COLLETT CUP PRESENTED

Taranaki Daily News, 8 July 1929, Page 2

COLLETT CUP PRESENTED

TARURUTANGI ROOT GROWING.

SECOND SUCCESS OF A. C. PEGG.

For the second year in succession Mr. A. C. Pegg, Tarurutangi, has won the Collett Cup, which was presented by Messrs. Collett and Company for competition among suppliers of the Tarurutangi Co-op. Dairy Company. The cup has been allotted as first prize m a root-growing competition and has to be won three times before becoming the property of the winner. Mr. Pegg won the cup this year with a crop of 94 tons of mangolds, and he also gained the medal for third prize with a crop of 72 tons of sw’cdes, which Mr. J. M. Smith of the Field Division of the Agricultural Department, who acted as judge, considered a much more meritorious performance than annexing the first prize. A crop of 72 tons of swedes was the finest ho had ever seen in any ocmpetition in any part of Taranaki. Indeed, it was the finest crop in the Dominion or in any part of the world as far as he knew. In presenting the prizes at the annual meeting of suppliers to the Tarurutangi Co-op. Dairy Company, in the absence of Mr. J. R. Cruickshank, manager for Messrs. Collett and Company, Mr. J. M. Smith congratulated Messrs. Collett and Company on their enterprise in donating the cup for local competition. It uas unfortunate that more merchants did not realise the benefits to be derived by encouraging such competitions, which not only led to increased production but also to a, greater use of seeds and manures. He congratulated the district on the excellence of the crops that had been judged, and he particularly congratulated Mr. Pegg on his second victory, lie urged the other, suppliers to make tlie competition so hot next year that Mr. Pegg would not gain his third successive win and so win the cup outright. The Department of Agriculture, Mr. Smith pointed out, realised the value of district competitions and w’as doing all it could to promote them. The department was now cutting up and leasing the experimental farms and utilising the money in conducting experimental and demonstration work over a much wider range of country so that farmers could observe results gained under local conditions. All the results of these competitions were tabulated ivith statistics as to how they were arrived at. All the information that he used in his lectures on root crops was gained from these competitions. There was also too much of a tendency among farmers to stay at home, and judging of the competitions tended to take them on to other farms where there -was always some knowledge to be gained, for no farmer was too old to learn. Amidst applause he presented the awards as follow:— A. C. Pegg, 94 tons mangolds, Collett Cup 1 H. Copestake, 86 tons mangolds, medal 2 A, C. Pegg, 72 tons swedes, medal .. 3