RONGOTEA BULB SHOW

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 251, 20 September 1933, Page 8

RONGOTEA BULB SHOW

HERALDING THE SEASONS. THE BEAUTY OF FLOWERS. The Ron go tea and District Horticultural ajid General Produce Society held its 21st annual bulb show yesterday, when there was a splendid array of exhibits. The function was officially opened by Mr J. Linklater, M.P.. who con--1 gratulated the town and district on possessing so progressive and. energetic a band of men and women who, year after year, gave days of self-sacrific-ing work in order to give a treat to those of the community who are lovers of the beautiful. . If there is one event in ea-i'ly spring that the residents all look forward to it is the display of glorious blooms at the bulb show. Yesterday’s diversified array compared more than favourably with those of previous years. On every hand there was unimpeachable evidence of the skill.of local and other growers. The entries totalled 303, being 30 in advance of the previous year. The decorative section was a source of much admiration, and_won high praise from all visitors. Each succeeding year sees a more varied range of flowers in delicate shades, suitable for decorative work, and the bowls and baskets filled with masses of shell-pink, mauve, lavender, and cream to golden blooms provided a feast of beauty. Daffodils were well up to the high standard required tor show purposes, and included some locally grown seedlings. The boys knitting exhibit was most unusual, and showed the result of painstaking skill, while the domestic section encouraged keen competition. “During the years I have had the honour of representing Manawatu in Parliament,” continued Mr Linklater, “J have had the pleasure of attending and opening many shows and am beginning to think that I am capable of judging their quality. I can say without hesitation that the Rongotea Horticultural Show, which is one of the oldest shows in New Zealand, can still maintain its place in the front rank in standard of excellence. This year, owing to the prevalence of high winds, I realise that it must have been difficult to preserve the blooms in firstclass condition, but it is evident from the display before me that the growers in this town and district are equal to any emergency. “The flower that occupies the most prominent position in the display has been rightly described the queen of all spring flowers and it may be iriteresting to you to learn that the daffodil was very much prized in Greece and Rome 2000 years ago and that its praises were even sung in those ancient days. They are still being loudly sung by lovers of floiyers, but horticulturists and men of science have, by crossing and. pollination, evolved new and even more beautiful specimens of the daffodil and narcissi. We who are farmers welcome the appearance of the daffodil, the jonquil, the snowdrop and the violet, because they herald the coming of spring and signify that the worries attendant to winter are on the way to being dispersed. In a few months the beautiful irises will announce the approach of the summer season, while even the autumn has its own wonderful flowers—the dahlia and the gaily coloured chrysanthemum. Horticultural shows, at their differing periods in the season, thus bring prominently before the public the many beauties of Nature which grow to perfection in this land of ours. We are blessed with a soil and climate in New Zealand that is suited to almost every flower on earth and it is interesting to trace the origin of the various flowers we encounter in our own gardens. However, it must be very encouraging to those who have the interests of horticulture at heart to see the interest taken by the residents of your immediate community.” The arrangements in connection with the fixture were in the capable hands of Mrs A. J. Will, as president, who was given valued assistance by Mesdames V. H. Caverhill and Mr W. G. Bond as supervising stewards, and Mr R. 0. Gloyn, as honorary secretary, with Mr T. Major as assistant secretary. Acting as stewards in the various sections were Mesdames L. H. Yarrall', Acting as stewards in the various sections were Mesdames L. H. Yarrall, Read, Caverhill. A. N. Morcom, _ C. W. Davison and N. S. Hogg, Misses M. Will, M. Arnott, L. Glover and B. Ail'd and Mr A. J. Lind. In addition a band of workers, Mesdames Collins, Redmayne, A. Burgess and Misses P. Gloyn, V. Hobbs and E. Foster, carried out the duties of luncheon stewards, while a produce stall was under the supervision of Mesdames Read and W. A. Davison and Misses E. Knight and A. Buchanan.

The honour of presenting the champion bloom fell to Mr W. G. Bond with a magnificent specimen of “Bonnie Lassie,” while in the amateur section Mr A. T. Yarrall took the award with a “Lady Superior” bloom. The handsome Bongotea and District Horticultural Society’s Norman Gorton Memorial Perpetual Challenge Bowl was won by Mrs T. Saunders, with Mesdames Leicester and Galland next in order of placing. Points prizes were won as follow: Amateur, B grade, Mr A. J. Yarrall; beginners’ class, Miss Mtiden; cut flowers, Miss N. Clare; young people’s decorative, Annie Fraser. Again in the evening there was a largo attendance when, members of the Orpheus Society, Palmerston North, were present, and rendered a concert programme which gave considerable pleasure, and was very heartily applauded. The items were:— Part song, “The Dance,” choir; solo, “I Wonder If Love is a Dream,” Mrs Dean; bass solo, “The Bandalero,” Mr E. B. Gilt; tenor solo, “My Pretty Jane,” Mr J. Rogers; part song, “The Owl and the Pussy Cat,” choir; solo, “Angus McDouall,” Mrs Findlay; tenor solo, “In Happy Moments,” Mr E. Jensen; solo, “Me and Jane in a Plane,” Mr Shepherd; solo, “I Know Two Bright Eyes,” Mr Henderson; duet, “Excelsior,” Messrs E. Gill and E. Jensen; part song, “Now is the Month of Maying,” choir; quartette, “Every Rustling Tree,” Messrs J. Rogers, Henderson, J. Fleck and G. Stout; solo, Mrs Dean; part song, “At Andemack in Rhineland,” choir; solo, “She is the Lass For Mo,” Mr Shepherd; part song, “Good Night,” choir. Mrs E. B. Gill acted as accornpaniste. During an interval Mrs Will presented the trophies won at the show. The prize list will appear in to-mor-row’s issue.