CANTERBURY A. AND P. ASSOCIATION

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2681, 9 November 1882, Page 3

CANTERBURY A. AND P. ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL SHOW. j Contrary to the usual experience in j Christohxu-ch at this time of year, the Prince of AVales’ birthday opened, as far as the weather is concerned, most unpleasantly. During all last night the rain had fallen, if not steadily at least in a quick succession of sharp showers, which continued with a piercingly cold S.W. wind up to about eleven o’clock to-day. At that hour the sun came out, and, after a while, rolled hack the clouds, and, aided by a strong breeze, proceeded to dry up the streets, which were in a sloppy condition. Up to the time of our going to press, however, the sky bore a very unsettled appeax-ance, leaving it doubtful whether it would keep fine for the rest of the day ox- not. The causes above mentioned operated most in evei-y way on the efforts of the Association, and although towax-ds the middle of the day vehicles and streams of foot travellers flocked down Colombo x-oad, the nxtmbers wore few in comparison to those seen in former years, and there can he no doxxht of the attendance on this occasion being far below the average. The grounds had suffered mxxch from the rain,sxxrface water lying in considerable quantities, while where the the traffic was greatest a considerable depth of mud prevailed. As may be supposed, the sheep, cattle, and pigs which had been exposed throughout last night, had not in consequence improved in their appearance. In some cases there seemed to have been some slight effort to provide shelter for the pens, but most of the sheep had camped in the mud, exposed to the rain, and this morning presented to the unitiated eye anything but the appearance expected from show animals. The cattle seemed mostly to have remained on their legs, and save for their occasionally shaking with the cold, were not much the worse. The horses, again, were housed, and came off best of all.

As will be seen from the prize list, when published, the entries of all classes of stock this year are slightly more numerous than those of last year. The'.miscellaneous exhibits are largely in excess, specially prominent being agricultural machinery, which occupied a very large space, and among which is a considerable quantity of home manufacture. Entering the grounds at the N.B. gate, and keeping to the left hand, there we first mot twine, horsehair and rope ; a conspicuous pile of cans containing sheep dip; a fine display of pottery, seeds, barbed wire and twine ; T. J. Watters with a large collection of kitchners; T. Crompton with a similar lot, together with garden seats, gates, &c., four road engines. Adjoining are to be found vast quantities of engines, combines in motion, chaff-cutters, reapers and binders, mowers, horsepowers attached to various machines, wool presses, cheese presses, vats, churns in great variety, and other kinds of dairy utensils, carts, drays, and vehicles of all kinds. Ploughs, harrows,grubbers, scarifiers, enough of them it would seem to a novice to stock all the farmers in the province. Remarkable exhibits are three windmill pumps—one an American, the others of home make. That by Booth and Son obtained'a first 'prize, the other by Cooper a second. Without knowing their respective powers, the first seemed much mora complex in its machinery than

the Cooper or the American. The fact will bear repeating, that the laboursaving machinery was the fullest and most satisfactory that has yet been seen here, and was undoubtedly, since the animals had been so unfortunate, the finest part of the show. The machinery in motion gives quite a busy air to its quarter, though the spectators were not very many. Leaving the group and going round to the left, the horses are interviewed. These will be spoken of at another time. We pass them now, remarking on the unusual quantity and excellence of the pony exhibits, some of them, indeed, were of rare excellence. The slippery nature of the ground did not allow their youthful riders to exhibit them to the best advantage. A number of sheep and cattle dogs wore tied up to the west fence. There was none to attract special attention. Down the north side were the sheep and cattle. Coming toward the shed, the eye is attracted by an imposing iron gate of three entrances. This is of local manufacture, and the impression it leaves is that there is plenty of iron in it for the money, £7O. Quantities -of builders’ pottery, and that of a finer class, together with bricks, tiles, and the like were to be seen in great variety. The shed contained quite a show in itself, and more than can be noticed at present. Chief of all, however, was the exhibit of the Kaiapoi Woollen Factory, all of which was excellent. An exhibit, too, of horse clothing, by Fawcett, of Mosgiel, was strikingly attractive. The butter shown must have been good, to judge by the tickets, but one cannot help thinking that all these exhibits might have been made far more pleasing to the eye than they were. Nearly the last of all comes some mess beef and pork in Native wood barrels, about half navy size. Knowing the tricks of trade, before pronouncing on them the judge, no doubt, turned out the contents of the barrels ; at any rate the top pieces seemed all right. If this manufacture can be guaranteed of good quality there is everywhere a fine market for it, though the packages exhibited are of the wrong size. The quality of the exhibits of the live stock were exceptionally good, in fact, we may come to consider that Canterbury holds the premier stock show of the Southern Hemisphere. The sheep throughout the various breeds were very good, the merinos an improvement if anything, and the same remark applies to Lincolns, but there was a tendency to coarseness in Leicester sheep which needs to be checked, unless breeders are intending to float a company for carpet manufacture. The Romneys, Cotswolds, and Down sheep formed a good display, while the toothsome quality of the fat sheep was fully maintained. The prominent merino exhibitors wsro Messrs W. Brown, W. O. Rutherford, Joseph Pearson, Robert Campbell and Sons, John Barton, G-. W. H. Lee, A. McMaster, and R. H. Rhodes. Campbell and Sons received the silver medals for the best ram and ewe, and swept away with Gibson’s Tasmanian sheep tlxo bulk of the prizes. In English Leicestors, the N.Z. and A. land Company, P. C. Threlkeld, W. Marcroft, Hon. E. Gray, Joseph Haydon, J. Gregg, and Wilkin and darter exhibited, the prizes being well divided. The modal for best ram went to the Land Company, and foi the best ewe to a very grand sheep fron Mr Thvclkeld’s Inglewood flock. Tin Box-cler Leicester exhibitors were the N.Z and A. Land Company, W. Boag, W Marcroft, and J. Deans, Mr Boag am the N.Z. and A. Land Company dividin' honours. The silver medal for best ran in this section went to the credit of M W. Boag’s Wolfstar Chief, and for th best owe to the Land Company. I: Lincoln sheep Messrs J. Lincoln, the N.S and A. Land Company, E. Menlove, J Reid, J. B: Sxitton, Hon. M. Holmes an T. Pashby made a keen competition, an a good division of prizes hero resulted, th Hon. M. Holmes being successful, howevei in gaining both silver medals for ram an ewe. The Romney exhibitors were Mess; J. Reid, Wilkin and Carter and J. Haydox Mr Reid securing the medals for best ma and female sheep. The Cotswohl shoe were shown mainly by Messrs J. T. Pox and Wilkin and Carter, the former gontl man scoring the medals to his credit. T 1 Southdown sheep wore exhibited from tl flocks of Messrs H. J. Washbourne, J. Dean Wilkin and Carter, E. Garland, C. Lewi and the awards wore fairly distribute In Hampshire Down sheep, Dudley an Northey sent some splendid exhibits, tl follows to which received the gold cup : the last Snxithfield show. The fat shee classes were ably supported by Mixxwc and Mathias, Henderson and Meßeat Wilkin and Carter, and J. Loxvis. Tl New Zealand Loan and Mercantile cup f best pen of ten crossbred sheep for frozt meat trade going to J. Reid’s pen of fir cross Leicester and merino.

