METHVEN PLOUGHING MATCH.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1061, 29 September 1883, Page 2

METHVEN PLOUGHING MATCH.

[by our special reporter ]

President—J. C. Wason, Esq.—Vice-Presi : dent: Joseph Ivess, Esq. Committee i Messrs J. Loudon, A. Orr, G. Murdoch, R, Patton, W. Ullyet, George Gaul, G. Pocock, C. J. W. Cookson, junr., F. McCafferty.—Hon Secretary and Treasurer:

C. J. W. Cookson, junr. The first of what is intended to be an annual match for ploughmen in the Methven district took place yesterday, in an English grass paddock situate about a mile from the Methven township, which was kindly lent by Mr D. Cameron (Olunes). The weather up till four o’clock in the afternoon was all that could be desired, and a large muster of farmers was on the ground, who apparently took great interest in the match. The ground selected, so far as being conveniently situated, was all that could be wished, but, unfortunately, was of .insufficient consistency to give a good appearance, in the majority of instances, to the work done by the ploughmen. One fault was that the ground had been previously ploughed to a greater depth than the ploughs were set for yesterday, and this ’ made the furrows have rather an uneven look, and ni de it a difficult matter to keep the ploughs to the proper guage. etc. Visitors from Ashburton and elsewhere were somewhat numerous, and although the result of the match was not so satisfactory as regards the number of entries for the first Methven match, the pleasing fact of such great improvement being effected in the appearances of the farms inthe neighborhood, made up for all disappointment. Indeed, it seemed surprising

that in four year’s time so many finely I cultivated farms could have sprung into existence from a tussock waste. There I can bo no doubt but that Methven now ranks amongst the best grain-growing 1 districts of Canterbury, and possesses farmers of the right stamp. 1 Mr Patton, of the Methven Hotel, had a publican’s and refreshment booth on 1 the ground, at which both liquid and I solid refreshments were served to a con- I Htant crowd of eager customers, and ap- 1 patently he did a good trade. A email 1 contingent of police, including Constable Smart, was present, but we ar» glad to state that their services were not called into requisition during the day. The attendance was about 400. Messrs P. and D. Duncan had their patent disc harrow on the ground, and Messrs Cookson also exhibited a dray and some other I implements of interest to farmers. Punctually at 9.30 most of.the teams were on the ground, but it Was nearly 11 o’clock before much progress was made by the ploughmen. The Committee and officers were most assiduous in the performance of their duties, and the arrangements on the whole were excellent. We must not forget to mention the courtesy of the hon secretary and treasurer, Mr 0. J. W. Cookson, junr. The following are the entries and prize list:—

Champion Clvsses. 1 Judges—Messrs J. Latnbie, J. Pannett, and I G. Murdoch. I Double-furrow Ploughs. ] First prize, Lio ; second, L 5 ; third, L 3. En- I trance, 15s and 7s 6d, I First class. I Owner. Ploughman Maker. J J. Dunn Owner (1) Duncan J Loudon Bros. J. Allan (2) Reid and 1 • Gray | R. Magson OwnA (3) Blythe J S. Brown Owner Duncan I B. Travis Owner Blythe I Second class. I First prize, L 8 ; second, L 6 ; third, L 4. J Entrance. 15s and 7s 6d. I M. Sulivan Owner (1) Duncan I Gouldand. I Cameron T. Morris (2) Duncan Loudon Bros. J. Jones (3) Reid and Gray James Lemoh J. Bright Duncan Wi Reynolds D. Green Duncan P. Weldon J- Murray Blythe W. Orr Fawndyke Duncan 1 w! Orr J* Watson Duncau Third class. Boys under 18 years of age. Entrance, ss. J. -Good G. Good (1) Duncan Pocock Bros. P. Pilmer Reid and Gray Single-furrow —Men’s class. First prize, L 5 ; second, Lz 10s. Entrance, ios and 53. Gould andjj. Cameron(i) j Duncan Cameron 1 1 Boys class. Boys under 18 years of age. First prize, L 3 ; second, 30s. P. Weldon !C. Good (1) 1 Hor. shy Three-furrow class. First prize, L 6 ; second, L 3. Entrance, ios and ss. Gould andlF. Collins (1) I Duncan • Cameron | 1 Special Prizes. Judges for horses and harness—Messrs J. McKellar and Macfarlane. Champion class. For the best fiering, Messrs K. Wilkin and Co.’s prize, Li is—J. Dunn. For the best finish, Mr J. Gilchrist’s prize, one pair of blankets, value 20s—R. Magson.

