TIMARU AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL EXHIBITION.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2991, 26 October 1882, Page 2

TIMARU AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL EXHIBITION.

The following is the continuation of the report of this Show, which want of space did not permit of our publishing yesterday : HORSES. The horse section of the exhibition comprised a large number of entries; and the draught department, the most important one in an agricultural community, had a splendid lot of entries. The most noticeable improvement this year was the excellent character of the young stock exhibited, and as it was all owned by people in the district, substantial evidence was given that greater care and attention is being given to breeding. The premier class, that for the best pure-bred entire of any age, was only represented by five exhibits, but their grand quality compensated for the small number. Lord Castlereagh, the animal we placed first at horse parade, came in for first honors. He is a grand horse and well deserved the distinction. The Governor, well known in North Canterbury, was brought out well, and although ho only scored second honors, he is a highly creditable specimen of a draught sire. Time o’ Day and Luok’s All were exhibited together, hut the latter, could, not compare with the former. Both, however, show grand quality. Awamoa, an animal only eleven months old, has splendid bone, and promises to keep up the prestige of his sire, Young Banker, but he was too young for exhibition in this class. ThAHon M. Holmes had; a trio of exhibits in the class for the best pure-bred mare, but his Nancy Brown was far and away the best in the class. She is as grand and compact a mare as one would wish to see, and is an old prize-taker at - southern shows. Mr John Goldie’s exhibit took a deal of beating, and did well to secure second honors in such splendid company. The class for the best entire again claimed Lord Castleragh as its first representative, with Luok’s All, second, and old Renfrew Jok, a horse wellknown around Christchurch, came in fora commended distinction. The three year olds had a noble representative in Messrs Fleming and Hedley’s Xing of the Bankers, as good a three year-old as could be found in South Canterbury. The two-year-old entire class had four representatives, ! and they were, with one exception, very good. ,vtp J. Donaldson’s Champion of the North, a Young Banker, was not to be beaten, and he will give some trouble in the more advanced class next year. In the yearling entire class, Awamoa could, of course, not be equalled, and be scored first honors, although competing against three other descendants of the same sire. The geldings shown were good, and the mares in foal, or with foal at fool, were a grand lot. The competition in the latter class was so close that with only six entries the judges awarded four orders of distinction, Mr W. Stevenson’s Nancy heading the list. The dry mare class had a pair of splendid exhibits, the Hon.. M, Holmes’ Nancy Brown and Mr J. H, Raine’s Duchess. These animals are so well known that a detailed des oription of them is unnecessary. The three-year-old filly class* brought out four South Canterbury exhibits of better quality than have ever before appeared on the Timaru Show ground. After a close contest Mr J. Goldie’s chestnut took first honors. The two-year-old and yearling filly classes were equally well represented by locally owned stock. The prize for the best brood mare with two of her progney went to Mr Raine’s Duchess, and that for the best draught brood mare to Mr W. Stevenson’s Nancy. The champions in the draught stock were R. Matthews’ Lord Castlereagb, as the best entire on the ground, and the Hon. M. Holmes’ Nancy Brown- as the best mare. The classes for the best thoroughbreds were represented by the old South Canterbury stock and their progney, but there was nothing about them to call for special notice. In the coaching stallions, the only thing now was the American trotter, Rill Alien, and he secured first prize. Mr R, "Wilkin’s trotting stallion Blackwood Abdallah was entered as an extra exhibit, and was awarded a highly commended ticket. The prizes in the two-year-old hackney class were swept by Mr J. Xing, with a colt and filly by Castaway. Both did credit to their sire. The roadsters up to list were an excellent lot; and the I4st roadsters, five in number, were ridden in paddle, and showed splendid power and paces. The ladies’ hack class brought out six attractive-looking, well schooled exhibits, and Mr W. S. Armitage’s gelding carried off first prize. The ponies were a good average lot, as were also the light harness and buggy horses. The special prize given by Mr D. M'Guinneas for . the best cavally eharger, ridden by a member of the B Troop, was Won by Sergeant Lindsay,on Colonel. It was noticeable that there

were consider il»ly more \v< mlit-carrying hanks and hunter* on the ground ilian formerly, and this improvement i* midimbtud'y owing lo the e.-taidi.slimimt of Harrier, Beagle, an I Hunt Clubs in the district AGRICULTURAL PRODUO 3. The ‘lisp! iy of agricultural pro luce was' the host ibat bar b'cn eeori on the Timaru Show Ground. At this time of the year a show of grain cannot be expected to attain very large dimensions. Stocks are pretty well cleared out, and few people care about taking the trouble to save parcels for the October Show. A considerable number, however, of prime samples were brought forward—enough in fact to convince anybody of the first-rate grain-growing capacities of the South Canterbury District. The wheat was the strongest feature of this department of the Show, both in regard to the number of exhibits and the quality of the samples. The first prize samples, both in Velvet Chaff and Tuscan, weighed 651 bs to the bushel, a great weight for New Zealand wheat, but it. is worth mentioning that very ordinary samples of Adelaide wheat reach this weight, and prime samples go from two to three pounds heavier. But in spite of this, if our farmers could produce an average anywhere approaching the samples shown at Timaru, they would have but little to fear from any competition in the Home markets. The entries in barley were of excellent quality and should be good enough to satisfy the requirements of the most fastidious of malsters or brewers. The first prize sample weighed 55flba to the bushel, a faot which speaks for itself. In long oats there were six entries, the Danish and Tartarian sorts being represented in equal numbers. The first prize sample weighed 45lbs to the bushel the second prize exhibit falling 4lbs short of this. These weights were far distanced by the short, oats, Mr Murdock’s sample of Canadian reach ing 50lbs to the bushel, and Messrs Quinn’s 47|lbs. The samples were bright and well cleaned, but after stating the weights it is almost unnecessary to say that they were well filled. Several sacks of monster potatoes were exhibited, and though well worth looking at as curiosities, were too large for ordinary culinary purposes. A single potato would monopolise the whole of the space afforded by a fair sized cooking utensil. The four entries of ryegrass seed were specially good, and were all favorably noticed by the judges, Mr W. J. Stewart taking first prize and Mr Kelland second. Some’very fine specimens of mangolds, carrots, and turnips, were shown, and Messrs Miles, Archer and Co.’s collection of agricultural seeds were deserving of special notice.