Western Mail (Perth, WA : 1885 - 1954), Saturday 5 November 1910, page 9


THE TOODYAY SHOW. j

The Toodyay Agricultural Society has show great enterprise in spending be-tween £400 and £500 during the past year. It bas erected a larije and lofty hall for the display of farra, garden, and orchard products, and also a commodious luncheon and tea room; a large substantial grandstand and a picket fence round the whole of the ring. Tko annual show held on Wednesday, October 26, was not a complete success, which must have been very disappointing to Mr. H. W. Clarkson, who had worked very hard to make it so. During the morning rain com-menced to fall, and although there was not enough to wet anyono or do much good to tile crops, it was quite enough to make thing« disagreeable for some time, and to prevent a number of people attending the show at all. Perhaps owing to this rea-son things did not go with that vim. which visitors like to see on a show ground. Messrs. Vernon Hamersley and W. Mar-wick, M's.L.C, were present, as was also the Speaker, Mr. T. F. Quinlan, M.L.A., but no member of the Government, and no speeches wei« made.

In addition to this, the Society was un-fortunate in being disappointed in a num-ber of judges, and those who were pressed into the service at the last moment, al-though deserving of every "credit for their kindness, did not at all times give thorough satisfaction, and several of the judgments were certainly not calculated to advance the interests of agriculture. For example, Mr. ¡Wilding's beautiful draught mare, Roma, was placed first in her class, but when it came to the championship, snottier mare which she had beaten was placed over her as champion of the show. The thorough-bred mare, "Lily's Secret," who has probably taken as many or more'first prizes than any mare in the State, was not considered worthy of a first prize, but was awarded a

second ribbon.

In the fruit section a number of dishes

of first quality naval orauges were passed over, tl*e prizes being given to the largest, coarsest, and poorest quality exhibits on the table, and in the classes devoted to lemons

the judgo seemed to have looked for noth-ing else but size.

Tho horse sections were on the whole somewhat weak, although some of the indi-vidual exhibits were of the finest quality. Til© cattle sections were moderately good. The competition in pigs was weak, but several of the animals were of a very high order of merit, particularly two Berkshire boars exhibited by Mr. Vernon Hamersley _»iand A. \V. Sinclair. Mr. Byficld's sow and

litter were also deserving of comment.

The indoor exhibits were decidedly good, the collection of farm products exhibited by W. A. Hodginson being particularly worthy of commendation. Mr. Hodginson has a small farm of 130 acres, which ho has held for eight or-nine years. On this he has 3¿ acres of mixed garden. The collection of exhibits was not only remarkable for its Îjreat variety, but for the individual excelence of the articles on view. Whether one examined tho hay, the wheat, the oats, the tarley, tho chaff, the butter, honey, wax, vegetables, or the score or more of other article* he had in almost every case to ad-mit that there was not only variety but in-dividual excellence. It is a pity that the exhibit cannot be displayed at tito Royal

Show at Claremont.

. The exhibits of butter were very good in^deod. There were five entries for the 41b. ^ class and 7 eutries for the llb. class. . The ~ exhibits shown by Mrs. W. Bcardman were

very good, indeed, both in texture and in flavour. The vegetables were good, the cabbages exhibited by Stanley Purser being as good as one could wish to eec. The bacon »nd hains were of excellent quality, but had the usual fault of being far too big for trade purposes.'' Those intending to exhibit bacon should sec that the pigs when killed do not exceed from 100 to 120 lbs. The giai'n exhibits were decidedly good. The rich, red strong diorite soils of Newcastle give evidence of their value in the magni-ficent quality of the rotes which grow with suck profusion in the pretty little town. ' Some of the blooms were very fine indeed.

The sheep section was moderately good, although the judge, Mr. J. W. Broun, dis-carded all but- one of the fine wool mer-ino» aa being wrongly classed. He stated that bc is determined, if he Í6 asked to judge, to put out anything which he docs not consider meets the conditions, and the sheep shown at Newcastle as fine wools were either mediums or strongs.