WAIKATO WINTER SHOW.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4433, 8 July 1909, Page 3

WAIKATO WINTER SHOW.

A COMPREHENSIVE DISPLAY. BUTTER A STRONG FEATURE. Hamilton, Tuesday. The annual Waikato Winter Show was opened this; , afternoon, under generally favourable conditions. The town was early inundated by visitors arriving by road and rail, and when the doors of the large exhibition buildings were thrown open a steady stream commenced to pour inwards. The attendance, so far, is . ahead of the last show. On every hand one hears the remark that the show outshines those of previous yearsThe fame of the Waikato ns an agricultural and dairying district extends afar. It is capaVe of producing some of the finest root crops, as well as batter and cheese, in the country. Extensive exhibits of this character form the nucleus of a fine exhibition. Then, in the natural course have come the well nigh endless types of machinery, which play all-important parts in the production of each of the commodities named, and as an instance of the nearness to perfection to which it is possible for agriculturists, dairymen, orchardists, poultry raisers, etc., to attain, the Agricultural Department has come forward with an excellent display of specimen products. The Government court is said to embrace greater variety than other recent winter shows, mainly on account of the convenient proximity to Hamilton of the Ruakura experimental farm. Products of other farms in both islands have also been drawn from. Poultry again figures extensively as a competitive section, while the entries in home products and needlework bear testimony to the skill of the ladies of the Waikato. The delightful ‘creations m fancy work are a revelation, and a collection of antique articles exhibited by local families is extremely interesting. The art section, a new departure, contains some fine hangings, while some cleverly executed industrial work is also ' shown. The exhibition presents a picturesque appearance from whatever 1 quarter or at whatever time it is viewed ! throughout the day. The extensive de- ! corations appeal to the admiration of | visitors, and at night coloured illuinina- 1 tions remind one of the installation of 1 an eiectric lighting scheme, Sideshows 1 are prominent both inriue aud out of 1 doors, while orchestral and brass band combinations make music all the day. A 1 large stand, festooned with ferns, occu- * pies the centre of the main buiiding. ‘ The management of the exhibition may ' well be termed exemplary, Mr J 8, Bond, president and “father” of the association, and Mr F. Maxwell, the businesslike secretary, being backed up by an exce lent committee, The president of the Association, in welcoming visitors to the Show, said the buccl-ss which had attended the fixture was largely due to the energetic work of the various subcommittees. Bnd in this connection a special word of praise should be given to the ladies. He also thanked the Agricultural Department for splendid co-operation, ( and congratulated the ex- 1 perts on the excellence of their display, ■ which, he considered was of great educa- 1 tion value to the farming community of ’ the Waikato. (Applause.) 1 The Hon. T. McKenzie (Minister for A gnculture), in declaring the Show open, congratulated the Association upon its splendid display, and remarked that other societies who aspired to seeming the 1 ' Premier show would have to look to their | laurels. Ho would mention, however, that Otago still led the way. (Laughter). He was particularly struck with the display of butter, representing an output from the district which amounted to an amazing value. Home industiies and many other sections were of exceptional merit, and he thought the management of the show was as good as he had anywhere seen. The Minister then referred to the State experimental farms, some of which were located in the Waikato district, and said that their objrct was to do collectively that which it would be quite impossible for the individual to carry out. It was not sufficient for us in !“? , Do ™ mo ? *0 as well as other people. We had to excel them. New I Zealand enjoyed a splendid isolation, and • had to send its butfe- 13.000 miles in competition with countries within a few hours sail of the same markets. With Amori 6686 COm P e te with America and with its wool and murton against the Argentine, where land was cheap and the conditions of if f 0 V r . fa , r the standard obtaining here. A journal devoted to farming interests, in referring to dairying as earned on at Wereroa, and experi“T ii anD V n S, eneral > had once said : Jh?°" 1 er whole box and dice is subh “wtioneer’s hammer the better of fCT . th ® Department. For their own «n Uoi. R b. ou d not* allow such a burlesque mi, armin (?to continue for another dav.” ' a Rr Pe r s on s, including a member of Parliament, had continually decried the expenditure, and urged that the farms should be vnpe out. The dairy industry, said the ..Minister, would soon be worth £3,000.000 J? b ®. Dominion, and easily ranked i jbe fist of exports. No industry was calculated to afford more employment or to n ra ore o the better settlement of 1 e The output this year had in eas considerably, cheese approaching to £i° S fino nnn £I °Tj 000 and butt « r to about bJ™ 00 ®: He regretted to have to say, . r .’ *but the quality of the latter had not een maintained, and this undoubtedly called .? r . a SJ* 1011, When it was remembered a m May of last year the prices of New Zealand butter reached Il2s and 114 s per cent, while Danish was at 114 s and 116 s, and this year choicest was down to 100 s to 102 s, while Danish had not fallen to anything like the same degree, it would be conceded that the matter needed looking into. The dairy regulations, continued the Minister, had been a subject of much discussion and falsification, but he hoped that such regulations and conditions would be established as would make it impossible for dirty suppliers to destroy the whole output of a factory. As head of the Departmentit would be his endeavour to assist in establishing improved dairy herds, and his officers were devoting themselves with a singlenoss of purpo66 to that end. (Applause).