Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established Third of a Century.] THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1906 HORTICULTURAL SHOWS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LV, Issue 8607, 15 November 1906, Page 4

Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established Third of a Century.] THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 1906 HORTICULTURAL SHOWS.

♦ — One of our most obvious requirements in Masterton is a Horticultural Show. In and about this town there are hundreds of nice gardens where enthusiastic amateurs grow flowers, fruit and vegetables. Ihere is all the material for the making of a first-class Show; but, unfortunately, there seems to be no one available to take an initiative in an undertaking of this character. Of course, the professional gardeners of this neighbourhood ought to give a lead in an enterprise of this kind. A Show ought to be an indispensible branch of a professional gardener's business. There is money in it for him, and without its aid he is unable to effectively display his products to town and country settlers. A Horticultural Show has an educational interest for any community, and ought to be very popular. Thirty years ago there were excellent Horticultural Shows in Masterton. In those days an enterprising professional gardener, Mr W. W. McCardle, did much towards making them a success. His special line was apples, and we doubt whether, now-a-days, specimens of this fruit could be found which would compare with his old exhibits. Thirty years ago Masterton was a comparatively small town -just about as big as Greytown is now—but there were energetic and enterprising townsmen in those days, who seem now to have disappeared off the scene. Are we degenerating ? Much has been said of late in our open columns concerning the evil of competition ; but it is to this evil, if it be one, that horticulture is indebted for its great triumphs. The spirit of emulation between both professional and amateur gardeners is continually developing new varieties and improving old ones. Without its stimulus

the reversion to nature would be rapid. A thousand and one named roses would gradua'ly change back into their pristine form as dog-roses. The giant rhubarb would dwindle back to its ancient shape as a dock-root; and our varied and wonderful varieties of apples would drift'back into their parental crab-form. Competition in fruits, flowers, and vegetables means going forward, and the absence of it travelling with equal rapidity backwards. We have been so long without a Horticultural Show in Masterton that gardeners get a little careless in producing the highest types and forms. An autumn show, which would give opportunities for comparison, would be of great value to this district.