"FAR FROM SHOPS"

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 3, 3 July 1931, Page 3

"FAR FROM SHOPS"

BUT RICH IN BUSH-LOVE

A "HOUSEHOLD SCHOOL" BOY

Yesterday afternoon in the Dominion Farmers' Institute 'two officers of the Forest Service were,busy judging the efforts of New Zealand boys and girls to win the. series of prizes given by,the New Zealand Forestry League for the best collections of foliage, flowers, and fruit of native trees and shrubs. There are two age divisions —over twelve and under twelve years. Thrc nges of the children competing ranged from seven to sixteen years, and the collections of some, of them, even of-some of the youngest,. showed an amazing degree of industry, knowledge, and skill. One" collection of fortyfour varieties, well pressed and cleverly mounted on cardboard, was the ■work of a Wellington eleven-year-old boy, who had evidently had access to a wonderful garden of native trees and shrubs, but who had also obtained 'some of his specimens in widely scattered pieces of .native bush, round about Wellington. A huge leaf of the Meryta (indigenous to the Three Kings and the Hen and Chickens Islands) had evidently come from a garden,' but the pukatea was from a piece of Wellington bush, as no doubt was the spray of black: maire. Prom the .point of view. of pressing and mounting, the spray' of rata -was almost perfect, two blossoms on it being preserved intact. The identification and- naming were also meritorous. It is fair to assume that when a number of young people are thus. directed towards native botany, the cause of the indigenous will have far more champions (understanding champions!) in twenty years' time than it has to-day. And,'judging by the rate of destruction, champions will be needed, both for bush, and for birds. A young competitor—under difficulties, attending a ■ remote household school at North. Mt. Egmont, writes an) eloquent covering letter in forwarding j to the Forestry League his contribution of botanic treasures, pressed and mounted in, a drawing book. His name is Albert Hans Larsen, his age is just eight years, and he thus apologises to the examiners for not complying with the request to write in ink: North Mt. Egmont, Via Inglewood, : Taranaki. Dear Sir, — . 11 had to use pencil • for the naming of trees and shrubs, as I have never been taught to use pen and ink yet. j I cannot make proper block letters, so did the only printing I have learnt. As I live a long w^ay from shops, I could not buy cardboard for mounting specimens, so put them all into this drawing book. P. collected most of • them between 3500 feet and 3000 feet above sea level. Please retnrn my book, as I want to give it to' our household school. ;. ■. Yours truly,- ' I Albert Hans Larsen. North Mt. Egniont. The household school that is "a long way from, shops" will proud of its eight-year-old botanist operating at 2500-3000 feet; ■ • '' ■