Pecond class double-furrow. For the best .fiering, Messrs Friedlander Bros.’ prize. Lx is—M. Sullivan. For the best finish, Mr Mutter’s prize, a pair of blinkers—James Murray. Third c'ass double-furrow —For boys under 18. For the best fiering and best finish, Li—G. Good. Three-furrow class. For the best fiering, Li—F. Collins. For the best finish, Li—F. Collins. Single-furrow class. For the best finish and fiering, Li—Jas. Cameron. For the straightest ploughing on the ground, Li—Jas. Cameron. Single-furrow— For boys under 18, For the best fi ish, Li—C. Good. For the best ins and outs, Li—J. Murray. Oldest married ploughman, Messrs Hardy and Co.’s prize, box of tea, value 30s —R. Magson. For the best team on the ground, Messrs P. and I>. Duncan’s prize, I set of trees, value 40s —W. L. On, Ist for three bay horses. M* - Pcrimgeour’s prize of a wheelbarrow, value 30s —W. L. Orr, 2nd Best matched team, Li—Gould and Cameron.

Best kept harness, Mr Street's prize, one set blinkers —W. L. Orr (ploughman Fawndyke), Ist; second prize, Li—W. L. Orr (ploughman Watson), 2nd. ' Best harness on ground, Mr Tait’s (saddler) prize, one pair blinkers, value 20s—S. Brown. Best groomed horses, Messrs Mitchell and Turner’s prize of one pair riding trousers, value 30s— W. L. Orr (ploughman Watson), 1. THE WORK.

Taking first the Champion class for double-furrows, we found an old prize ploughman, Mr S. Brown, of Wakanui, at work again. He had certainly the nicest piece of ground in the paddock, being very level and of better consistency than most of the other lands. [Before going further we might mention that the lands for this class comprised nearly | of an acre, being f of a chain wide by 8 chains long.] His fiering was very good, but the angle was deficient and the packing irregular. His imp’ement, a Duncan plough, evidently was not in good trim. His line was very straight, and the cut all that could be desired, but.the work was 1 by no means up to the previous performances of the same ploughman. Kext to him, B. Travis, had a rather unsteady team, and the furrow horse did not confine himself to walking in the .furrow, but rolled from side to side, making

good work an impossibility. The fiering was too low, and the line irregular and the furrow laid too flat, making a deficient seed bed. The plough (a Blythe) was a good implement, and would have shown good work but for the team. The nest land to Travis’a fell to another well-known champion prize-taker, , Mr J. Dunn, of Flemington. His work- from the first was keenly criticised, and it could be seen at a glance that it would take a deal of beat-

ing. His line was capital, though not quite ao good as Brown’s, but the packing and angle were perfection. The furrows were evenly laid from end to end, and his implement (a Duncan) made excellent work. Unfortunately his land was nearly a foot wider at one end of it than the other, and in consequence his finish, although very good, was not up to that of R, Mngson, who finished in a way that nothing better could be desired. Some critics were present who thought that Dunn’s work showed the cut too high, but whatever their opinion may be worth, the work on the whole was superior to any on the ground in the double-furrow class. R. Magsou had a very irregular line, the fiering was loose, and the angle deficient. He had a fine team of horses very evenly matched. Towards the finish this ploughman improved wonderfully, and made, as before stated, the best finish in his class. W. Allan had a capi al line, and the furrows were very well and evenly packed. The new description of share with which this particular implement of Reid and Gray’s manufacture is fitted, making the furrow to lie with a rounded edge, is said to be a great improvement on clay land. The seed-bed shown was to all appearances the best on the ground, but the fiering'was crimped. Whether this implement will satisfy our farmers here or in the northern district as to the depth or kind of furrow will have to be left to a future date. It may be stated here that several large farmers in the Methven district consider that this plough i* just the thing for their lands. In the second class J. Bright, a young ploughman from Ashburton, did some fair work. His

