OAMARU SHOW.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2103, 19 November 1880, Page 3

OAMARU SHOW.

President, Mr J. E. Holmes ; vice •chairman, Mr W. Gardiner; treasurer, Mr W. H. Bonayne; secretary, Mr W. Church. The seventeenth annual exhibition of the North Otago Agricultural Society was opened yesterday, when the judging of all the exhibits except draught horses and shorthorn cattle was proceeded with. The weather was splendid, and there was a fair attendance on the ground. Numerically the exhibits showed a falling off upon previous years, the total number of entries being 706, as compared with 1024 last year. The decline was most noticeable in the entries of horses, cattle, dairy produce, and implements. While this is to be regretted, it is however pleasing to reoord that the quality of the exhibits was maintained at the highest standard. The arrangements of the committee were excellent. The exhibitors of thoroughbreds were Messrs Dervine, Dodson, Gibson, King, Jones, Clydesdale, Meek, Sohluter, Gemmell, and Menlove, There was a fair show of hacks and harness horses. In Ayrshire cattle, which is a strong class at Oamaru, the chief exhibitors were Messrs T. Stevenson, G. McDonald, T. Y. Duncan, A. and J. Macf arlane, J. Mitchell, J. Gemmell, A. Walker, W. Robertson, J. Jackson, D. McGregor, S. J. Loring, and W. Meek. The two-year-old and yearling bulls were a good olass, and the heifers were a very fine lot. Messrs A. M. Masters and H. Connell were the only exhibitors of Alderney cattle. Mr Fry received all the awards for fat cattle. Of merino sheep there was a splendid show, the prize takers being Messrs J. Borton, H. R; and J. E. Parker, A. M'Master, and W. Gardiner. In the Leicester class Messrs H. and J. Little, and H. R. and J. E. Parker, were the chief exhibitors, the latter scoring the greatest number of points for the cup. In Lincolns the. Hon. N. Holmes, Messrs Menlove, E. Sutton, P. H. Russell, J. Reid, and T. Sutton, were the exhibitors, and these pons really formed one of the most attractive features of the exhibition. Mr Reid had it his own way among the Romney Marsh sheep. In other sheep the exhibitors were Mejsrs Parker Bros, and J. Reid. There was a small show of pigs, and several pens of well-bred variety. The dairy produce, while deficient in quantity, was equal in quality to the standard which has obtained a name for the butter of Oamaru. The agricultural implements were chiefly Bhown by Messrs Reid and Gray, J. Jack, J. Henderson, Eraser and Co., and McConnell and Clowes, and included the usual ploughs, rollers, drills, drays, and the irrepressible reaping and binding machines. There was a small exhibit of grain and seeds. The growers exhibiting were Messrs N. Lane, J. Kay, C. and J. M. Todd, J. D. Mitohell, R. Jackson, and G. Hutchinson, the samples of white wheat and short oats being exceedingly plump and well growD. The grain dealers who showed samples were Messrs Meek, Driscoll, and the New Zealand L. and M. A. Company. The competition in grass and clover seeds ran very close between Messrs Connell and Clowes and J. Falconer. It was unfortunate here that the entrieß of Messrs R. Wilkin and Co., of Christchuroh, arrived too late to be recognised. The Hon. M. Holmes sent for exhibition samples of Chicago, Californian and Canadian wheat, and Mr Nicholson some Swiss oats. The representative of the Kaiapoi Woollen Company with their splendid exhibits had to put up with a very temporary erection, and it was to be regretted that his samples could not have a larger display. The largest prize-takers were :

Thoroughbred horses, cup value 10 guineasMr G. Dodson. Ayrshire cattle, cup value 20 guineas—Mr J. Gemmell. Merino sheep, cup value 20 guineas—Mr A. M'Master. Leicester sheep, cup value 20 guineas—Messrs H. R. and J. E. Parker. Lincoln sheep, cup value 20 guineas—Mr P. H. Russell. Poultry, medal value 5 guineas—Mr James Mitchell. Dairy produca, cup value 10 guineas—Mr J. B. Taylor (third year in succession.) Implements, cup value 10 guineas—Messrs Beid and Gray. Grain growers' class, cup value 10 guineasMr Norman Lane. Grain dealers' class, cup value 10 guineas —Messrs J. and T. Meek. Seeds, cup value 10 guineas—Messrs Connell and Clowes. i Massra Parker Brothers' nionno ram, bred Iby Messrs Gibson and Sons, Tasmania, to the ohampion in the merino breeds;