, metal work, and kindred subjects, in all of which there was keen competition. * * * The home industries section for grownups elicited keen competition. Careful seamstresses dashed in with hundreds of exhibits, from suits of pyjamas to “ sets of six button holes.” In the baking section there were 34 entries for the best five home-made scones, and as many as 19 in the sponge sandwich class. Certainly there was a very tempting array of delicacies very reminiscent of the Otago Winter Show at its best.

But the district competitions were the principal centres of attraction. Those of us who remembered the district bays at our old Otago shows saw in Auckland once again those superb and diversified collections of farm products which could only be produced in a favoured country like New Zealand. In addition to the produce of the farm, included in these displays were manufactured articles produced or made within the district.

Strangely enough, the Poverty Bay Court won the competition, proving once again that Captain Cook gave a very misleading name to a most prosperous district. No district seems to grow such magnificent squashes and pumpkins: but one may have some doubts as to the origin of the Neuchatel asphalt being used on the Gisborne streets. Surely it is not a product of Poverty Bay I Then there •was strings of saveloys, a beautiful threetiered wedding cake, and some magnificent

fur coats on wax figures from Paris. To one coining from the south tin fruits had quite a sub-tropical air—the whole skilfully arranged, well deserving of the first prize of £2O and Kempthorne Prosser's shield. (It might be as well to add here that the society donates £5O to each court towards expenses, and provides all timber free for the building up of th" stands).

The Onehunga-Manukau Court was also a miniature show in itself. Besides manufactured articles, such as bicycles and blankets, these good people showed all sorts of cakes, jam, and preserves; a wonderful electric clock and an ingenious chair. What wood the seat was made of I know not, but the four legs were four magnificent bullocks’ horns, while four more gigantic horns made a back scat with two, and the other two made the arm • rests. An enlarged photograph of Sir Maurice O’Rorke filled a prominent position, while the sitting member’s portrait was significantly balance- by an illuminated copy of the Lord’s Prayer. One of the strangest exhibits was that of articles taken from the stomachs of cattle at the local abattoirs —coins, staples, nails, washers, and goodness knows what * not.

The Franklin di-.trict takes in ute famous Pukekohe Hill. Here, above the frost level, are grown the earliest potatoes in New Zealand—two cr< year. And the range of exhibits in the Franklin Court was remarkable. Big fat cigars made in Pukekohe; a full range of wines made from grapes locally grow fruit' and vegetables of the very highest quality —all combined to make a noteworthy display. Dairy cattle in Franklin have put np many records, and it is the proud boast of the Waiuku Dairy Factory that at the last Waikato Winter Show it carried off the grand championship banner of New Zealand.

A remarkable stand at tho show was an exhibit of fish. Some progressive trawling companies are supplying Auckland with fish, and using up all the byproducts by manufacturing manure. This manure is now largely used by farmers in the north. But this stand of fish was a revelation. There was a great grey nurse shark Sft long; tlie porpoises we secAvhen wc cross on the ferry boat were represented by a monster over 6ft in length; there was the quaint porcupine fish—• blown up until he was the size of a football, and with his spines sticking out angrily ; a great kingfish, weighing 1061 b, made a brave show; while strangelycoloured parrot fish and little silvery garfish contrasted strangely with big hapuka and dogfish. The whole majle one of tho most remarkable displays i»f fish ever brought together, and demonstrated the wonderful wealth of food and fertiliser now so little availed of. If our fish resources were properly developed we could cut out pratically all the tinned fish now imported- The product of the fisheries is just as much a primary industry as tho products of the land and the forests.

Auckland has reason to be proud of its progressive Winter Exhibition Committee. They are starting almost where we in Otago are leaving off. Their society is virile, and skilfully combininc town and country exhibits, carefully endeavouring to keep a harmonious balance. We ira Otago must move along progressive lines, developing the young idea in the showing business, or one day we will have to admit that Auckland is running a better Winter Show than we are.