WAITAHUNA ANNUAL PLOUGHING MATCH.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 366, 20 June 1874, Page 2

WAITAHUNA ANNUAL PLOUGHING MATCH.

The Waitahuna annual Ploughing Match waß held in Mr. Cony's paddock, Murray's Flat, yesterday, and was witnessed by a goodly number of farmers and a few disinterested on-lookers, including a fair sprinkling of Lawrence people, whom the Friday halfholiday gave liberty to attend. The teams were late in starting to work, owing to the hard frost which made ploughing anything but an easy task for man or beast, and the strength os both for the first two hours was taxed to the utmost. The work done owing to the hard state of the ground was hardly up to that of last year. There were twelve teams on the ground at the start, but two gave in, leaving only ten to compete for the prizes. Tuapeka had only one representative, the remainder were strictly local. This is to be wondered at, considering that the prizes were open to all comers, and that the committee went ,to the trouble of obtaining the services of gentlemen at a distance for judges on purpose to secure fair treatment to all concerned The following are' the names of the gentlemen who acted as judges : — For the ploughing, Messrs Hislop (Tokomairiro,) A. Robertson (Lawrence), and G. Milne (Waitahuna) ; Messrs R. Craig, H. Telford, and W. Crozier ; kindly undertook the office of deciding upon the merits' of the herses and harness. We need hardly add that the above gentlemen gave every satisfaction to the competitors. The arrangements, thanks to the energetic committee and there secretary, were excellent, and but for the hard" frost the annual gathering would have been in every way a success. The following ia a list of the prize takers :— The prizes were awarded as follows :-^- * " Class A.— R. Brownlie, 1 ; R. M'Ara', 2 j M. Stewart, 3. In each case, the owner was the ploughman, and all were Ponton ploughs. Class B.— lst., K. Archibald (J. JR. Kemp, owner) . Barrowman Plough ; 2nd., Charles Auld (W. Auld, owner), Ponton Plough ; 3rd., J . Grant, owner and ploughman, Ponton Plough. Junior Class. — Ist, A. M 'Corkindale, owner and ploughman ; 2nd., J. M'liae (D. M'Rae, owner), Ponton Plough. Special Prizes (Senior Division.)— Best Feering and best Ins and Outs — M'Ara. Best Finish— S. MClure. Best Ploughed Lot in the Field — J. R. Kemp ; Best General Turn-out of Harness — J. Treloar. Best Kept Harness- -Mr. Ford, 1 ; J. R Kemp, 2. Best Groomed Horses — Mr. Ford. Special' Prizes (Junior Division.) — Best Feering and Finish — M 'Corkindale. M. Stewart was awardod the prize for the oldest ploughman and J. M 'Rae the youngest. THE DINNEB.

Upwards of thirty gentlemen sat down to dinner in the Bridge Hotel, Ha\elock, at 8 o'clock. The caterer for the occasion was Mr. Coghill, who laid an excellent spread on the table ; and judging from the hearty manner our agricultural friends discussed what lay before them, we imagine they appreciated Mr. Coghill's choice of edibles. Mr. Robert Craig occupied the chair. After the table was cleared, The Chairman said he congratulated the Waitahuna district on the issue of the day's match, which was alike creditable to the ploughmen and the district. There was one taing he would like to see inaugurated in Waitahuna, and that was an Agricultural Association, in connection with which would be held cattle and grain shows. Such a Society, he thought, would do more good for the place and people than ploughing matches. After these opening remarks, the Chairman proposed the usual loyal toasts. The National Antkein was then sung by the company. Mr. S. Corry, in propoaiug "Success to the Waitahuna Ploughing Match," said he was a lucky man in having a fiae match in hi 3 paddojk. Some- had got gooJ prizes,, but he thought he had got the best, in the shape of a paddock well ploughed. The Chairman responded to the toast on behalf of the Committee, but. he thought the name of Mr. Moggath should have been coupled with it, as he had been the leading spirit in the Committee. "The Judges" was the next toast and it was drank with musical honours. Mr. Alexander Robertson responded. Although the day had been nasty and uncomfortable for ploughing he considered the execution of the work very good, and he believed the decision the judges had given was fair to all parties. Mr. Hislop (of Tokomairiro) another of the judge's also responded. He expressed his agreeable surprise to see the rapid advance in progress the district had made since the early times of Gabriels. He had no idea there were so many pretty homesteads around Waitahuna, and he thought there was a good future for the district. With regard to the ploughing match, the ground owing to the frost was not fit for any man ploughing. There were men competing at the match who could go and compete anywhere, but the frost could not •be competed against. As far as the judges were concerned tfieirs was a thankless task, but he felt confident they had awarded the prizes according to their convictions. He strongly advised the farmers of the district to form themselves into an Association for holding shows of cattle, &c , whichhe acknowledged had done far more goad for him than ever a ploughing match had done. These Associations encouraged the introduction of well-bred cattle, and had a wonderful effect in stimulating farmers to go on perfecting the breed of their cattle. These Ploughing Matches were very good as a sort of holiday; but a cattle show raised a spirit of 'competition amongst the farmers, that was productive of excellent results. i Mr Milne also responded to this toast. ! Mr. Alexr. Robertson, in proposing the " Successful Competitors," after referring to the difficulties tho ploughmen had to contend against, owing to the weather, said he was glad to see an inch, added to the depth in the ploughing. Last year it was only five inches, this year it was six. ' He thought too much time was allowed for the ploughing of the ground set apart for each competitor, and that half an hour less than they had would be an advantage. He used to be allowed only five hours for half an acre, and, as they might imagine, he had to drive the horses hard. Mr. Kemp, on behalf of Mr. Robert Archibald, responded. Mr. Browne, M.P f C, proposed the " Agricultural Interest," and coupled the toast with the name of Mr. Peter Cook. Mr. Cook, in responding, gave a succinct history of the progress of settlement in the district, which at present he considered in a healthy position. Mr. Drinnan proposed the "Mining Interest." He had not had much experience in mining. Aboat a week in Gabriels Gully in the early times comprised his experience ; but he did not think the less of the mining interest on that account. The tpast was coupled with the name of Mr. Moggath., the able and energetic Secretary of the Poughing Match Committee. - • Mr. Moggath, in responding to the toast, referred at some length to the want of sympathy existing between the mining and agricultural interests ; and expressed a- hope that the farmers of Waitabuna would en* deavor to go more hand in hand with the miners in future, as the success of the farmer depended, ' to a considerable extent, on the success of the miners. He concluded by proposing the "Provincial Council," coupled with the name of Mr. G. F C. Browne, the member for the district. Mr. Browne responded. .He said the Provincial Council was much abused? but he thought Waitahuna had not much to com-

plain of; so far as the Council was coj, cerned. The toast of the " The Press " was p^ posed by Mr. Hislop, and responded to U Mr. Ferguson. " The Ladies " was p^ posed, to which Mr. Kemp responded. "The unsuccessful Competitors" was sponded to by Mr. Ford. - • , The health of the " Host and Hostesc^tJ " Chairman," " Mr. Corir," and " Mr. KW were proppsed with all the honours. The following gentlemen enlivened the sodi) gathering by songs viz: — Messrs. Ken* M'Ara, Ferguson, Cairns, Craig, Moggatt Heath, Robertson, and Auld. After spending a few very pleasant hooq the company broke up at 13 o'clock bj singig, Auld Lang Syne.