Country News

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 47, 17 February 1894, Page 12

Country News

MATAURA

This place was pleasantly astir on Wednesday last, the moving cause being: the third annual exhibition of O the local Horticultural Society. The office-bearers, who appear to be “live” men all round, provide for the display at the same time of dairy produce, and work, fancy and useful, by adults and school children, and the combination has so far worked remarkably well. A much greater number of people are interested in the undertaking than if it were confined to fruit, flowers, and vegetables —in proof of which it is only necessary to mention that the day’s takings were represented by the very handsome sum of £27, while the outside competition thereby induced makes the event much more noteworthy than a merely local show would be. Humphries’ Hall was utilised for the flower show and the schoolhouse for the exhibition of dairy produce and school and industrial work. Dealing first with the exhibits in the hall, it has to be noted that they were in advance, both in quality and number, of those shown in previous years. They were very nicely staged, and well deserved the admiration bestowed upon them by the visitors who thronged the place during the afternoon. The leading vegetables—potatoes, onions, and cabbages —were very well represented, and there was an exceptionally fine display of marrows. The pot plants section contained some very good specimens, while the cut flowers, perennials and annuals, were superior to those sometimes seen in larger exhibitions. The ladies were very successful exhibitors in this section. Messi’s J. Lennie and Sons, of Invercargill, sent up (for exhibition only) a fine collection of cut flowers, which received a due meed of admiration. The feature of the show, however, was fruit, and the feature of that again was the splendid collection of apples from the orchard of Mr A. Dickie, Tuturau. He had between seventy and eighty varieties on view, nearly all named, and all sent forward in good condition. “ A magnificent display—a credit to f. man in the trade, let alone a farmer,” were some of the remarks made when this department was under review. Mr Dickie was also represented by a large and varied collection of fruits. We hope to see him in evidence at the forthcoming show in Invercargill. The display in the schoolhouse was also highly creditable to all concerned, youngsters and oldsters alike. The school and fancy work, as well as the exhibits in the industral section, indicated the possession of a good deal of artistic ability ; while the jams and jellies, butter, scones and cake which filled the tables in another room proved that the maids and matrons of Mataura are well skilled in the domestic arts. The pot plants, cut flowers, and fruit were judged by Messrs J. Lennie and G. Couling (Invercargill) ; the vegetables by Mr H. Richardson (Gore) ; the dairy produce and preserves, bread, etc., by Messrs W. Stirling and Kingsland; the sewing and fancy work by Mesdames W. Gardiner and Connor ; and the industral work by Messrs T. Couling (Mataura) and A. Martin (Gore). A number of visitors, including Messrs J. W. Rain and R. McNab, members of the Education Board, and Mr J. Neill (secretary of that body) were present, and one and all must have carried away very pleasant impressions of Mataura and its people. Mataura, for the matter of that, is well worthy of a visit even when nothing is “on,” for with its frozen meat works, its dairy factory, and last, but not least, its new and extensive paper mills, it is a veritable industrial hive, and in this respect, as well as in point of natural beauty, is one of the show places of the district.