CELEBRATING JUBILEE

Taranaki Daily News, 20 February 1933, Page 9

CELEBRATING JUBILEE

HISTORY OF DISTRICT RECALLED

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY’S SHOW

PART IN DEVELOPING DISTRICT

Much of the history of Normanby, particularly the past activities of the Normanby Horticultural Society, will be lecalled this week, for the society’s fiftieth show is being taken as a suitable opportunity for district jubilee celebration. . Normanby through its horticultural society may claim to have been a very vital force in bringing South Taranaki to its present fertility. The annual shows, together with some valuable experiments, have done much to ensure that higngrade seeds were used for the sowing of the rich pastures oi to-day. The show encouraged export also. Apart from these utilitarian aspects the Normanby show has served as a very pleasant opportunity for the people of the district to meet and discuss the topics ,of to-day. with This morning the Daily News presents its. readers with a brief review of the development of Normanby, .including some interesting and hitherto unpublished pictures of life m the days of strife with the Maoris. These pictures have been re-photo-graphed for the News by Mr. J. McAllister from the collection of Mrs. F. Riddle, Normanby, whose late husband was a son of Sergeant J. V. Riddle, a member of the Armed Constabulary garrison at the Waihi redoubt.

FIRST SHOWS IN PROVINCE

SOCIETY’S GENESIS IN 1882. SENIOR SOCIETY OF ISLAND. Normanby had the first. horticultural society in the province. In fact, it is ' the oldest still functioning in the island. It originated from a scheme for the growing of hops, which was, in 1882, hailed as an industry that would be of great benefit to South Taranaki. On April 16, 1882, a meeting of Normafiby settlers was held to consider hop-growing. Mr. F. Brett presided. ■ Advice on the subject was received from Mr. Mackay, Nelson. Mr. Robert Pettitt’s offer to give a lecture on hopgrowing was accepted. ’ A long discussion was held and it was decided that to make better use of the land in the district,' used then only for grazing rough stock, bush clearings could well be utilised in hop-growing. At a meeting on May 14 there were present Messrs. England, F. Hunger, W. Rowe, Epping, Morrison, Dacre, Thomas and James Robson, F. H. Brett, A. G. Brett, Pettit,-Collins, Dolan and C. E. Gibson. Mr. Gibson presided. It was decided that all present pay in £lO to a fund for furthering the scheme and to lease five acres at £2 10s per acre from Mr. Morrison as an experimental station. Mr. W. Rowe was appointed manager and the committee was Messrs. Epping, Morrison and Thomas Robson. : Shortly afterwards Mr. T. Robson suggested that a horticultural society be formed and a show held. Forty-nine years ago, on Tuesday, January 15, 1884, a little group of 15 settlers deliberated in the then flourishing township. The meeting place was the smart, newly-erected; and for those days, capacious Normanby Town Hall. To say that they gathered to discuss something of great moment would perhaps be an exaggeration,, but at least their aim was enterprising, and, in the light of after events, their decision was justified. They decided to form the Normanby Horticultural Society. This week the society’s fiftieth show will be held, in continuation of the inbroxen fine of annual shows staged since the society was inaugurated. There are very few horticultural shows in New Zealand that can boast the interesting history and the triumph over vicissitudes that Normanby can claim. A few years after its inception special trains brought visitors from New Plymouth and Wanganui, and exhibitors were present from all over the North Island. The Normanby show was one of the largest of its kind. Ilia society was among the earliest in New Zealand to affiliate with' the Royal Horticultural Society, which it did in 1900. The aims of the society were clearly set out at the first meeting, which was convened by Messrs. Thomas Robson, James Morrison and Thomas Mabey. It was hoped to induce the better cultivation of numerous sections lying idle m and around Nonnanby, and also to indi- ■ cate to small bush settlers additional methods of turning their land into account. Though the commencement would be in a small way, it was thought that something good might eventually come of it by persuading people to grow small fruits for which there must be an ever-increasing market, to say nothing of vegetables of all kinds. If success attended the effort, it was

considered that it would not be long before locally manufactured preserves, pickles, etc., drove out of the stores the expensive, and often not very wholesome, compounds, the principal recommendations of which, to quote a speaker, were the painted tins in which they were sold. There was a general feeling that if the show could be held and a start made with a society, nothing but good could come of it. It was therefore unanimously resolved to set up a committee consisting of Messrs. James Morrison, Thomas Robson, F. H. Brett, W. G. Epping, J. Hunger, W. Nicoll, Joseph Wilson and W. A. Earle to collect information and draft suggestions and to report to a meeting on the following Friday night. At this second meeting a general committee was appointed consisting of the above men

and Messrs. F. Finlayson, D. McGregor, A. G. Brett, James Robson, H. Sanders, R. McDowell and H. J. Southey. Mr. H. M. Woodward, manager of the Bank of New Zealand, Normanby (now no longer operating)! was appointed secretary, Mr. Joseph Wilson president, and Mr. C. E. Gibson auditor.

success attended the first show, held in 1884. Agreeable surprise was expressed at the number of entries. Quantity and quality were good. Strong support was received from Ngaere and New Plymouth, the most successful exhibitor from the latter town being Mr. W. K. Hulke. The first show gave an idea of what could be done in the district, and, as was stated at the time, it would be disappointing if future exhibits ns did not prove' that many persons had not taken advantage of the natural facilities afforded by the soil and the climate for producing. As many as 217 classes were provided in the first schedule, which could hardly be described as starting in a small vzay. Early. in the new century 496 were listed, but it has been found advisable to eliminate some of these classes. .

Features of ' all early shows were classes for various seeds such as oats,

cocksfoot and rye, the idea being to encourage the growing and sowing, of these crops. As soon as the exporting of produce in refrigerated vessels promised success, the society immediately took, steps to add incentive to this new industry. Handsome trophies and prizes were offered, and at the third show a prize of £5 5s was given for the best foir pounds of fresh butter suitable for export, the competition being open to all comers. The growing of potatoes also received special attention from the society, which in 1898 imported 100 varieties from America and tried them out among various settlers. In later years as many as 14 nurserymen had their displays arranged around the hall so that visitors had the chance of seeing the best blooms, shrubs and pot-plants from as far afield as Auckland, Pahiatua, Carterton, Lower Hutt, Awahuri, Masterton, Wanganui and. New Plymouth. The early shows were in the days o£ the old four-wheelers, carts and bullockdrays. Many old residents still recollect how the rbadside near the show was lined with these clumsy vehicles. JBullock drays, it is said, were as numerous as of the conveyances. Then there were the crowds who arrived by the special trains, hundreds and hundreds of them, who made a dense procession from the station. It was Normanby’s annual gala day. It is <?f note, however, that though there .were thousands of Maoris in the district at the time, few were seen at the show. In 1898 the society erected its own hall. This crippled, the finances owing to the unfortunate art rmion loss, but it has continued to hold annual shows till in its fiftieth year, and it is practically clear of debt