The cattle yards were much frequented by the visitors yesterday and to-day, and justly so, for there were some very grand animals shown from the Kiccaiton herd by

Mr John Deans. The Oamaru string brought by Mr Menlove and Mr Reid included some of the finest animals in the yard, and Mr Threlkeld s Inglewood herd furnished the female classes with several grand cows and heifers ;_while the Hon. H. B. Gresson’s Waiora cattle were the cynosure to all breeders. Messrs Grigg, of Longbeach, J- A. Williams (the eminent breeder), W. Mai croft, W. Watson. W. Boag, and other breeders, showed very useful, sappy shorthorns. The champion of the yard was Mr John Deans’ handsome dark red bull Duke ot Gunsterstone, which possesses a grand constitution and is a model bull, points .all over, and encased in a covering of rich silky lon** hair. The medal taking Flower of Brunswick sent by Mr Menlove is a matronly animal with an immense wealth of quality all over, and does credit to that well known Oamaru breeder. Ihe Harefords were confined to the cows of Messrs Garforth and Tubman. There were no Devons. The Alderney or Jersey breed wore confined to Messrs Hill and Bluett. The Ayr cattle were represented by Messrs George King, J. Little, J. Torrens, J. Reid and others, Messrs Grigg, Ferguson, Garforth, Lnxton, and Wilkin and Carter showed some immense carcases of fat cattle. 'The draught horse exhibitors were Messrs J. Walls, J. Stark, J. Boag, G. King, H. McLelland, G. F. Durey, W. Stoddart, W. Bqag, J. F. Brown, J. Sharp, J. Frizell, Hon. M. Holmes, Heywood and Co.,_ W. B. Andrew, J. Coe, W. Gilmour, R. Rainey, J. Stark, and F. Walls. Mr J. McKellar’s grandly topped horse Prince Royal obtained the honors in the aged class of stallions. He is well put together, has great muscle, good bone, and excellent action. Mr Stoddart’s young sires obtained first prizes, and are possessed of blooming qualities in respect to substance and action. The thoroughbreds were represented by Mr Nosworthy’s stallions, Messrs Doyle, Storey, Evered, W. C. Webb, and Donovan’s exhibits. The carriage horses were well represented by Messsrs Wilkin, King, Hodgson, Anderson, Stalke, Washboume, Watson, Scott, Wilson, McAlpine, and Seaton’s exhibits. The hackneys and cob ponies were very good, as also the hunters. . There was a splendid exhibit of pigs by Messrs Grigg, Mulholland, Clarkson, Boag, Luxton, McMaster, Haydon, Harding, Mitchell, Tubman, Rowe, and Bluett. In the implement department the show was one of the best which it has been our pleasure to witness, and all our local firms were strongly represented with labor-saving machines, which it does them credit to introduce. The dairy produce first prizes wore taken for—Butter, Mrs G. Thompson; salt ditto, Mrs Rees Griffiths, Amberley ; salt butter in'tins, for export, Mr W. J. Mulholland ; fancy butter, Mrs M. Peach, Ashley; cheese, Mr C. B. Candy, as per usual. Best loaf home made bread, Mrs Bees Griffiths ; hams, Mr Rowe ; bacon, smoked, Mr W. Fraser, Kaiapoi; do, unsmoked, Mr J. Rowe; rolled bacon, Mr Rowe ; spiced beef and salt beef, Henderson and Mcßeath. A number of New Zealand manufacturers were exhibited, including beer and porter by Vincent and Co., Crown Brewery, S. Manning and Co., Standard Brewery, Suffolk, Lion, and Cuddon and Co.’s Breweries. Dressed flax, soap, ranges by Messrs Crompton and Watters, wool and other items which, in the limited space at our disposal, we cannot particularise.