' Mr A, Matthews, of Featherston, took the champion prize for Romney Marsh rams at the Wellington Show yesterday, and Mr J.Rayner, of Taratahi, the cham pion awardforUncoln owes. JMhgontle. menalsotooksoveralothorprizes. Another Wairarapa breeder, Mr A. MoKenzie, of Foatherston, secured ohampion prize for his Shropshire Down ram, while Mr A. W. Cavo, of Masterton, was awarded a championship for tho fat bullook exhi bited by him at the Masterton Show. Masterton wsars a sad Sundayish aspect this afternoon, tho Queen Street shutters being all up, Even the doors of the festiyo fruit shop and the sympa» thetio chemist are closed. It is tho first of the new weekly half-holidays and wo trust the absont ones are enjoying them selves, Wo shall in time get used to this peculiarly quiot aspect of the streets on Thursday afternoons, A gentleman who has just rotumed from a visit to the mother country, tells me, says a correspondent of tho Now Zealand Herald, a curious story, which shows how our frozen moat is alandered, In Edinburgh he went into a butcher's shop and asked if thoy had any Hew Zealand frozen mutton, "Ho," said the butcher, "wedinna keep it; it's a' drooned," meaning that New Zoaland sent only such sheep as were drowned, The colonist stared in astonishment at this novel idea, aud said, " Do yon think that all the millions of sheep sent out of New Zealand every year are drowned ? There are no animals in the world more carefully slaughtered." Still, with the calmobstinaoy of the Scottish race, but with no signs of excitement, tho Edin burgh butcher could not be moved from the idea that wo in New Zealand drowned our sheep provious to freezing them, A flattering: vekdiot,—Speaking of ono of tho most noted of colonial specialities, the press says:—"Shariani' Baking Powder deserves more than a passing notlce,for the "Moa" Brand Bak. ing Powder enjoys a reputation second to none. From ono end of New Zea land to the other, large orders are received for this popular brand. Even in the most out of the way districts the careful house-wife, possessed with the laudable ambition to make her bread and her scones better than her buys Sharland's Baking Powder, and triumphs _ over the few of her less sensible sisters, who, from a mistaken senso of ecouomy, buy apparently cheaper brands. 