A MAGNIFICENT DISPLAY.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14984, 3 June 1914, Page 12

A MAGNIFICENT DISPLAY.

(I*BOM OITB SPECIAL RBTOKTBR.)

DUNEDIN, Juno 2. The Otago Winter Show has reached its majority, and not only are the entries a record, but it is doubtful if ~n y of the splendid shows of the past equalled the results of the efforts of the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society this year. The exhibits are so varied, of such excellent quality, and so well arranged, that it is difficult to see how any further improvement is to be made unless the already spacious premises aro enlarged. Tho display ol tho Department of Agriculture Ls the most comprohensivo and best arranged of any thftit has been mad." _• -.„__ show, and is, in fact, a complete show in itself. Tho weather being fine, there was a largo attendance, and tho audience that assembled in His Majesty's Theatre, adjoining, to hear the address of the Primo Minister, as Minister of Agriculture, in opening tho show, was by far tho largest that. has been present at this ceremony. The Society, and especially its president (Mr J. AY. Blair), and secretary (Mr H. V. Fuiton), and tiio committee of officials associated with thorn, are to bo congratulated upon tho success of their efforts in j carrying out such a show. The general arrangements were much on tho same linos as those of previous shows. The live stock, which were this year placed in their pens on tho first day, but not judged till the next day, were on the ground floor, together with the machinery and somo of the trade exhibits. The large roots were located on' tho .ground floor. Tho Brydone Hall contained the principal competition classes asd trade stalls. The Agricultural Department's display was arranged in auother hall off tbe Brydone Hall. A new feature was the tuberculosis exhibit, which is being sent round tho British 'Dominions by the London office of tho National Society for tho Prevention of Tuberculosis. Woolclassing competitions for students attending the technical school and the higher forms of the High schools aro also provided this year, aud • special classes for roots have been addod to the schools' section.

The Show was opened by tho Right Hon. W. F. Massey. who delivered a stirring address. The large audience evidently appreciated his evident earnestness and enthusiasm for the ciueo of agriculture and his optimism for the future of the industry. His address is. reported in another column). The splendid educational exhibit made by tho Department of Agriculture, under tho able supervision of Mr A. Macpherson, Fi.eld Instructor of tho South

island, not only contained a groater number of exhibits tlian beforo, but the experience of the past has enabled the officials to arrange them in a more complete and tasteful way for inspection and comparison. Prominent features wero specimens of over 100 samples of tho grassy clovers and deep-rooted plants grown at the Auckland Exhibition, and thero were also specimens of nearly every variety of cereals grown in the Dominion, including sheaves of grain similar to thoso that will be sent to tho Panama Exposition, plants sown for the prevention of sand drift, others for adding organic matter to soil to make it fertile for tho growing of useful crops (samples of such root crops being shown), and other plants for revegetating depleted areas in the back country. The sand-farming experiments were commenced some four years ago by Mr Macpherson, and tho results have been remarkable. The display also included a splendid collection of root-, ■ etc.. the results of co-cgerative field work carried but by many farmers under the supervision of the Department. Tho splendid collection of fruit formed an objeot lesson, and the interest that is now being taken in this industry was shown by the attention paid to this section. An exhibit of flax was also a remarkably fine one, and this will bo made a prominent featuro at the Panama Exposition. -The whole display i was greatly admired by tho crowds of peoplo that inspected it_ ]

DAIRY PRODUCE. The cheese and butter exhibits were, as usual, of a high order of merit. The fact that tho cheese exhibits scored 90} points (and only ono at this figure) to Do points, showed how little was the margin of differ*"**-- >..•»■_• high tho general avorago, and how keen tho competition. Tne only point upon which Mr D. Cuddie, tho Chief of tho Dairy Division, was prepared to offer any criticism was that somo of the exhibits boro evidence of looseness in body, but tho defect was not serious. If" the standard of quality of the export cheeso could be raised to somewhere near to tho quality of that on exhibition, Mr Cuddie said the prico of New Zealand cheese would be raised to tho level of that of any other country. Regarding tho factory butter, tho same high averago of quality was to be found, tho points scored ranging from 92J to 95. Mr Cuddie remarked that there was not an exhibit that was not worthy of a prize. The exhibit of butter, m the opinion of Mr Cudd'o and members of his staff, who wero the judges, was that it was one of the best over seen in tho Dominion, and routed great credit upon the makers. Iho winnnljr factories were Woodlands. Wyndham (two classes'), Stirling, and Lake County (three classes). The lastnamed factory is a new competitor, and has therefore been highly successful ; r. winning in such strong competition from the older factories in Otago and Southland. The prizes awarded •to tho makers on tho graders' average points for the season went to tho follow-in" factories.- —

m • . Pts. laien. and Peninsula ... 92.63 Wright's Rush ... 92.50 ' Waikouaiti ... ... 91 Ryel Bush ... ... 90.96 M-'ion ... ... 90 87 Gore ... ... 90.86 Brydoue ... ... 90.80 The Levin factory (Wellington) scooped the pool in factory butter.Vin"iin. in two open and in tho North Island classes, Taieri and Peninsula being second and third in the two open classes. Tho Canterbury Central Dairy Co. did not exhibit in the three box cla*is__ having presented for this class ft £55 trophy to replace the one won by them last y.ar. This exhibitor scored 93 point*" in the single box clas.*; against 95. 91. and 94 points s.ored by the prize winners. Tbe butter-makers' prizes, awarded on the graders' average points for the season went to the following factories: — Pte * . Taieri and Peninsula ... 95.27 Lepperton (Taranaki) ... 94.23 Eureka (Hamilton) ... 94.05 Canterbury Central ... 92.94 Levin (Wellington) ... 92.80 Tikorangi ...92.81 Several Canterbury exhibitors competed in the farmers' butter classe-i, Mrs H. Gason (Temuka) winning three firsts, two seconds. *tnd a third. Mrs-M. McDowell (Wakanni) two first*-, two second', and two thirds. Mrs J. Dixon (Tinwald) two firsts and two seconds, and Mrs.A- Russell (Winchester) a third. FRUIT. Them was a very fine show of apples and this year the exhibits were judged by points. The judge added remarksshowing where tho exhibits specially excelled, or where there were defects. The award .cards and the corresponding exhibits were keenly inspected by interested growers. A very fine collection of apples, packed for export, was also exhibited, and special displays of apples wero made by the Matangi orchard. Earn'-clou'-'b Fl-it C-n<-~,i Otago, and by Marlborough to show the quality

of tho fruit that oan bo crown in that province. COOKERY CLASSES. There was a great display in the seciion devoted to the cookery exhibits, there being large entries from all parts of Otaf-o and several from Canterbury, but only a second prixo. camo to the latter district. ROOTS.AND GRAIN. There was a good collection of grain and seeds, principally shown by the local grain merchants. Considering the season, the exhibits of -potatoes wero very *_ood, and the swede and other roots were well up to the usual standard. Most of the nrizes in the root ("lasses went to Mos_jicl and Beaumont farmers. -. FARMERS' BAYS. There was only one exhibit in the farmers' bays section, a very fine comnrohensivo exhibit being made by Mr W. Reed, of Totro. Another bay was arranged-by tho Catlins River district to show what it could produce, especially in the way of potatoes and other j root crops. SCHOOL Thero was a very large entry in tho schools' competitions classes, and some excellent exhibits of produce from the school srardeus were made. Tho Beaumont school was the most successful exhibitor, both in th. olnssos for collections -i"!* <"**•• "-*•■ "' ' '-'—■- for roots, the Otitram school also gaining a firs place. •