fiering was too low and the furrows laid too .flat. The angle was deficient but his finish was fairly well done. He will evidently improve with more practice. 3. Fawndyko showed a good line, though the furrow wore not well packed, and the seed bed not as it should “be. His land, perhaps, had'somethingto do with the appearance of the furrows. His plough (by Duncan),was in capital order, and be had the finest team of geldings on the ground. D. Green evidently thought it was no use going on further with his work, as he gave up after the first furrow had been turned |by him This ploughman was evidently a novice, as he spoilt his neighbor’s chance of finishing properly. M. Sullivan made some splendid work. The fiering was good and the angle of furrow excellent, with good seed bed. He had his implement (a Duncan) in splendid trim, and his work was , much admired. The line was all that it should be, and his finish would have been excellent only for the cause iust named J. Jones did some good work with a Reid and Grey plough, similar to the one used by Allan. His furrows were evenly and firmly packed, making a good seed bed, and his finish was fairly done. The line was even and his fiering well laid up. D. Watson did some capital work with a Duncan plough, but the fiering was bad,though he showed a good line. The angle of furrow was just the thing, and the seed bed good. T. Morris had a good line, and the furrows were well laid, giving a good seed bed, but in our opinion the angle was too high. The judges, however, differed, and awarded him second prize. His finish was very creditable. J. Murray did some very nice work with a Blythe plough. The furrows were evenly packed and his fiering and angle excellent. He finished well and took second honors. G. Good, in the boys class, did some very nice ploughing. His line -was good, and the fiering fair, with well laid furrow, showing good seed bed. His finish was also very creditable. F. Collins did some excellent ploughing with a three-furrow (Duncan) plough. We were sorry to see that there was only one competitor in this class. The furrows were well laid, and his angle all that could be desired, considering the nature of his land. He made a very fair finish. He had a team of four fine horses belonging to Messrs Gould and Cameron, which were harnessed with the new rope and block tackle instead of the ordinary plough chains. In the single-furrow class, J. Cameron, who was the only competitor, did some capital work with a Duncan plough. The fiering was all that could be desired, and his angle and seed bed were.alike first-class. The furrows were evenly packed, and his finish was undoubtedly as it should be, the best on the ground. In the boys’ class, 0. Good did some fair work. The angle was fair but the farrows were loosely packed., His implement was one < f Hornsby’s, and the only foreign makers in competition during the match. HARNESS AND HORSES.

Mr S. Brown had a very fine set of plough harness, which was' made by Mr Ta't, of Ashburton. It was of a very substantial character, and reflected the greatest credit on the maker. Mr W. L. Orrtook first honors for the best kept harness. This gentleman’s beautiful three-horse teams were greatly admired, both for the appearance and make of the animals, as well as their somewhat gorgeous trappings, which we believe were made in Scotland. In the best team of three horses, Messrs Gouldand Cameron’s team of three bay geldings took first honors, and Mr W. L. Orr took second pi ice with a well matched team of three mares. Mes rs Gould and Cameron were also successful in having the best matched team on the ground. THE DINNER.

