Masterton Ram Fair.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3434, 13 February 1890, Page 2

Masterton Ram Fair.

Tho Ram and Ewe Fair, under the -• auspices of the Masterton Agricultural ■ and Pastoral Association, opened on the Society's grounds at 'noon to-diy (Thursday). The total number of entries : amounted to 722. ■' The sale opened at 12 o'clock, Messrs Lowes and loma being the only firm of auctioneers present. General complaints were made that the catalogue issued by the Society was published in such a form as to be practically useless to buyers. Tha salo promises to bo a good one, judging from the throng of eager bidders, All classes of sheep were well'represented Lincolns, being in greatest prominence. The principal breeders were Messrs Perry Bros, Stuckey, Macara, Williams and Beetharo, W. MoKenzie, Collins (Napier), MoHardy (Napier), p, , Gray, J. Ross, 0. Phillips, J. Bennett. The first lot started was Lincolns, i oh account of Perry Bros., J.Stuokey and others.. These wera selling reely firom L 3 Jo's to L 9,. . ■

Carterton Khm and Ewo Fair. Under the aosplow of the Wairarapa and Eaut. Coast Pastoral ind Agricultural Bocioty, The annual fair as above was held in the Bliow grounds, Carterton, on Wednesday, February 12th, ind was the most deoided succcsr tho Society havo yet had, both in point ot qnnlity, of eiuiia, attendance of bnyers, and spirited bidding. The wcatlier, too, except just towards tho close of tint Rhlp, when it came on to rain, w«b all that could ho desired. As has been thwate at the luat threu sales, the demand was fat Linco'ws, the bidding for which was spirited throughout, On this oc:asion MrP.H. Wood was the only auctioneer on the ground,' and hdd » very heavy day's work, putting through nearly 700 raais, a number of which were sold singly. The-sale commonest! Nt 11.30, ami comii uel steadily without an interval tltt' il 5.80. Mi Gregg had h luncheon booth on the ground, end Mr Giles prov ded ai nt dinner at Hart Hotel at 11 o'clock" A-PIHr would occupy too imieli ■ Bpnca to : givrf a detailed list of the Bales effected, showing both Imyeis and seller. Briefly Huuiimirifedthe sale was as foliovs :-lu Lluojlnb Iho principal vendors were Messrs JamoaSttickey, J). MoM.istm, P, (.'. Threlkeld, YV. C, Buchanan, E, J. Kiddiford and others, of which the prices realised as under, viz.—James Stuekoy, £2 (o A'ilJ, avoraga £3 18&; D.' Molluntcr, SO, £2 5a to £7 10s, average, £3 \U 2d ; P. C. f hrelkeM. 80, £3 to Ja»i 30, (mostly aged (.beep), £1 to £2lss, averse £llßs 2ii; E, J. Riddiford, f)8,£163 to £3, average £1163 Bd. Roniney Marsh Kams-MrFmqubar Gray's HoniMVB sold al ai average of j 1.2 la, others'from Us to 80s, lie H. H. Wolters' rani laml-s averaged 30s, and in South. Downs Mr Buchiiaau'slß (nnstly full-mouthe ), avetagedl.24s6d.

The rage for BigoniasThe growth in popularity in Europe of tho tuberous bigoniu can Lardly escape the notice of the most casunl observer, Tim plants are everywhere. They form thiWost attractive feature in the flower beds of city squares in central Europe; they decorate the. most pretentious of the ugly gardens of the great hotels, and they may be found growing and flourishing in pots on the window sills of the smallest remote Swiss villages, They aMgradually driving out the old scarlet pelargonium from cottage gardens. This sudden leap into popularity is surprising, because it i* barely a .quarter of a century sinco the species from which this new race of bigonias sprung were entirely unknown; and in all the history of floriculture there is not another case of a new race of plants taking at onoe such a hold upon popular affection. There is danger, however, that the florists will spoil those pretty plants, as they have spoiled so many others in their pursuit of novelties, and of cow and startling forms and varities. The double-flowered bigonias, which are just now all tho rage, are far less attractive than the single-flowered varities; and there is danger, too, that even the single flowers may be made too big and ungainly for harmonious comhina-l tion WiKtho plants which bear charm of a bigomal flower is in looking like a bigouia flower, and not like a small hollyhock or a dcftWied miniature rose; and yet the best claim tho advocates of these doublo flowei'3 make is that they look like something which they ..are not—a roso or a hollyhock. Still as'lo'og' as the public continues to consent to pay tlneo of four timjs as much lor tliodoublp.-flowored varieties as for thoße with tingle flower, the florißts can hardly be blamed for devoting their energies to their production.

Mr Tony, of UUandy, who with lila men wero taking a flock of sheep down the rivnr, met with a startling incident some eighteen mile* below Enalialong, A stroke of lightning Uruck a ijum treonnd killort seventeen of the kbeeu that were camped around ths butt thereof, A piece of hark, ehout the breadth nf a man's hand, was pealed off for about seven ffot. The sheep lay dead in a ling, and, what was moro remarkalilp.S'jme were thrown on top of others, Eighteen of toTa were struck, hut one recovered,