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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 141, 25 September 1863, Page 3

To the Jut It or of the Hatches Bay Times.

Sin, —I expected to see something in the Times noticing or exposing this so-called Hawke's Hay Agricultural Society, which has come out in a long notice in the other paper, the Herald. Anil 1 should not write to you now, had 1 not some papers lately to hand from Canterbury Province, showing how dill'crently they manage things down there, although that is more of a sheep Province thaiqlhis is, greater number of Sheep, bigger runs, and more wealthy and respectable rmi-owners. i am afraid 1 shall not be able to draw this Hawke’s Hay Agricultural Society in its true colors. Now, look ye here, 1 am not used to such work, and I think you cannot give me room enough to say all 1 might have to say about it. In the papers 1 have from Canterbury 1 note two things done there by their Agricultural Society, one, the many Ploughing Matches just over and many prizes, one of which was gained by my shipmate; and another thing, the great show of Stock and Agricultural implements to take place next month. Of the Ploughing Matches and prizes it is no use my writing, as in this Hawke’s Bay Agricultural Society no such a price is otic red, no such work as ploughing being considered Agricultural, or of any good or use. I have set the two notices in the papers of the grand Show day of the two Societies side by side, and I read them with very different feelings. The Hawke’s Bay calls itself the Agricultural Society—the Canterbury calls itself the Pastoral and Agricultural Society. So that, as you may see, here is dodge the first in its very name to blind the eyes of the practical farmer, both master and man. The number of prizes in the Hawke’s Bay is 51, (without “ Cereals,” which 1 will come to afterwards) the number in (he Canterbury is 155. But. understand me, I don’t look for the same number here as there. In the Hawke’s Bay there is, prizes for Sheep, 25, nearly half of all, for cattle great and small 21, for Poultry 3, for Implements 2, gross number, 51. in the Canterbury there is, for Sheep 32, and for shearing 3, not a fourth of all, for cattle 72, for

I'oullry 18, for 1 mplcments, 23, for Horse-shoeing, 2, lor butter and cheese, 1, gross number, 155. So you see, there they only give about a fifth of their prizes for Sheep, here they give one-half for Sheep. There they give three times the number of prizes for other cattle than they do for Sheep ; here they don’t give as many. Also for farm-yard fowls, there they give 18 prizes, here only 3 —and these not for Breeds, but for ‘‘any kind,” kicking out geese altogether. Likewise for Ploughs and Implements used in Agriculture, there they give 23 prizes, here only 2, or, 1 may say, one all in a lump, if it means anything—perhaps no plough prize at all as they give none for ploughing There, too, they wisely give several prizes for Farm I mplcments made in the Province, besides prizes for horse-shoeing and for butter and cheese. They have oven 2 prizes for whipple-trees, and one for a Canterbury-made stockwhip. This is as it ought to be, and shows well for that Province, and for Agriculture and its fruits there. Prizes are given now in England for everything of service in Agriculture down to Straw rope making. 1 should also like to say about that absurd r/ass in the Hawke’s Bay Agricultural Society's m t cj called u Cereals.” I don’t sneak of the nick-naming potatoes and vegetables and fruit, as 1 did not knew myself what was the proper meaning of the word until I asked, and I think F know as much Agriculture as .John Alexander, but let that pass. What I should like to know is, Where are the “ assortments of potatoes and garden fruits and vegetables” to come from at this early lime of the year?—mid-October, equal to March in England—after last year’s scarcity and drought and blight, w hen everybody knows there ain't a scrap of anything to be seen, whether potatoes, vegetables or fruit, unless it bo watecrersses and Barcelona nuts in the stores. But surely all this comes of trying the dodge of make-believe Ayrictdtural Society by the run-owners, just to get support from the farmer and to blink his eyes. If they really wished to benefit us and agriculture, I am sure they would act differently and fairly and reasonably. The whole affair as concerns Agriculture should be properly and wisely thought over and managed by very different hands —by p o| le w! o have a I caty will to encourage agriculture, and who know a plough from a spade. I now send this to you, and you can please to pub--1 sh part of it or all of it, or write something better on this subject. I suppose you have the Canterbury papers mentioned, so 1 don’t send them. I remain, yours £e., PLOUGH. P.S.—After I wrote this I heard from II that John Alexander is going to have a try for vegetable prize—he is going to send Sparrow-grass, and Peppercress and Shallotts. P.