AUTUMN FLOWERS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 95, 23 April 1931, Page 6

AUTUMN FLOWERS

TOWN HALL SHOW

BEAUTIFUL BLOOMS

There was a good attendance- at the Town Hall yesterday for the Autumn Show of the Wellington Hdrticnltural Society. Although primarily a chrysanthemum show, there are many other /lowers on exhibition, sucli as dahlias, begonias, 'hydrangeas, and rhododendrons. Flower, lovers who did not go yesterday should make a point of visiting the Town Hall to-day. The show remains open until this evening,,there being, a sale of blooms at the close.

The show was opened by His Excellency the Governor-General, who was accompanied by Lady Bledisloe and a party from Government House. Her Excellency was presented with a handsome bouquet of deep red roses by little Judith Tunnington. Dr. A. Izard, the president of the society, welcomed Their Excellencies, remarking that varaible weather and out of joint seasons militated against the display. He regretted . that His Excellency's trophy for the best garden of native flowers had not been awarded yet.

In declaring the show opeu. His Excellency congratulated the exhibitors' on their display. There were some flowers, lie said, which seemed to grow better in New Zealand than in Great Britain, although imported from the latter. Hydrangeas were a ease in point, the blue colour eagerly striven for in England with the aid of a rusty watering-can seeming to come naturally in Now Zealand. Dahlias seemed to be as good, if not better, than anything grown in England. Rhododendrons he would expect to do well in New> Zealand, as they did not like lime, "and a more limeless country than New Zealand I have never seen."

His Excellency gave sonic hints on the use of chemical fertilisers, and then remarked: "This is pre-eminently a show oE chrysanthemums, the .national .flower of Japan, which, is known to have been cultivated in' that country for over 2000 years, and which was first imported into England by a Frenchman about the time that Captain Cook landed with his pigs in this country. As many noxious farm weeds belong to the chrysanthemum family, there is probably no better illustration of the potentialities1 of cultivation and judicious pruning in raising a relatively worthless plant to the highest standards of horticultural beauty and man's aesthetic enjoyment. It illustrates the accuracy of the definition of a weed as 'a good thing in the' wrong place.' Just as with human beings and domestic animals, suitable breeding and congenial and healthy environment will make for excellence of type and beauty of form and colour. Moreover, without the pruning■knifo- so many horticultural exhibits, m'eluding chrysanthemum blooms and prize apples, woiild stand a poor chance in these days of receiving an award from ■ any competent adjudicator. Quality rather than quantity is the order of the day, and perhaps nothing conduces more to qualitative improvement than the process of pruning, coupled with the application of appropriate and nutritious food, which in the case of the plant takes the form of an animal or chemical fertiliser." THE PRIZE LIST. I'rize-winners were as follow:— in the open classes for chrysanthemums J. Bell obtained first place and the cup i'or,,his collection of 12 blooms, Dr. Boyd being second. The winner in 1930 was Dr. Boyd. Other prize-winners in the open chrysanthemum classes were:— F Westbury. five firsts and four seconds; A. E. Webley, one first and champion bloom ("William Turner ); W. Chalmers, W. J. Baker, and F. W. Ashley, one first each; J. Atkinson, one first and two seconds; K. G. Wilson, two firsts and three seconds; and J. Bell, two seconds. - i in Chrysanthemums,' amateur section:— Ji. W Ashby; W. J. Baker, and W. Heath, two firsts each; G. L.... Corkill and Mrs.. X Fraser,. one first each^'B. Algar, four seconds; W. Chalmers,. one first and two seconds; R. B. Taylef and A. Eobertson, one-second'each. ■:, i] *' : . '•' Chrysanthemums, novice classes: Mrs. JV M-. Battersby, two firsts and^one 1 oml; W. Chalmers/ two firsts; K. Kiddle, three seconds. ~ ■ . • . In the dahlia classes there was little competition. Eight first prizes and .two seconds were obtained by F. Burrell, and one second.by W. Chalmers. The fine quality of the dahlia .blooms was highly commended by the judges. .•• ■'..■'. The Kelburn Boy Scout Nature Patrol obtained two firsts for their collections of native flowers and berries, their two exhibits being-deemed'of equal merit. In the pot plant and cut: flower classes, B Algar, W. Chalmers, and Mrs. F. W. Pctherick obtained one first award each. Fruit and Vegetables: Mrs. C. Haines, four firsts; W. Chalmers, fourteen- firsts and eight seconds; J".- Cable, three firsts and one second; F. Brookcr. two , firsts and two seconds; A. J. Nicholls, one first; L. Sievers, one second; T. Robinson, two firsts: T. C. Parrisb, one second; Mrs. R. M'Emms, two seconds; A. Eobertson, one first and one second. Decorative Classes:. Mrs. H. D. Bennett, two firsts; Mrs. A. J. Dv Pont, two .firsts and one second; E. A. Beaglcy, two seconds; Mrs. K. M. Macdonald, two firsts and two seconds; Mrs. Hatcher, one second; Mrs. Arlow, two firsts and-one

second; Mrs. F. W. Pctherick, two seconds. Children's Classes: Miss Mackenzie, one first; Miss A. M. Mackenzie, two lirsts and two seconds; Doris Hatcher, one second. The decorated tables are judged by one of the official judges and also by public ballot. The winner will not be known until after the show closes to-night.