THE Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 80, 1887,

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7984, 30 September 1887, Page 2

TH E Taranaki Herald. PUB LISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 80, 1887,

It is refreshing to be able to turn to a more peaceful and oongenial subjeot than that whioh ha 3 engaged the attention of the publio during te -last few weeks. It will be seen by an advertisement elsewhere that the Taranaki Agricultural Society intend holding their Fifteenth Annual Show on the Racecourse on Wednesday, November 9th, and the Society has again come forward with a liberal and extended schedule of

prizes. The Show will, doubtless, be an excellent one, and there are good reasons for us coming to this conclusion. The Society has a number of spirited men at its head, and although times are dull, and the prioe of produce low, the farmers are not going to be dispirited, but will be ready and willing to exhibit their stock as they have done on so many previous occasions. Agricultural competitions form aoonspiooous feature in the public life of ever ■ oivilised community which depends mtJnly for subsistence on the produce of the Boil. There are

countries, indeed, in wbioh agrioulture is almost the sole occupation of the inhabitants, wheie such gatherings are unknown, where\ the peasant plods after the same rode plough whioh his forefathers have used for oenturies, and where the primitive processes of a thousand years ago are reproduced to the present day with an exactness of repetition which resembles the working of the animal rather than the result of human intellect. Bat in all countries where' 1 agrioulture is progressive, where^iatelligerice and skill direct and economise the labour of the farmer, where the experiences of the past are utilised, and the discoveries of chemical andi mechanical science are pressed info the servioe of the tillers of the soil, 1 , periodical competitions are held as by an invariable rulo. In such places those who are engaged in " • agricultural and pastoral pursuits make arrange- ( ments for meeting together from time to time to compare processes ' and results, and to secure as the common heritage of all, the various steps in advance which gifted or fortunate individuals among the rest have made. Especially in new countries, where the latest results of agricultural science are, or ought to be, applied to conditions of soil and olimate comparatively new and untried, is a frequent comparison, of „ processes and results desirable. „ Accordingly we/ find, rathe British i colonies and in the United States of .America periodical agricultural competitions held on a scale whioh • is not > surpassed even in England, where the soienoe of agriculture has been fostered by peculiar social conditions, the presence of a dense population, and the prevalent influence of a high civilisation, into a state of artificial perfection. The benefioial results of suoh gatherings are greater and more easily appreciated in the new country than in the old, for the, simple reason that in the new oountry agrioulture iB necessarily tentative, experimental, and.progressive to an extent whioh is impossible in the old. It follows accordingly that it is. of the utmost importance to the colonial farmer to be able to avail himself of every advantage which has been brought to light by the experience of others engaged in the same struggle as himself. The adoption of anew process of cultivation, of new breed of stook, or a new labor-saving implement, may mark the dividing line between disaster and prosperity in his affairs. We may here refer to the influence which the introduction of the" reaping &nd binding" machine, and the double-furrow plough have already had on the agrioulture of the oolony — an influence which, considerable as it is even now, is still only beginning to be felt, compared with the results which may be expected. If anyone. imagines that we have come to the end of suon improvements, he must reason 'from a very imperfect knowledge of the past, as well as indulge in an unwarrantably gloomy view of the future; It is from the periodical competition of farmers and stock breeders, as from centres, that such improvements permeate the whole districts in an inconceivable short space of -time*' It is from suoh competition that hew ideas are struck out, and new steps in advanoe are made. One of the mqat obvious and generally appreciated advantages is the facility they afford for the improvement of thoroughbred {stock — a matter of the highest importance to the farmer — and the influence of these annual shows has been felt in the past through the district, and in time will doubtless work greater changes. With to-morrow's Budget the Society publishes the programme for their November Show, and we are glad to see that the practice of offering champion medals is to be continued. The money prizes, likewise, though not large, are sufficient to induce competitors to enter the lists. The schedule embraces horses, oattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, and dogs. Agricultural produce is left for the Autumn Show ; but wool and agricultural implements will form -part of ' the > present exhibition. A shearing match will take place, as well as the haok jumping competition frfthe afternoon, which is one of the niqst attractive portions of the exhibition ? to the general publio. We think we have said enough to convince our agricultural readers that no portion of a farmer's time and outlay is likely to be better repaid than that whioh he expends on the promotion and support of agrioultural exhibitions. The success which has hitherto attended the annual exhibition of the Taranaki Agricultural Society will, we are certain, be .vouchsafed to the one to be held in N6vember next, and we hope to be able to again congratulate the farmers on the further improvement..in their, stook on past yearß. Certainly the energy- and perseverance displayed by those on whom much of ,the actual, work of the , Society hitbeßo fallen .deserve complete sue.cess this ■ yeartf and we trust that no effort to attain that result will be spared at the coming Show.

Captain Edwin telegraphed at 1.30 p.m. to-day : — •" West to south and south-east gale, with further rise of glass, and Bea heavy, and weather much colder."

The Eeturning Officers for the New Plymouth and, Taranaki Districts will officially declaie the results of the poll to-morrow, at noon, The former will take place at the Court-houso in town, and the latter at Waitara.

In order to signalise the opening of the new hospital at the end of next month it is proposed to hold an entertainment on a grand scale in the building. A meeting of gentlemen took place in the Bridge Olub Room on Thursday evening to consider the maUer, and, after discussion, an executive committee, coniritftiuV of the following gentlemen, was ■ appointed : — The Mayor, Dr. O'Curroll, find Mefesra. J. Paul, J. Bellringer, GK Oliff, J. 0. Daviee,.W. fl. Alaneon, G. Garry, and E. ( H. Tribe. The Hoherae is only in its infancy now, but it is the intention of the oommittee to get the country people to take part with the townspeople in order to make the ceremony a thorough success. A meeting will be held on Monday afternoon, when all interested in the soheme are invited to attend to give suggestions. All surplus moneys over from the entertainment will be htinded to the Hospital Board; to go towards the furnishing of the buildiag, for which purpose the local bodies have to contribute #I,OQQ, j