The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1882. THE INDUSTRIAL AND HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITION.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 643, 12 September 1882, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1882. THE INDUSTRIAL AND HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITION.

The. schedules of the Industrial Exhibition have been prepared, and are now before tlie public. There are no startling nove'tieS in the programme, although 'a fe\v new items have been added to last year's list, b it we suppose the reason is, that, nearly everything possible was included before. The destruction of the sparrows and greenfinches is encouraged by a prize for the largest collection of their eggs, and those who have gardens, and have suffered, will thoroughly appreciate the wisdom of this step. A new local industry is also foreshadowed wien we find that a prize is to be awarded t'.s the maker of the best besom made of material grown in the County. The main object of the Society is, we understand, the encouragement of a healthy competition amongst the pupils at tho differ mi Government schools in the County, and we hope;that this year every district will be represented at the Exhibition. Much as w ; like to see Mr Spurr rewarded for his pluck and.energy, we hope that this year tin Robinson's Bay s.hool children will have a very hard struggle to hold their own, and that the prizes will bo more widely distributed.. There is no doubt, the matter is in a great measure in the hands of the schoolmasters of the Peninsula, and we think that at the next' meeting of their association some one of their number, who is a friend of the Society, might bring the matter before his assembled fellow teachers, and try to persuade them to aid in the good work, by trying to get the children to send all they cab, and perhaps by offering a special prize on behalf of the Association for some particular object that their united wisdom thinks is specially worthy of encouragement. Wo hope that the Borough school will be much better represented than last year, and have no doubt it will be, for rumors already reach us of certain preparations, and we also hope that a liberal response will be made by the public when the committee ask them to subscribe to war Is the Exhibition, for we look upon it as exceedingly useful to the whole community, not only as promoting healthy emulation amongst the' youngsters, but also as showing them, by means of the exhibits from Christchurch and elsewhere, what is being done in other places, so that their ideas miy be widened. The , .IJovtifu'rtural and Pastoral schedules are'not yet.issued, for.reasons that appear to the cur.nitfcee sufficient. With regard to the Horticultural, it "lias been deternrned to m ke great alterations this year, by separating the open and amateur classes, adding to the. list of prizes, and making other im roveni-iiits, which will largely increase the expense. Some members were so, alarmed at these' proposals, that they insisted that. public support should, be asked for, in order" that it might be defi-utely ascertained that the necessary funds could be procured, before the Society committed ! itself by offering the priz vs. With this object in'view, the following circular has been issue l to Ea number of. gentlemen living in the vari an Bays :' : -^"' '• It lias been decided to hold tbe Exhibition of the Horticultural and Industrial Ass iciatioi on Janu uy Ist, 1833, and your i ; kind assistance is asked for to mike it a 'success". Tne great inportuiA of the Exhibition in ericouragi.ig new industries, such asSericicnlture, the growth of b irk for tanning purposes, the improved) mt of Horticulture generally, ny the iutm ucti in of fresh plant-:, and also tin cultiv itiou of Art amongst a peop'e isolated by natural barriers from liirgerco.nuninities, are surely objects sufficient lo make the value of such an Exhibition apparent lo every resident on the Peninsula. No pii is will he spired to uiaki the Show as attractive as p.nsi'de, and if the powers of the whole Canity aie concentrated on this m titer, we should have an Exhibition which would tend i largely, not only to improve our own ', efforts, by their eo:n;> iriso > with tho.se of others, b-.it to i-Eraet aEuoiioii to our capabilities, and so add to the fiaancial prosperity of the County. Tickets are en- -. ;..'.:"d, which you are begged to dispose o:, if ;-.-:'Fsii,h; ; but the main object of this circular is to enlist the warm sympathy of yourself, and th i:« who iMsid.i in' your neighborhood, iv the bentlL'ial objects, lo all. which are sought to be attained by this Society. " Stiiupkn Watkin t £, lloii.ce;;." The committee have not, however, stopped there, but have determined to cinva-'s the town and neighborhood with the same goo 1 object in view, and w cordially wish them every success. They will issue two kinds of tickets—oae of (he value of ss, the purchaser of which merely takes it to assist tlie efforts of the Society, without receiving any return, anil another of the value of 10s, which admits the possessor to all the shows of tin. 1 - Society during the year 1883, -and also to the'free entry of all exhibits, excepting for special prizes, The object sought by the committee seems to be, not to collect large subscriptions from a k'.w, but to get gener.il support and a small sum from each ; and when we think of the importance of a Horticul tural Show alone in a County like this, we are sure that the public will willingly respond, .and a-re.-illy useful show be the result. We know how the loqu.it rows iicie, how the. mulberry, olive, and vine will flourish, and we hear of lemons being successfully introduced, and other plants and trees, which shiver to death on the Pi.u'ns, but luxuriate in our warm, rich, sheltered valleys. Isolated efforts in introducing are good, but their value is increased a thousandfold when the knowledge attained is shared with the community. No experience, eith.3 >

ot snccn s or failure, should be lost, for it may serve either as an encouragement or warning to others. With a good show and a good society, these records could be easily kept, The subject is sich a vast one, that it is impossible in the limits of an article to point out a tenth of the good objects a Horticultural Association might effect here ; but we are sure our readers will all agr'e with us, tint it is their duty not only to encourage the Society by giving the small pecuniary aid asked Tor, but also to send to the Exhibition as many entries as they can, so that we can all see what can be clone hero, and gain experience through seeing the result of our neighbors' efforts. The Pastoral schedule, again, has not been issued, because, tor the present, it is doubtful whether there will be any Agricultural or Pastoral Show'this year. The m .tter will no doubt be elefinitely settled at the meeting of the Farmers' Club on Saturday next, and the Association all then know what steps to take. If.there, is to be no Agricultural and Pastoral Show,' we understand an effort will be made to make the Exhibition of dairy produ c, etc., a very large and varied oi\e, but in the event of the Banks Peninsula Farmers' Club holding a show of their own, tne prizes offered will be much the same as last year. We wish the committee of the Horticultural and Industrial Association every success in their efforts to make their annual Exhibition not only popular, but useful, and have little doubt that the public will support them', and that the Show of the Ist of January, 1883, will be the best yet held.