ANNUAL PLOUGHING MATCH, LONG BUSH.

Southland Times, Issue 965, 8 June 1868, Page 2

ANNUAL PLOUGHING MATCH, LONG BUSH.

• ♦ The Annual competitive meeting of the Long Bush Ploughing Association, came off on Friday last with fair success. The field selected for the friendly contest was on the farm of J. M'lntyre Esq., Mona Bush, and was in very good order— thanks to the abundance of rain we have lately had, otherwise, being on a dry ridge, and new soil, it would have been far too hard to have taken the mould kindly. Fortunately the day proved exceptionally fine, the sun shining out cheerfully the whole time, but the long continuance of bad weather we have had recently, by rendering the country roads almost impassible, prevented the attendance of many ploughs from a distance, which would otherwise, no doubt, have been present. The field was consequently not nearly bo numerous as on former occasions, while the absence of the splendid teams usually representing the Company's farms, was painfully conspicuous. At the time appointed, the men having drawn for their lots in the usual way, thirteen ploughs turned in to work, and kept cheerfully at it all day. The quality of the workmanship was on the whole highly creditable to the ploughmen, and gave very general satisfaction to those of the visitors competent to form an opinion on the subject. The work of the winner of the first prize in the senior class was especially excellent, while the quiet and gentle manner in which he managed his team, the perfect understanding evidently subsisting between man and horses, was the subject of very general remark, and gained for him the reward he merited. The Judges: — Messrs James Hay, James Henderson, and Robert Weir, were most careful and painstaking in making their decisions, and in the discharge of their onerous duty secured very general approbation. The following is the LIST OF PBIZES. SEITIOB CLASS. Ist prize, £5, Adam Drysdale. 2nd ditto, £4, Thos. Paget. 3rd ditto, £3, Eobt. Craig. 4th ditto, £2 10s, James Scott. sth ditto, worthy of merit, Archd. M'Bride, ploughman to Thos. Swale, Esq. JF2TIOE CLASS. (Under eighteen years of age.) Ist prize, £3, Jas. Fleming. 2nd ditto, £2, Thos. Dawson. -

SPECLAJ, PEIZES. Tor the best pair of horses — Ist prize, £1 ss, D. "Warnock ; 2nd ditto, 15s, D. Napier. For the best kept horses and harness —Ist prize, £1, D. Napier. For the best ploughman on the ground — Ist prize, a pair of silver mounted head stalls, presented by Mr Greo. G-ood-willie, saddler, Tay-street, Adam Drysdale. For the best break in the senior class — Ist prize, a set of iron swingle trees, given by Mr ¥m. Simly, "Woodlands, Adam Drysdale. For the best finish — Ist prize, a set of •wood swingle trees, given by Mr James Strang, carpenter, "Woodlands, Adam Drysdale. For the best break and finish in the Junior Class — Ist prize, a set of iron swingle trees, given by Mr D. Eeidy, blacksmith, Long Bush, Jas. Fleming. In the evening about forty gentlemen sat down to a dinner prepared by host Sutherland, which did infinite credit to the Bridge Inn. The chair was occupied by Mr Alex. Ross, of Long Bush, who veiy ably acquitted himself. After dinner the usual loyal and patriotic toasts were duly given and responded to, followed by others more pertinent to the occasion. After spending a very pleasant evening the company broke up at an early hour. It was remarked, however, with regret that none of our townsmen honored the dinner with their presence, and that very few had even visited the field during the day, possibly a reasonable excuse may be found in the wretched state of the roads, the unsettled weather, and the potent attractions in operation in the town on the same evening. Next season, when the road will probably be macadamized all the way to Long Bush, we augur that our country friends will have no cause to complain of an apparent want of interest in their Annual Ploughing Match on the part of their city fellow colonists.