THE HORTICULTURAL SHOW.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 6 December 1929, Page 2

THE HORTICULTURAL SHOW.

NOTES ON THE EXHIBITS. Easily the best Summer Show held iu Levin in the last four years, is the verdict of the statistics in -relation to the Horticultural and industrial Society’s exhibition held in the Century Hail on Tuesday. The total entries in the seven sections were 631—an increase of 160 on the aggregate at the last summer fixture and of 04 on that cf the 1926 Show, which was held under ideal climatic conditions. Record entries were received in the cut blooms f.nd decorative sections, also in the needlework classes, iu which the collection jumped from 43 entries at the Show to the phenomenal figure of 106. The following tabic gives a comparison of the entries at the last four Shows: SUMMER SHOW. 1926 1927 1928 1929 'Cut 'Wlooms . . 207, 168 'iti7 220 Decorative . . • • 80 77 93 107 Fruit 13 24 6 23 Vegetables .... 24 37 38 d 3 Domestic . . . . 178 96 95 94 Needlework . . . . 36 39 43 Ibo Children’s sections 19

557 440 481 (ml POINTS PRIZES AND SPECIAL AWARDS. A list of the points prizes and other special awards is given below:— Out Blooms.—Mrs- Hutchings’s silver vase for most points in cut blooms: Airs R. Evans, 2(5 points, trophy now becomes her property. (Airs T. 11. Edwards, 17 points, runner up). Previous winners.—Summer, 1027, Airs R. Evans; autumn, 11)28, Air AI. R. Varnham; summer, 1028, Airs R. Evans; autpinn, 1021), Air P. AN- Goldsmith). Decorative. —Air Geo. AVise’s silver bowl (to be won three times in six classes): Airs 11. F. Bryant (Manakau), 18 points. (Previous winner—Airs 11. E. Bryant). Garden Produce. —Air ,1. Kebbell’s points prize, 10s: Airs Al. Spencer, 25 points. Domestic. —Crocheted supper cloth valued at £5 ss, donated by Airs R. ,Evans in classes for bread, family cake, 'pikelets, Scones and sponge sandwich (to be won twice): Airs Leitch (ALau.ikau). • .Needlework,—-Points prize 10/(i: Aliss G. L. Dempsey, 25 points. (Aliss D. Dempsey, 22 points, ruuuer-up).

JUDGES’ COMMENTS. CUT FLOWERS, VEGETABLES AX'D FE.UIT. Mr A. of Palmerston X,. who judged the cut flowers, vegetables and fruit, stated that the flowers made a really good show, which was surprising’after the recent absence of sum-mer-like weather. The sweet peas showed the effects of the wind, which had burnt the petals in many instances. The collections of cut blooms, taken ail through, were very nice, in the delphinium class, the pi'i/e-winniug exhibit’by Mr;-, Kebbci! was notable f'e.r size, form and colouring, and there were two particularly good specimens of the hollyhock type. The standard of other kinds of dowers exhibited was also good. The roses were very satisfactory for the time of year: this season'had been a late one for roses. Miss Hughes was successful in a number of these classes with some excellent blooms. The antirrhinums made an attractive display. Speaking of the vegetables, Mr Shall or said that they were a due section, the potatoes being especially good. The first-prize cal) huge, shown by Mr J. Eyder, was a splendid table specimen. In the fruit section, an outstanding feature was the granefiuit; the premier a ward yin. the class for fruit inspected was won by Mrs Prousc with a collection of handsome .grapefruit from her first crop, and Mr J. Eyder showed a very■ presentable sample of the same kind of fruit, winning second prize. ' HOME INDUSTRIES.

The .home industries section .was, judged by Mr M. Perreau, of Foxton, who said that, taking the collection as a whole, it was a great improvement on the displays made in previous years. Special comment was due to the fruit cake entries and the sponge cakes. All the fruit cake, without exception; - showed quite good 'work, which it would b.> creditable for any homo to turn out; indeed, some of the samples were as good as though they had been produced by an expert. The most difficult division to judfre Ivd' been '■•■•id, every dish of which was absolutely good. W hat room's mere ..ea . *■-o found very satisfactory, and this was specially evident in“the children’s section. The sponge cakes called fur particular notice, and the plum puddings were also worthy of praise. The confectionery, though not represented in large variety, was quite good. There was room for encouragement in connection \vith pickles, jams and sauces. People who hud kitchen gardens could make quite a lot of these commodities if they were enterprising; and if the vegetables grown in the district were comparable in their quality to the flowers which wore on exhibition, then it was' possible to use a great deal of them' with advantage in the making of preserves. Mr Perreau also remarked that the exhibits of jams and marmalade,! while small in number, were good in! quality. | Concerning the children’s cooking! section, the judge said he would like! to see the young exhibitors encouraged more, there having been only a small entry in their department. He hoped that mothers -would encourage them in the art of cooking, because the young girls were the cooks of the future. j

DECORATIVE SECTION. | Miss Murray (Wellington) the judge 1 of the decorative section, expressed, general approval of the artistic exhibits. She would have liked an opportunity of meeting the exhibitors and going over the work with them and explaining the reasons for her awards. She mentioned several points for improvement', suggesting that rambler roses be excluded from the decorative rose bowl as their use gave an undoubted advantage and that the size of the bowl in certain classes should be restricted. She condemned the use of, too much paper in the posies, and suggested that an attractive class could

be added for bowls on palm stands, a competition which lent itself to artistic treatment. NEEDLEWORK. Mrs L. Croucher, of Palinorston N., judged the needlework and was confronted by a task of unusual difficulty in view of the number and beauty of the exhibits. She spent a groat deal of time on thorn, and had nothing but praise for a great many of the items. The raffia and poker work was very o-ood and the embroidery beautiful, while there were some excellent collections of fancy work. SPECIAL EXHIBITS. A good deal of interest was taken :n several special exhibits. Mrs Hitchcock showed a beautiful example of handmade lace shaped into a cape in the fashion of 185(1, when the piece was fabricated by a lady long since passed away. The style was, of course quite different to the exquisite exhibits ’of modern work, but amongst the latter there was nothing that excelled in dinsi° r n or execution, this 80-year-old lace? Mrs T. Be van lent an attractive piece of lace, the work of a Chinese child, and sent to her from China by a missionary. Jt had occupied the worker four years to complete. A display of fretwork by Gordon Melville,' of Levin, was generally admired and bore evidence of patient and skilful craftsmanship, the more creditable since the maker is handicapped by severe phvsical disability, but nevertheless entries on his work with commendable courage and determination. A very clover achievenu.it by a little girl Otaki was in evidence at the Show. In the children’s needlework section, which was open to exhibitors under 17 years of age, the first prize iu the class for colour-embroidered unbleached calico, in which there were five entries, was won by Joyce Atkinson, who is only 10 years old. Her entry' was an apron, which was beautifully worked. Although the children’s section was not nearly as well filled as it ought to have been, the exhibits , wore all of a high standard, showing ;! that the young students are keenly inIterested. jin this branch of domestic , ! art.