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Chapter XII.


The Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, and the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society.


The two institutions whose titles appear at the head of this chapter were founded in successive years, and with similar objects. Hack in its own department strove to secure the careful selection of such animals and plants as might be introduced to supplement the indigenous fauna and flora of the country.

The Association stood for the commercial side of acclimatisation, the encouragement of the importation of pedigree stock, of prize mangolds, selected grasses, and other fodder plants. The Society undertook the more poetic selection of game and song birds, fish and wild animals, also of useful and ornamental trees, shrubs and flowers.

The Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association was founded on January 23, 1863, and was the successor of two earlier institutions, the first being the Christchurch Agricultural, Horticultural and Botanical Society founded July 10, 1853, under the chairmanship of Captain Simeon. This Society held an exhibition of horses, cattle, sheep and pigs, in Market Square on October 6, 1853, the first show of the kind in Christchurch. The second institution, the Canterbury Pastoral Association, held its first show of sheep at Mr. Benjamin Moorhouse’s station at Shepherd’s Bush, on the Rangitata, on September 14, 1859. It seems to have been intended by that Association to have held migratory shows at different localities annually, as is done by the Royal Agricultural Society of Scotland.