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New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21036, 21 November 1931, Page 4 (Supplement)

DEAR GIRLS AND BOYS: Of course tho most important item in cur page to-day is the announcement of tho Christmas contests, which will give clever fingers work' to keep them busy during the coming three weeks. We are going to help Sister Pat this' Christmas, for she is doing splendid work, through the City Mission, with tho poor children of Auckland." Tho dolls and toys and scrapbooks will be used as Christmas presents for a number of girls and boys in whom she is specially interested, and whom she will w r rite about next Saturday. Ido hope we shall have ever so many entries for the competitions, for I do not like to think of a Christmas passing without somo special effort by our own Herald Brigade If we can do as well for Sister Pat as we have done during the past seven years for tho St. John Ambulance, then we shall indeed bring joy to many poor homes, and win the gratitude of fathers and mothers who are feeling the stress of unemployment and hard times. I have a fine pile of Christmas entries to go through during the next few weeks, and can see that you have entered into the competitions with a will. The Discovery of the Moa contest has proved a very popular one, and already I have read a number of most interesting entries. No more for now. - Watch next week for another very interesting announcement re a new feature for our page! Love to you all from A BLAZE OF COLOUR. Dear Miss Morton.—l thought I would Write and tell you about our flower garden. Just at present it is a blaze of colours in shades of red, purple, yellow and blue. We Btart to make our garden in the winter time as then there are very few flowers growing so we can. then prepare the soil ready for planting in the springtime. In late winter we are eagerly watching our seed boxes to see whem the first seed sprouts and sends its tender shoots up through the earth. Sometimes I think the seeds are not going to grow as they have been too long in coming up and then I become inquisitive and have a look at them. Some of the most easily grown flowers are calendulas, snapdragons, eschscholtzias, carnations and freesias. Other plants need much attention, so that as soon as we transplant the seedlings out we have to go slug-hunting after dark or else the slugs eat them. When I go slughunting I take a torch and a tin of lime. The lid on the tin of lime is perforated with holes so that I can sprinkle lime on the slugs more easily. Lime, of course, destroys them all very quickly. Another pest in the garden is the slaters but the lime does not harm them for they have very hard backs. Now. too, we can see the benefit of all the weeding we did, for we have very healthy plants. On either sid* of the path to the front door we have a ■wide border of morning glory, which is one mass of pink flowers as soon as the sun shines on it. Other borders we have are lobelia, yirginian stock and violets. We have eschscholtzias in most glorious colours from a cream to a dark, red, snapdragons of all shades and numerous other flowers which I cannot, tell you about here. In one corner I have an old motor-car tyre filled with earth and growing in this are violas and pansies. What we would do without our garden I don't know, for it is lovely to be able to have all the rooms decorated with bright coloured flowers.— From your sincere pen-friend, Vera Hellier, Marohemo, Kaipara (age 17).

WON - FROM THE WILD. Dear Miss Morton, —When we first came here six years ago there was no sign of garden or anything hinting at civilisation as our farm was formerly an unimproved . one. Gradually though, a clearing was made, and our little cottage home put up. The thick fern was cut and burned until at last •it was able to be ploughed. My little brother and I chose the places for our gardens and with hoea made a bed each. As we had no plants to put in them Ut the time, we climbed on to one of the numerous elips and dug tip many little native trees. I .chose the daintiest and prettiest while my brother, not so particular, took any at all. The result was that all mine died while most of his lived and there they thrive to-day, quite big trees. As time wore on my little oblong plot developed a primrose border and other pretty flowers found their way into it. Some tiine ago you had an article on the front page of the Supplement called "A Wild Garden.'' I read, and liked it, so when I made this new garden of mine I made it on the same lines. It is quite a surprise to see a large hearty lettuce living healthily in a flower bed, while a border of pinks makes a novel finish to a bed where only vegetables were thought to grow. I have too, several small native trees and a few ferns growing midst the flowers, and there is a row of red runner beans which will shortly be just like a large green wall. Slugs and snails, also sparrows, were unknown to lis when we were first here, but they eeem to have sprung up quite suddenly in huge numbers. Our garden is rather pretty, having a stream running through it, which is naturally beautified by ferns and bulbs we have put there. Wo have a large orchard adjoining, populated with small fruit trees. Often when I walk along the paths bordered by Black-eyed Susans, all lifting their faces to the sun. and pull from between the plants a rebellious piece of fern, I think what a won<l erf ill thing a garden is. and how really worth while it is to never despair of conquering at last, the garden foes.—Your loving pen-friend, Bathia Luttrell, Maroera, Waimana, Bay of Plenty (age it). POOR LITTLE BIRDS! Dear Miss Morton, —On Sunday I went to Rangitoto. I often go (here oil Sundays curing (he winter when it is too cold to picnic at other places. Last Sunday it was 100 hot to walk far over the scoria. We had lunch the rangers, who are always very kind to visitors and show them round the pretty garden they have cultivated explaining which of the plants are native and which they have brought over themselves. Alter lunch I wandered off by myself and i nought J. would look for some of the nikau tiee fruit which a friend had shown me ior the first time the Sunday before While looking, what do you think I found? Just 311 the centre of the plant, where the fruit ■Would be,.? A bird's nest. It was in a ;Xather exposed position and I thought it ■was last year's, but when I looked' in I fhw two tiny birds and one unhgtched bluc*neen egg. I felt so thrilled and excited but wondered if the mother had deserted, <>r been killed by a rat, which my friend last Sunday had told me, always go for nikau fruit. They were the smallest birds have over seen, hardly formed, but lying close together and quivering all over. Although they could not have been long out of the eggs, I saw 110 signs of shells. I saw no signs ot birds fluttering round, and wished 1 could do something for them if the riiotlier did not return. But 1 was told they were too young by rear by hand and it would 'be better to'leave them in the hope that the parent bjrds would return when no one was in sight. So I came away trusting that all would be well and 110 thoughtless person come along and interfere with the nest—it was so exposed. I thought this would interest you.—Your loving little pen-friend, Phyllis M. Hendon.