TURNING THE SOD.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 11 June 1924, Page 15 (Supplement)

TURNING THE SOD.

THE FIRST PLOUGHING MATCH.

(From the “Herald” of October 22, 1864.)

This match, the first of the kind that has 5g taken place in the district, came "off on Friday, |sj£ the 14th inst., on the Railway Reserve at'Te- ||| muka, and proved a very great success; al- ||| though fears were at one time entertained that, |g| owing to the river Opihi being so high, the j|i .Timaru ploughmen would be unable to reach the scene of the contest. However, the Com-, m mittee determined, to spare no trouble for a good competition, put off the ploughing for an §|| hour, and sent down all assistance possible to ||| cross the teams, and after considerable diffi- - §|| culty "(one being washed down stream nearly §§| half-a-mile) succeeded in getting all the ||| ploughs in readiness for a st,art : -- ateleven-; ||| o’clock. The day was everything that could be HI wished, and a large company was on the ||| ground, which was also graced by several of the rag fair sex. The ploughing was watched with 1® much interest, and a good deal of speculation l|i took place on the event, Mr. Mcßratney, the p® Christchurch champion being of course favour- Hi 'ite', although Manchester’s and G osling’s‘teams were in favour with a .great many.:' The work . was over by a quarter past three o’clock, and .the. judges.proceeded.'„-to .-adjudicate, and-their ' dp labours must have been immense, considering the time it took—putting one in mind very . '||| forcibly of a protracted chancery suit; however,! ||| their difficulty being over, the Judges—Messrs; Russell, Stevenson and May, awarded the prizes ■ ||| as under, >vhich gave general satisfaction:— ■ ||| First Class. Ploughman. Owner. IH Ist Prize, £lo— Mcßratney. Mr. Mcßratney Hi 2nd Prize, £10—• ||| H. Manchester. J. Beswick, Esq. ggj 3rd Prize, £s ||| J. Anderson. Mr. Neal. 4th Prize, £2— J. Tate. H. Belfield, Esq. ||| Second Class. ||| Ist Prize, £lo— Lervine. //'. Mr. Neal. |||| 2nd Prize, £5- |H J. Mcßratney/ Mr. Mcßratney. ||| ‘ Bullock Teams. |||f Ist Prize £B—Welsh. Messrs Rhodes. ©gg The second prize was not awarded, biit the sum was divided equally between Mr Horn- gag brook’s and a Maori team. ESS . • • • •• A dinner was provided by Mr. G. Dyson, of rags the Cx’own Hotel, and about sixty-five sat down, John Hayhurst, Esq., being in the chair. After the cloth was removed and the usual loyal toasts rag| over, the prizes were presented to the success- &§H ful competitors. Several local toasts followed,; and on the chairman leaving the chair about • raw eleven o’clock, it was announced that upwards , gfs of £SO had been collected for next year’s match. Mr Mcßratney would not accept his prize, but Egg gave it for the purchase of a cup to be pre- ESQ sented to the winner at the next meeting. ||s| Dancing was then commenced, and was kept j|||j up with much spirit until a late hour. |||| On November 4, 1864, the first Timaru egg Ploughing match was held “at the Saltwater ||3| Creek Lagoon.” The' following were the |||| awards:— Egg First Class. tpa Owner. Ploughman. HH Ist Prize—Mr. J. Beswick. Manchester, gig 2nd Prize—Mr. Mcßratney. Mcßratney. 3rd Prize—Mr. J. Gibson. Anderson. |||| Second Class. Ist Prize—Mr. Stephenson. Simons |||| 2nd Prize—Mr. Niel. Levine. 3rd Prize —Mr. Woollcombe. Guscott |||| Bullock Teams. _ Ist Prize—Mr. Rhodes. Welsh lUt 2nd Prize Mr. Manchester. Manchester |||| (X.B. The ”J. Lervine,” and “Levine,” in |||f the al)ove lists should |p|