HORTICULTURAL CLASSES

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28128, 17 November 1956, Page 13

HORTICULTURAL CLASSES

CONCERN. AT LACK OF SUPPORT

“Unless there is a marked increase in the number of enrolments for evening classes in horticulture at the Christchurch Technical College in the coming year the course may have to be abandoned,” said Mr H. G. Gilpin, the chairman of the Canterbury District Council of the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture, at the council’s annual meeting. This year the course of 23 lectures drew only six enrolments, said Mr Gilpin, and attendances fell off until at some lectures there were only two students.

“It is obvious that since the advent of garden clubs, community centre groups, radio talks on gardening and the articles in horticultural publications and the press, evening classes have not been supported to the same extent by the amateur gardener,” said Mr Gilpin. In a letter to the council on the subject the principal of the college (Mr D. W. Lyall) expressed his concern at the position and said that as the lecturers were carefully chosen and were specialists in their various fields the course merited more recognition than it received at present. The matter was referred to the incoming executive. Officers elected were:—

Chairman. Mr D. Combridge; vicechairmen. Messrs C. E. Foweraker and H. G. Gilpin; honorary secretary, Mr G. G. Henderson: honorary treasurer. Mr R. E. Cutler; honorary auditor, Mr B. H. Williams; committee. Messrs D. Combridge, Foweraker, Gilpin, M. J. Barnett. G. Howden, S. A. La Roche. A. J. Healey. K. H. Marcussen, C. N. Smith. E. Taylor, J. O. Taylor, J. R. Templin, J. H. Glazebrook, L. Metcalf, Professor L. W. McCaskill and Dr. W. R. Philipson.