THE AKAROA EXHIBITION.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 646, 22 September 1882, Page 2

THE AKAROA EXHIBITION.

The Indu ■ trial and Horticultural Society have, we think, a very good prospect of an excellent Show on New Year's Day. Day by day, all concerned must be more, and more convinced of the Avisdom of alteri g the date from that of the Regatta, for everywhere one goes one hears a hearty opinion to that effect. The Industrial Exhibition will be larger than usual, judging from the preparations being made, and the Horticultural takes a fresh start, and will, wo Inpe, surprise all visitors by its exceeding variety and excellence.

Hitherto this part of the Show has been made subservient to the oth r, but its great claims as a help to the public good, by the encouragement of gardening in a spot so peculiarly suited for that industry, arc at last to be fully acknowledged, and the prize list is to offer rewards up to over £20, b sides special prizes, which Aye have no doubt will amount (.o £'j or £G more.

The alterations to be made will no doubt bo much appreciated by the public. The principal of these is Keeping the open and amat ur classes separate. Persons possessing small gardens never will show against professional gardeners, for they think they have o chance, and so many beautiful flowers and excellent fruit and ye etables have not been shown for that reason. This season, however, there is no excuse of th -t sort, as the gardeners will have a class all to themselves, and will not be allowed to compete with those who make gardening a pleasure instead of a business. The entry ((Jlj on exhibits, is within the reach of everybody, and those purchasing 10s tickets are even exempt from that small eontribu ion.

It is to b ■ hoped that the commit.tee will see their \v.\y to visit owners of gardens in .December, an 1 urge them p.-rsonally to exhibit anything in thenpossession worth showing. We lnve seen this plan tried, and result in a very varied and beautiful collection, not a t-nth of Avhieh would otherwise have, been gathered together.

We see the committee have offerc! a prize for the best Inn 1 bouquet made by a lady, nnd we hope to see much competition for this. if the gentler sex will only try in this way to add to the attractiveness of the show, it miy be made quite an attractive feature. Our fair Iriends have a. wonderful advantage here in the glorious evergreen foliage, aud numberless delicate ferns an 1 mosses in the native bush. Never was there a place where mor < charming and delicate effects could he produced from lea cs and blossoms, a.'.d we hope lb-it that delicate taste and. piculiarly femiainc skill, which shows the wondroti.-' I entity evolved from the arrangement of colors, will be fully cxercisid.

, ladies under fourteen are also to be given a prize for bouquets to be

Youn

made up in the pi'coc.'.ce ul a committee of ladies on the show days. This latter ps-ovUiuii is a very Aviso one, lor their elders are sure to help them if it is done at home. Besides these, the prize list bus been largely added to, and

everai

private prizes offered

That the strenuous effort:-; of the •onimittee to make the show urn ' attrac-

tive than its predecessor.-, may

meet

with the thorough success it deserves, must be the wish of all those desirous of the well-being of the County, and everyone should try to heip them either by exhibiting or subscribing.