HUIT VALLEY NEWS

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 120, 15 February 1932, Page 5

HUIT VALLEY NEWS

ROCK-GARDENING Lower Hutt Success DIRECTOR’S ENTHUSIASM Great interest has been taken by his Excellency the Governor-General. Lord Bledisloe, and by Lady Bledisloe, in the New Zealand alpine and rock garden in Riddiford Park, Lower Hutt. “In times like these,” his Excellency said, as he was visiting the garden, “that class of work and that kind of interest should never be neglected.” “That was nine months ago,” said Mr. T. W. Atwood, the director, “and we thought at the time there was nothing more the society could do to maintain interest than to steadily continue its constructional work at Riddiford Park, send out seeds and plants, and arrange a few social functions. That is all right so far as the Wellington district is concerned, but it leaves practically untouched the rest of the Dominion, and even in our own district members who send along their cheques regularly make no further use of the society. We feel there is a distinct lack of contact between the ciety and its members, especially those outside the Wellington district. “Although rock gardening has been practised in England and other European countries for many years, its vogue in New Zealand is of comparative recent date. When one comes to speak of certain classes of plants specially suited to rock garden culture such as ‘the primulas.’ the numbers run into thousands, and to acquire even a nodding acquaintance with this little family alone would mean a life study. But most will have made a success of some few favourites. If so, stick to the method that has brought success.

"A rock Harden was first started over 60 years ago. The idea came from an old schoolmaster in England. It was not at Harrow or Eton, nor any of the many colleges associated with either Oxford or Cambridge—but a little church school at Blackheath. At playtime the children were let loose in the street—there was no other playground, the only space on the school property being a small back-yard about 20 feet by 30 feet, and in one corner of this the master had constructed a small rock garden. To any boys who were interested he was always ready to point out his particular favourites, and tell us all he knew about them. A few of the boys, however, started a small rock garden of their own.” BEAUTIFYING PETONE Result of Society’s Carnival During Christmas week the Petone and Beach Beautifying Society held a carnival on the Petone Beach. The secretary, Mr. O. Silbery, stated that with all the accounts in he was able to say that the carnival was a great success from a financial point of view. It is one_of the objects of the society to effect improvements to the foreshore.' One of the most recent is the erection of a concrete wall which already is proving | a boon to the thousands who use the beach daily. Trees have also been erected along part of the Esplanade. It is hoped shortly to be able to place electric lamps along the wall. RELIEVING CONGESTION Petone Technical School The fact that the Petone Technical High School workshops are not yet completed (the delay having been caused through the late arrival of certain steel girders) has caused congestion in the class rooms. A partial solution has been found by the utilisation of the Trades Hall in Petone, where three classes are able to be contained. The chairman of the Technical School Board, Mr. D. McKenzie, has expressed gratitude to a "Dominion” reporter at the way the Education Department and the Government were endeavouring to help the school over its difficulties until such time as the workshops were able to be used. s HUTT VALLEY SCHOOLS Sports Meeting in March A meeting of the Hutt Valley Primary Schools’ Sports Association, was held last week. Mr. Thompson, of Petone Central School, was elected president, and Mr. Mclvor. of Trentham School, was elected secretary. It was decided to hold the Hutt Valley Schools’ sports on Friday, March 11. It was decided to make no alteration in the system of running the school games, but to adhere to the same principles as last year. i SCHOOLS LIBRARY Hutt Valley Scheme A meeting of the Hutt Valley Primary Schools Headmasters’ Association was held last week. One of the matters under discussion was the question of commencing a combined schools library. This scheme has been in the air for nearly twelve months. It stated that some of the schools now had their books packed ready for transport to a central distribution place. It is hoped shortly to have the library scheme working ■ among a number of schools in the Hutt Valley in the near future.