RONGOTEA.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 63, 14 February 1939, Page 8

RONGOTEA.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) RUN GUI LA, Fob. 11

A garden party was held by the Women's Division of the Farmers’ Union in the pleasant surroundings of the home of Mr and Mrs W. J. Davis, Rongotea, on Saturday. Jhe clouds that threatened rain cleared before mid-day, and the aiternooti was beautifully line and warm. The spacious garden, so carefully tended by Mrs Davis, was a blaze of odour, the principal showing being dahlias, in scores ot varieties, some of the individual blooms being upward of twelve inches across, making a most effective display. The native plantation ol about one and a-half acres in extent, which was laid out some years ago, bus proved lo be a most gratifying success, and the rapidly growing trees have a carpet over their roots of a dense growth of thousands of ferns, ranging from the ponga variety to kidney and crepe ferns. This effort to reproduce, in part, the conditions that existed sixty years ago was much admired by visitors. The attendance was very large and there were amusements lor all. Hon. J. G. Cobbo officially opened tbe party, and thanked Mrs Davis for her efforts, expressing pleasure at the splendid representation in the interests of tile division, whose valuable work was not so evident in a wealthy district like Uongotea, as it was in the backblocks, and more remote districts. It was, the speaker stated, not only for its humanitarian efforts that the division was to be eommonded, but it was connected with the most important industry in the Dominion, as 90 per cent., of the exports came off the land, lie hoped to see it grow stronger and stronger, for it was a bulwark against the rising tide of unrest abroad In the world. Stalls devoted t-o the sale of produce, sweets, etc., were erected on the lawn, and were attended to by the following ladies in their respective districts. Glen Oroua, Mcsdames Boswell, Foster, Milne, Webb. Oarter, Angus, and Miss Connelly ; Carnarvon, Mesdames Gibbons, McKenzie, and Miss Clare; llongotea, Mesdames McKay, Jessop. C. Lind, A. Dear, and Miss Parker ; afternoon tea, Mesdames Wheeler, Armitage, V. Frecklington, Misses 11. Parker, M. Powell. N. Davie, and Teague; ice cream. Mesdames Bower, A. Burgess, W. Sterne, and Miss L. Davis; 6weeks. Mesdames Aird and Pedley. Competitions resulted: Sponge cake (judge, Mrs A. Ilensen). Mrs Davis 1, Miss A. Boswell 2; Madeira cake (judge. Mrs C. Hamlin), Miss (fiare 1. Mrs Boswell 2: sheep guessing (in charge, Mr ,T. Boyce). Mrs Boswell, senr. ; penny dropping (Mrs Bartlett). Mrs ningham: chain stepping (Messrs McKenzie and .T. tfcott), Mr R. Craig; men’s nail driving, Air P. Hansen; ladies’ nail driving, Mrs Boswell 1. Miss L. Davis 2, Mrs C Davison 3; bran tub. Mrs Powell in charge. The croquet was won by Mrs Remnant. The gatekeepers were Messrs Vogt and Wheeler. The great event of the afternoon was the , baby show, the judge, Mrs Buchanan, finding much, difficulty in choosing the winners from the bonny children presented. The awards were: Under 6 months. Baby Ilawko 1, Baby Rowe 2, Baby Mcllardy 3; 6 to 12 months. Baby Frecklington 1. Baby Gyde 2; 12 months to two years. Baby Evans 1. Baby Houghlon 2. Mrs Davis presented tin: trophies for the various events, and thanked all who had helped with donations, and also the small army of assistants, further announcing that as a result of the afternoon's gathering the sum of over £SO had been taken. A telegram was received from Miss Simpson, of the Marlon'branch, wishing the gathering success.