BOWLING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 256, 26 October 1907, Page 12

BOWLING.

Within the next two or tm>» V the bowing season will be welt way, as half a dozen clubs will hi V?** ing proceedings between this King's Birthday. The dat e A f 4 the {.-resent include Mount M ~ VC "* 20 (to-day); CaritonP^ en ', octob « hunk Lfe °** Auckland, November 9. mDer 2 J PM The opening of the Devonport Cl-.W-green last Saturday was one o£ the L ? successful in the club's histoj t weather being perfect th P »! 7, ha excellent trin? aY wee end of the season, and the am, ° ments, thanks largeiy' to the secretary, Mr. J. M. Crosher, «SS as heart could desire. Club meXra did everything possible to entertauTvhf tors, who one and all voted the after noon a champion success. -"P The Auckland Uub have several'im. > : provementß in hand, which will the appearance of the premier green for opening day. Among other matters the tennis lawn has been renovated, while a new fence is to be erected alon» the Domain-street frontage before the'season's operation begin. The youn<r OT een ' has now got a thorough good mat O f turf, and should stand the wear Ztear of the coining season with every satisir/etion to members. f. I understand that a bowling club is information at Howick, and that a private green has been secured in the seaside township for the current season The Auckland Club has, with its customary readiness to assist budding clubs, lent a number of its surplus bowls for the Howick members of the fraternity, so that no.time may be lost by the novice brigade in circumventing the tricks and vagaries of bias. Ye game of Bowls is a favourite one I among both patients and members of the' staff at the Avondale Mental Hospital, and the three link green, laid down lasfc , ' season, afforded many a keen game. The gTeen is this season being enlarged by■■.' an additional rink, which, it is hoped' will be available before the end of the' ■ bowling year. A formal opening of the green will take place in two or three weeks' time; it having been wisely resolved not to ask too much of the yount» § turf by making an over early start. •* ' A bowling club, where a number of - men were banded together--with the one 1 idea of true sport and healthful recreation, said Mr. Miller, at the opening o{ the Devonport green, last week, was the boet exponent of socialism he knev—a ple.ee where every man was ready to stand aside for his brother, and where ; •all men were equal. The man who stood 1 first on a bowling green was he \vhp possessed two things—ability to bowl and an unruffled temper on all occasions. He had seen many good games spoilt because of bad temper on the part ot ■ good bowlers. Owing to a typographical error the address of the Devonport Bowling Cluh'a secretary was mis-stated last week. It should have read J. M. Crosher, Bos : 441, of Grey-street, Devonport. Additional secretarial addresses are:— Te Aroha Bowling Club—Mr. Burton. Auckland Provincial Bowling Association — A. M. Bryden, 18S QueenV street. Mr. T. Hodgson, who returned by the - Victoria last Sunday from a trip to the Old Country, has supplied mc with the. following interesting impressions of bowling greens, and their improvement, in : England: — During recent years, there has been « ( ~ great improvement .- in the greens , throughout England, in order to.play the game according to the rules of the English Association. One of the latest high-class greens was opened at Leicester in June last. The contract for laying out the area was given to an expert who had already laid about 170 greens. Turf was brought from the Solway Firth; it was laid on sea sand from the shores of Wales, en a foundation of rough clinkers and fine ashes to a depth of lft. The green of seven rinks is level and perfect already, and the ditches and banks are all according to the rules of the BondingAssociation. An asphalt path, 6ft. wide, runs all round, and a large flower border brightens the picture, while there is a. fine outlook from the'green across the great town to the Forest Hills. The moat perfect greens I saw were in Glas-. gow, belonging to private clubs. I visited many bowling greens in the public parks in various counties, as the bowlers played in all directions across the green, and in most cases with no regard to the wear and care o£ the greeni or the use of mats or proper footwear, I reserved my play for the level greens and Association conditions. One of the finest public green I visited was at the Darlington South Park. Notwithstanding the very unseasonable weather theturf was a picture of perfection—not a,. bare patch to be seen. Great.care had been exercised by the Borough Surveyor in the formation of the green. The ground had been excavated and levelled, and then a good application of gas lime given ta check the worms. Layers of clinkers, large and small, also ashes and sand, in all about a foot in depth, were provided for free drainage all over the green. The turf was laid in Scotch sod, and the grass is finer and tougher than any sown grasses. For top-dressing this class of green, bone phosphorous and soot are given separately, the spot application in spring time. A first-class green costs a lot of money to make, even when constructed near the sea shore, where (.he ballast, sand and turf can be got tor . very little more than the cost of cart? ing* but as bowlers must have gow. preens, as -well as good bowls forfiT?g| class piny, I strongly recommend tne.use of the shore turf. During my tour i met many bowlers who expressed surprise at the number of first-class greens ant the large number of bowlers we have in sunny Auckland. The following lines were written about fourteen years ago by Mr. W. B. Tart, a past president of the Auckland Bowl Ing Club, and are now reproduced for the opening of the bowlmg sca=on. INVITATION TO "TE GAME O 8 " BOWLS." Once more a trysting day we gree z. Forsake the dustry. crowded street, To gather on the bowling green, And play the game for lore, I ««»• True bowlers all where'er they meet. AYith courtesy each other treat. They play the same for love anfl IDfc And -discord" lite the Devil shun. Wine kindly thoughts their beam ent"« e < | They win or lose hut n«s er «£* „ „, I Should Fortune frown, the> smile "We hope to win some other uay. reace ami goodwill their mind, sh.-u! .«*. - L«t others wrangle as the> mayGood brothers all. in rink or pah They play the same upon we s=l And striving thus to But bid them welcome to tnci. i gome on* come all, t*** <£ C ~ *"'' The sport is worthy of remark, The jack is ever on the green, The cynosure of all. I ween. Come join the rinks. Md *°" £i / That bowling renovates Invigorates the languid frame. Adds zest to life, a noble game. ~ ■ i±