PUERUA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2342, 19 January 1899, Page 34

PUERUA.

January 17.— The weather has lately been Reasonable — mild and warm, with occasional Showers,— and the crops and pasture grass arc looking well , Flower Show.— We had our annual flower ana vegetable show on the 12th and 18th mat. It Vas a successful show, the exhibits being numerous in cut and pot flowers, fruit, and Vegetables. On the second evening (Friday) the bttendance was very large. The show was enlivened by some good musio and the graphophone, manipulated by Mr Wm, Patterson. It .would be a difficult task to particularise the fexhibits, but I may mention a few. Mis Wm. Patterson was, as usual, the principal exhibitor /of flowers, and showed some very fine ones, out and in pots — geraniums, balsams, gladioli, Bellow roses, etc. Mr William Morton showed a fine cactus. There were many beautiful exhibits of cut flowers, in the form of hand bounuets and button nosegays, by Miss B._ Johnston, miss Piers, Miss Field, Mrs Downie, Messrs Davidson, James Hutton, and Mrs Peter Grant. Mr J. Hutton also showed a handsome vase of flowers. Misses Davidson, Calder, and Patterson had elegant crosses done in candy-tuft flowers, on a ground of grass and moss; and Bertie Davidson, a little house or hut surrounded by a flower garden. Miss Patterson," .of Port Molyneux, had a fine collection of wildflowers. As to fruit, some very large gooseberries (12 to the pound) were shown by Miss Brown (of Waitepeka), Mrs Downie, Mr Geggie, and Mr Davidson; some very fine strawberries t>y Mr Heads and Mrs Davidson ; and raspfoerries by Mr Peter Grant ; some giant rhubarb by Mr Davidson ; and some extraordinarily longstalked rhubarb by Miss Ellen Johnston ; some Very fine early potatoes and onions were shown by Mrs Downie and others; and some fine stalks of oats and wheat by Mr Simpson and Mr James Lamond. Mr Patrie showed a very extraordinary plant called a grifolia, 12ft high — a long stem covered with flowers growing from a basis of broad leaves, something like an aloe. Lt is Baid to be an Indian plant, flowering once every seven years and then dying.