NEW ZEALAND APPLES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21431, 4 September 1931, Page 13

NEW ZEALAND APPLES

SCHOOL CHILDREN S COMPETITION

(From Ocjr Own Correspondent.) LONDON, July 10.

The two teachers who were in charge of the school classes which won the New Zealand Apple Competition have been presented with trophies by the Fruit Control Board. Miss M. M. Hepworth, of the Broad Lane County School, Bramley, Leeds, and Mrs Lilian Smith, of Martin Road County School, Parkstoiie, Dorset, each received a two guinea fountain pen of a unique design and an onyx ink stand. A_ glance through some of the work sent in gives one a very good idea of the educational value of this advertising scheme. Two weeks are allowed to prepare for the competition, and during that time it is obvious that the school ■ children are saturated with matters pertaining to New Zealand.

A fair proportion of the work sent in was bound in covers artistically decorated in such a manner as to suggest- the subject. Patterns of apples were used in more than one of the covers. The hand writing in most of the booklets was splendid. When the work' from the first prize winner (senior section 1 arrived a letter sent by the teacher announced that another part of the work was coming by train. In due course it arrived, and turned out to be a package several feet square. Inside two boards were four elaborate and beautifully executed maps illustrating the apple routes from New Zealand to Britain: the apple orchard districts of New Zealand; temperatures; and altitudes. On,each side of the maps were folders with pictures taken from many different pamphlets on New Zealand. In some cases the High Commisioner’s appeal (set as a test of writing) was printed and illuminated. Many ingenious ideas were incorporated in the work. One boy marked his apple routes with small sketches of apples, but he drew the stalks in such a way as to resemble the smoke from a ship’s funnel. Another lad used an apple wrapper with the fern leaf badge as an illustration. , Beneath he wrote: "In memory of a good apple.” To indicate the apple districts on the maps a painting of an apple was used. Excellent, illustrations were obtained from New Zealand weeklies, from tourist guides, and from trade brochures. One scholar employed a New Zealand series of cigarette cards, issued bv a well-known firm.

Not only were apples kept in mind. Che propaganda material employed bv the Honey Board and the Meat Board was also in evidence. One hoy produced a book of 3G pages illustrating all the ports of Oreat Britain where New Zealand apples are landed and giving particulars of those pets. Another Kov wrote an article on the New Zealand fruit farms with general information regarding the districts where the fruit is grown. Mr Herbert M‘Kay, assistant ed’tor of the Teachers’ World, and a well-known writer of education manuals, judges the competition work, and takes a keen personal interest in it.