FRENCH FARM SCHOOL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume XXII, Issue 1673, 26 July 1892, Page 2

FRENCH FARM SCHOOL.

The annual concert and dance in connection with the French Farm School was held on Friday evening last. In the afternoon Mr Ambrose Rhodes came to Akaroa for the Borough contingent, and carried back Miss Habn, Messrs Penrose, Taylor and Leete, and our representative. Mr and Mrs Potts and. Miss Smythe drove,so that altogether the capital was well represented indeed; The boating party had a pleasant pull across,, during which our representative noticed', with much pleasure the great amount of cultivation that is going on on the southern side of the harbor, At Mr Knight's, Mr R. Latter's and Mr R, Stewart's the ploughed land shows up prominently, telling of rape, Cape barley, and oats to come, and .we hear a great stretch is being put into cultivation by Mr' Randall on the Island Bay side. Mr Latter has a great deal of new land being ploughed up this year, and the few hundred acres that may be called his home farm, will soon be waving with grain, or bright emerald with rape or turaips. Day by day the advantages of the Peninsula as a fattening, as well as breeding, ground for sheep are becoming more apparent, and the pall of good feed for ewes to rear their lambs on is a very big thing. It takes the present big prices, however, to make the artificial feeding pay in the first place, for stumping and ploughing land is pretty expensive work. That once accomplished, however, subsequent operations will be comparatively cheap, and we look to see many of the bays smooth rolling pastures from foot to summit before many years are past. It is wonderful what steep slips can be ploughed, and once ploughed they soon cease to have any distinct appearance, for the grass covers them, and the soil from above mixes with the hard clay, and so the unsightly seams disappear altogether. Talking of the price. of sheep we may mention Mr Latter was offered £1 a head for all bis ewes (a big. flock), but refused. French "Farm itself looked charming from the sea even in the dreary drizzle of last Friday. Mr Bridge is also doing a lot of ploughing, and Mr Dickens fruit trees stand in serried lines brought into prominence by the trenching between. The school is a comfortable room, but not picturesque, bub the mistress. house In its neat garden is pretty, Mr Anderson's cottage on the beach is quaint looking, and of course Mr Allan's is beautiful, and suggests a future when many more such villas shall line the shores of the harbor. Up in the valley Mr Bridge's homestead, terst- . while Mr Baker's, lies snugly •'.amid the , fine plantations and with the other buildings near forms a peaceful ;and beautiful landscape. When we reached the beach a "start was made for the schoolhouse, the road is muddy—exceedingly muddy—and we have to walk carefully to keep our feet dry, while driving or riding the horses have hard work to tramp through the deep mud in places. Mr Bridge pilots us to our destination, and on arrival there we are heartily welcomed by Mr und Mrs Wm. Wright, Mrs Ambrose Rhodes, Mr and Mrs Jas. Wright and other friends who vie with each other to make us comfortable. We enjoy our tea heartily, have a pleasant game at cards, and. then find onrselves in the.well lighted schoolroom, which in spite of the weather is

capitally filled. A nice piano has been lent by Mrs Bridge for the occasion, and the first item on the programme is a duet on that instrument nicely played by Mrs Bridge and Miss Smyth, Mr Taylor is much applauded' for his singing of rollicking " Nancy Lee," and Sir Penrose being encored for his rendering of " 'Twas in Trafalgar Bay " responded with the "Battle of Stirling. Miss Marion Knight plays the Race Course gallop very nicely indesd, and then Mr Potts sings "The Four Jolly Smiths." excellently. Mrs came next rendering with extmme taste and sweetness •" The Blue Alsatian Mountains." This lady was most deservedly vehemently recalled, and was even more successful in a very charming rendering of that ballad with the beautiful refrain " LoveS Old Song." The first part was brought to a close by Mr Jacobson's reading from: Longrellow's "Tales of a Wayside Inn." As an opening to the second part, Miss Hahn played the old favourite •■" Poet and Peasant" ; very pleasantly. Mr Penrose then sung a comic song, and Mr Taylor followed with the spiritstirring " Lads in Red," which being encored, he gave " The Long Shoreman. Mrs Bridge sang "The Summer Shower " so pleasantly that all expressed their desire to hear her again, and she kindly responded, with that charming Arabian legend " The Love Tide." Miss Helen Knight played some selections from " Dorothy " very nicely, and Mr Jncobson followed with " Happy be thy Dreams " and " Anchored." Mr Leet read " Paul Reveres Ride," and then Mr Penrose sang "The Tar's Farewell "in good style. " God save the Queen " brought a pleasant entertainment to c olose. The accompaniments were played by Mrs Bridge, Mrs Potts, Miss Marion Knight, and Miss Hahn. The dance that followed was an exceedingly pleasant one. In addition to the ladies on the piano, Mr John Hunt rendered good service to the music with his violin. Abundant refreshments were furnished, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. About 3 a.m., when the dance was over, Mr Ambrose Rhodes conveyed most of the Akaroa contingent back to the town in his boat, which, by the by, he had to pull back himself. Too much praise cannot be recorded to this friend and his wife, to Mr and Mrs Bridge, to Mr and Mrs Wm. and James Wright, to the Hunts, and the other residents, for their kindness to their visitors, who will long remember the very pleasant evening they spent at the annual Concert and dance at French Farm School in 1892. The only drawback was the- unfortunate and unavoidable absence of Miss Bell, the schoolmistress, of whom.from both parents and inspectors, we hear golden opinions.