Just before the dinner hour a heavy fall of snow came on, and a large number of visitors who would otherwise have been -present preferred to make tracks for home. Consequently only about 100 sat down to dinner in the repository adjoining Messrs Oookson’sjoffices. Mr W. Rowse, of the Canterbury Hotel, provided an excellent repast, on which a very vigorous onslaught was made by others besides the hungry ploughmen. Mr J. C. Wasm, President, occupied the chair, and Mr Ivess the vice chair. The usual loyal toasts were honored. The “ Army, Navy and Volunteers,” coupled with the name of Mr W, Morgan was then proposed. Mr Morgan responded and said that although he wis neither a sailor nor a soldier, he had just joined the volunteers and would “ take his first drill tomorrow.” (Laughter, j Song—“ Motto for every man,” Mr Hussey. ' The Chairman proposed “ The General Assembly of New Zealand,” coupled with the name of Mr Ivess, the member for Wakanui. He was sure that this member had done his best for his constituents, but they must remember that any member was but a unit in the House, and they must not expect too much. He alluded to the contest which he had fought with Mr Ivess at the last general election. That contest ho might say had been carried out by himself without personal illfeeling of any kind and with purely political tactics. Mr Ivess responded. He could not trespass upon the meeting with any political matter. He v&s of opinion, however, that party politics were necessary for successful legislation. He thought that no fairer contest was fought than that with Mr Wason. He could not help referring to the heavy coats and the unfairness with which Mr Wason had been treated by the Government in defending his election, though it was no fault of his ewn.. He trusted that as the franchise extended the constitution would be en-

larged. He thanked them for the honor in drinking hia health. Song—“ To the West,” Mr Julian Jackson.

Mr Ivess proposed “The County Council of Ashburton,” coupled with the names of Messrs Lambie, Macfarlane and Jacksdn. He spoke of the very able way in which the Council had always i arried out important works in the shape of bridges and water supply throughout the county. The toast was drunk with musical honors.

Messrs Jackson, Lambie, and Macfarlane Mr Macfarlane proposed “ The success-

ful competitors, coupled with the name of Mr John Dunn.” He hoped that the work done to-day would be an incentive to the unsuccessful ploughmen, and bring forward a larger competition in future. Song—“ The policeman’s lif->.” Mr Alexander proposed “ The unsuccessful competitors, coupled with the name of Mr S. Brown.”

Mr Brown, responding, said that he hoped ploughing matches, would be held oftener throughout the county, as he took a great deal of interest in them.

The Chairman said that the next toast was the “ Working Committee,” coupled with the names of Messrs Loudon, Patton, Orr, and OookSon. Mr Loudon, in responding, said that the principal work fell upon Mr Oookson’s shoulders. He thought that the district had responded most liberally towards the day’s work, and a considerable surplus would be in hand for another year. Messrs Orr, Patton, and Oookson also responded. Mr Lambie said the most important thing they had to consider in ploughing matches was the welfare of the implement manufacturers. Without the improvements in ploughing implements the work of to-day would not have been so well completed. He would couple the toast with the name of Mr P. Duncan.

Mr Peter Duncan responded, very pleased to see that alltßbimplfments on the ground to-day, except onej were of colonial manufacture. He bad great pleasure in being present to-day. He thought the work done was very creditable.

Soog—“ Marching through Georgia,” Mr Sullivan.

Mr Cookson proposed the health of the owner of the ground so kindly placed at the disposal of the. Committee —Mr Cameron of Clunes.

Mr Cameron responded. He hoped that the new kind of ploughing which they had that day witnessed would be more freely tested, as ha felt sure the new kind of work done by some of the ploughs was the proper sort for land in that district.

Mr Hussey proposed, “The Judges, 1, coupled with the names of Messrs Pannett, Lambie, and Macfarlane.

Messrs Lambie and Macfarlane responded. Mr Loudon proposed “ The Chairman.” In doing so ho thought it was due to Mr Wason to mention the fact that the Committee considered him the beat man in the district. (Cheers and laughter,) In ieed,

if Mr Wason intended to stand for reelection he did not know but that he might support him, although he had voted against him at the last election. Mr Wason replied and thanked them

for the toast. It had given him great pleasure to preside at their dinner, and also to act as their President.

The toasts of the “ Ladies,” coupled with the names of Messrs D. Cameron (Springfield); D. Cameron (Clunes), and Angus Murray was drunk and amusingly responded to by Messrs Murray and Cameron. The “ Host ” : and ■ “ Press ”

being duly honored and responded to, the evening ended'with “ Auld Lang Syne.*'