MANAWATU AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 97, 14 September 1878, Page 2

MANAWATU AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

A meeting of gentlemen favorable' tb the - formation of an Agricuitural' ■ Association '*■■ was, held at Whyte's— Hotel, Foxton, on Thursday. There weteabouktwenty persons present, and E. S. Thynne, Esq, was^calleci to the chair. ' ;• ; . -.-..'( ■■ ■t ' The Chairman read the, notice convening . ; the meeting, and stated that although, ho w. a . ,- placed. ,m the position of presiding, hereaily . . knew nothing whatever of the basis upon what the society was intended to be formed. ' However, Messrs -__%*rceli* and' Weilker, the .two. gentlemen who. had been mstrumersed ■' in**aUing the meeting together were present*-, and he had no^ doubt they, had some -plan of operations matured. 0e fully sympathised ,with; jihe. object) ■ and was fully alive to the necessity for taking some "steps toad- - vance the progress of *gricu"ture m the district ; still ; he was of opinion -that. >if the -"" movement was to be a success they should not depend upon themselves^ but .seek the assistance and co-or^j*4tipn " ot ' residents* all oyer, the.eoiwty. He., would call ,upon , Mr * Walker, to' r lay his views^ , before , : the meeting. •:*:!■ if •::.i. ' .•'•!i.u--''!*r< .-.-:'- Mr'WILKBB "said that.' Mr" Puree- and- m ■. himself-liad conferred together rwith .the :'■'. a view of improving ihe breed,' of .stock, m the .... : district, and they, were [of, ppiiriop .that that; v; object coidd^be best attained by , the, forma- : ■■, tion of .an. Agricultural.; Association .. By, such societies, a spirit of .healthy riyiilry and; emulation was created, winch had ' been found to work incalculable^ good m,. other places, and he did not despair bf being ablov ; to establish an Agricultural Association m the Manawatu.. Very little 'memey* would be neces -ary^as the" prizes might be honorary, and no doubt the prize takers would value an illuminated, mention of j merit: jiist; as "T highly as a more ' expensive < oner-the honor and not its intrinsic value, being the incentive for competition. He thought that such „^ an association could be fairly, started wtifh about $80 as a nucleus, and thirty' members . at £1 Is, would soon make up that amount. He did not think it necessary to.start as the Hutt people did, . saddled with' a lot of expense. He thought all they -would r*gji_*j would be the hurdles, as a gentleman favoi-*--able to the movement had kindly offered the use of a paddock/ In his .opinion the first 3»sep to be taken, was, to form a good working committee.' - ' ...1 . • .- . ij. i ' - ■ ii Mr P.OECBLL said that hemight ha**"? been born m a cowshed, still he had a little experience amongst cattle,' and fancied he' knew a good beast when he saw one.- '"lithe proposed society were formed, an opportunity would be given settlers " to i see different breed's pf; [/. stock, and comparing: t<hsaj- YijU-h .fcb'eir-owji, be able to arrive at the true value of what they werepossessedi : People were very ap*;.. , to consider all. their. own geese," swans, bub if stock was bwnght into competition with breeds from, a distript, they.would very soon""" be disabused of tire idea,-- and by' making/; purchases from other districts, go m to ni'l_.__ and' improve the/ quality -of ..fcheir.roattlei. He instanced- a; certain- fannecin the South,^ Island,' who before a oattle show m: the,;; district m whichdie Kvpdi hadigone, pver.his ;,» variods animalsi: and in.W9,ow.n.mind and ,tp.. '. his own 'Satisfactioplaliqfct^'a^the.pi-izea, „. never idreaipingitha,'' pny.p^iera,cp_ld^b"e ; ex- , hibited;- which; qppld s.nc^r^'Wi c P" l ,P e t , P' . with; hi"*-, i, However on [ -the. day : .p| "the; ) ffli-ardlfhctfon.-jid o"pt his misrakey^ario! mden' ' against his will Tie i was',o_ligea to a_nif.'. : ."' tjhat although he' 'jdlbV'-'not " :i -get ? ' 'any-,! -'*■ tjhe prizes had^lsgen ■< gj-v.en.tq lhp.,beßty*""| ammn"e. / r'j-"^li'at" ! wa3,,.t"i^xp r h-3^rae'hc_ r*-^"" Wliy. he w^nt' Sack conVineßtt-tna- hehad a a great ■"d"e;al :: to'i'eaTn, ;{ 'iwrijat i tha^ the*toCl*j which he had thought' 'afe-ite-ar perfection as possible, were capable of a vast improvement. This he held would, be-ori-olf the "results of the formation of atiAgrfcuUnpl ; Society ,ip ,the Manawatu, and he would like, !qsee,'i*-,pur.4y one of the whole of the county. It did,"' pot fo_b"* /that" Jje#aus6^fe"ie>inf tiafcorjj jsteps had been, taken a^Fpitpni^^ioum he alone confined to tha^'p^acei i j, with, the Chairman that to make the' Association a success, ;it would bo necessary, to secure thpv cd-bpe-ratioh "of ihose" at .he'--ivppi'r' ehtiYqjf the [("founty. He would propose that thelme^rogs- of 'im^'Boei"3t,y'be atjFoxton, at Feilding the next, and Palmerston, the third —not neeessnii-iiyiiLlftie order named, but each year m a different seotion *of the County. .Mr .Walker had said that thirt-y---members*' at* £ji U would" be 3'ufficien.t US'? 'start the Association. He believed the euljscribers would double 'that fnpmber, and he would pledge himself to obtain the thirty mentioned by. Mr Walker. y '.- t. Mr A. J. WrirTß. said he would be willing to give the use of hjs ground beside : the Public Hall. He could Viet, however, promise to give tho whole of the timber for . thehurdlee. - >■-, The CuAißitAN,, while thanking Mr Whyte for his offer* said thit at the present stage, of the matter, the questioriof site was somewhat preuvature. - By votes of the n>oet irig, Messrs. Walker and Purcell were appointed Hons. Secretaryand Treasuer respectively,-" and, tho annual subscription to the- Association fixed at£l Is, fully twenty names being taken dowii as subscribers. . Mr Thvnns then vacated the cb,air> which was taken by,, Mr Wai.keb, who said that the firstbusiness would be the formation of a strong working committee, who would explain the objects of the Society; to -the various residents, and incre-ise the subscribers' lisf^ He should take the opportunity of apologising to the sett lers of the Upper Manawatu for not lwving brought the matter prominently before them, but the fact was. that it was just at the last moment that any action at all was.taken. He, howerery would x now that tho Association was. fairly afloat — * send a circular of invitation to settlers aU over the County, asking for their co-opera-i tion and support. He would nko write, to

Messrs. Bitinter and Beetham, *_,n^ hef^t-ponfideiifc };hat Both those geiftle- ' *_ct wtSul'd* bi*rai_lry' assist' tlie -'mpyeintnt. : Mr Purobli. proposed, and Mr BAHiJETT •seconded the following .resolution; — r * 9-**_'ria_' the fbilowing bbripp'oiht'ed a com--xnittee to make preliminary • arrangements for t t he'foraiatipn of an Agricultural Association for the County of Manawatu, with power, 'tp add to their number : — Messrs. A. Walker, Purcell, Liddell, Carter, Whjte', . Thynne, Robinson, Davidson, Rousell, and >: "Barney.*?. •/ j' ." ■' : . :.: - • '.;-.'■ * ' After.some' further preliminary business had been done, and the next meeting for Saturday/ 28kh inst, a vote of thanks termit ■*oa'iediA"*e < :.p?;pceeding3. ,