TARANAKI WINTER SHOW.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 92, 8 June 1911, Page 5

TARANAKI WINTER SHOW.

A FINE EXHIBITION. The Taranaki Winter Show opened at Now Plymouth yesterday, and, despite the very heavy downpour oi rain, was attended by a very fail number of people, including the President of the Stratford A. and P. Association and others from this district. This is only the second White: Sho\v held at New Plymouth, but tut 01 tries were very much move numerous than at the winter exhibition oi last year. The quality is certainly better, and the arrangement is excel lent.-

The show is being held in the Drib Hall, and in a large iron building whicn lias been erected on Kawat Street, the Borough Council having allowed the street to be tomporarnv closed. The main building is devotee chiefly to the lino exhibits made o;. business arms, to trie technical am homo industrial classes, and to miscellaneous exhibits. In the othei building (which is much larger than the canvas spread of last year)) ai\ tbo district, exhibits, the farm, garden, vegetables, and dairy classes, am. cue or two displays made by butanes; linns, including a couple of milking, machines. Cheat credit is president, Air. \V. Am bury, find tm secretary, Air. A. Cliff. The judges were as follow:—harm section—hams, bacon, and fruits—Messrs. \V rigpt, Grant, and W. Mealy; fruits, Air. J. Gibson; garden-veget-ables, Messrs. G. Cliff and J. Gibson, farm collection, potatoes, and licit roots, Messrs. B. B. Lougstaff and D -J. Elwin; grain and grass seeds, Air. F. Watson; home industries, Mrs dames Dock) ill and Smcllie ; technical, section, cooking, Meschuncs 11. Coot

and E. X. J. Okoy; honey, Mr. I l '. A. Jacobson (Government expert) ; jams sauces, pickles, and bottled it nits, Mi 11. !). Colson; children’s classes, girls, Mesdamos C. Webster anti J. I;sell hoys, Mr. 15. Touka; general compete lions, classes 110 and 111, Messrs. G. Colson and A. W. Wood; class 112, Mr. Cattley; classes lid and 115, Mr. \V; A. Coins; classes JlO to 119, Ales dames W. D. Webster and J. Tisch : classes 120 and 12), Mr. 15. Tcoke technical classes, Messrs. Ballar.tync Whotter, \V. W. .Smith, Hutton, 11 Tooko, J. Goon, (1 ascii, and dies dames W. I). Webster and Hamertna.

A very special and very atfcractiv. feature of the Show is the sec tins devoted to district exhibits. Tbit competition drew only two exhibits but these were of real merit, representing the work of many hands oi many farms and in many Jinnies. Tin two collections shown came from Wad tarn West and Bell Block, and v.e;\ placed in Hint order. The decision wa: nob arrived at quite as easily as that though. There were live judges Messrs. .). Gibson and .). J. J'.iiwii judging quality, Messrs. Jas. Hinges; and Geo. Clilf on quantity, and Mr H. Goodacre on general appearance The deciding on a definite plan o; judging, ami tire comparison of tin two exhibits, item by item, was a hi; order. Bell Block led on general an pea ra ilce, the Waitara West ex hi bn suffering by the disqualification, so (• speak, of the whole of the exhibits o the Sentry Hill dour mills, and severe, photographs by professionals, ivhifsonly two saddles in the other lay were disqualified. The Bell Block ex hi bit started, too, at the ground where:;-; Hie lower part of the Wai tara West exhibit was composed o' untidy boxes, and the neper part o' “the Block” was also superior, a; being composed of farm products. Tip cereal portion of the Waitara West exhibit “knocked spots out of lie! Block,” to quote a remark by Ur. judge. In quality, "Waitara West wo; by -!() to 512, and it won by 25 to 2( on quantity. Owing to a mieunder standing, some of the judges’ point? were not available last night. Tin. vcondithms governing this exhibit v.ii probably bo refrained as the result.o' the recommendations { of the judges v.'cjearu from the “Daily News.” The .standard is very high in tie field roots vand garden produce. IVl• J. Gibson, who judged time, made ‘‘special mention” of many eshibits Speaking to a “Nows” represents tivc, he suggested that ilio Socief; should issue certificates <d' merit i; cases where the exhibit was of e;< eeptional quality. The r.tump-rootec carrots have perhaps never been equalled on any show-stands m \c\ Plymouth, whilst the leeks would At credit to any gardener anywhere. A: at last year’s show, the onmn-grow-ers were particularly well represent'.' I both first and second prize-winners i; the heavy-weight, onions being, h the opinion oi" the judge,orthy o' special mention. Bumpkins and marrows shown were of unusual ex ecllenee. The heaviest pumpkin o; exhibition weighed (551 b. There art several model hayricks, a model silo and many working; exhibits of gies/ interest. The opening ceremony was perform-

cd by the lion. D. £vdcb, who rofcr.au ,o the iuflueuco <:f i.:c3o mown in adding come at;.- . to Lae livcs of th.o farmer:; by bringing them into healthy competition one win Ino other. They were apt, ho said, to neglect inavtcrs of pleasure and cunfort such as were given so much av.tontion by the people of the towns, but he believed that those shows would tend to make the farming life more attractive to tlio young people. Ho spoke of the value of th.o local shows, as tending to ’ improve the quality of exhibits to be sent on to metropolitan shows in other centres, and recommended the young farmers to become proJicicni judges. _ A good judge of stock was, ho said, very often a good farmer, and a good buyer of stock could generally sell to advantage. As a grazing district ho know of no part of Now Zealand to beat Taranaki, lie said, but -ho wondered whether Taranaki was doing her host. Many of the farms widen, ho had passed possessed excellent pastures, the plough and the sower having done their part well. But ho could not help thinking of the change that could lie effected in some of tho fern-covercd lands by a hung some good seed, and a top-dressing of basic slag. There was more need than over now for the farmers to keep in close touch with the experimental work in breeding, pastures, and so on, and to take every advantage of the money provided by the State for experimental purposes. Tho lion, gentleman, in conclusion, congratulated the society on this excellent show, which ho said was a credit to tho workers and to tho district, and- should have tho effect of drawing greater attention to the produce of the district, and declared tiio show open. THE DAIRY PRODUCE. In tho butter sections at the Taranaki Winter Show the entries were not nearly ao numerous as one would have expected. Competition for the Shaw, feavill, and Aloion Company’s £25 cup, for which there were six entries, three from Taranaki and three from outside the province. The u bi- nhm v-'n i'” He Taien and Peninsula Milk Supply Company, oi Otago, with no poniLo wet oi .. p.,.j----sible 100. The butter-maker, Mr. C. Capel, is an old Taranaki boy. The second place was taken 13y Rangitikei, with 95 points, and Bunnythorpo was third with 94 points. The novice class was won by cue Bunnythorpe Dairy Company, with 95 points, Tikorangi being half a point behind. The Mangorei Dairy Company won the prize for best 111) of factory butter, Marfell Bros, winning the award for privately made butter.

In cheese there was no competition for the New Zealand Shipping Company’s challenge cup. The Kaponga Dairy Company (0. iMarley, manager) was the only exhibitor, and has the honour of having its name inscribed on the cun.