FLOWER SHOW AT OAMARU.

Otago Witness, Issue 2401, 8 March 1900, Page 8

FLOWER SHOW AT OAMARU.

The autumn show of the North Otago Horticultural Society was held in the Weir street hall on February 28 and March 1. There was a marked falling-off in the number of exhibits, especially in the pot plant sections. This was largely due to the removal from the district of some of our horticulturists, and the changeable weather, -whicn Las been anything but genial for the groAvtn of outside flowers, was to a ceitain extent also responsible. However, the show, as a whole. Avas very good, the quality of the exhibits staged being above the average, the fruit and vegetables being exceptionally good. The collection of pot plants staged for effect by Mr T. M'Oombie carried off first prize in the gardeners' class and Mr J. Mitchell took first in the amateur. Both collections were very good. The first-named had a fine specimen of the white-flowered Swainsonia, a beautiful free- .. flowering Australian shrub, also a few

j grand plants of Cyprus laxa, the remainder beinc the u&ual greenhouse favourites usually .seen at horticultural exhibitions. i>ir Mitchell's collection was made up of smaller plants, but they were very effeci tively staged, and added materially to the ! appearance of the &liow. In the other sections of the gardener.--' class Mr T. M'Combie was the principal prizetaker, carrying off the awards for ioliage plants, "petunias, fuchsias, and some -others. Mr .J. Ireland gained first for foliage begonias, which were very large specimens, with clean, healthy foliage. The flowering begonias, shown by the same exhibitor, were very fine. Some of these were seedlings raised by Mr Ireland, and are as good as any imported varieties-. There were , two exhibitors of 12 ferns, Mr Ireland again . taking first, and Mr E. Geb'bic coining second. Mr Ireland's 12 were large healthy plants, a few of them being Adiantums. In Mr Gebbie's lot I noticed iStruthiopteris germanica, Onoclea japonica, A&plenium ■ umbrosium, and Woodwardia japonica. In tLe amateur sections, Mr J. Mitchell, Mr W. Burns, and Mr Hedley were the most successful competitors. The cactus ar.d show dahlias from these were very fine, many of them being lately introduced j varieties. Fruit and vegetables made a , fine display, Mr J. Main and Mr Hartley, ' in the gardeners' class, having grand colj lections. In Mr Main's collection was a large variety of apples, pears, and plums, ; also psaches, apricots, figs, walnuts, raspberries, mulberries, and a few others. Mr j Hartley's collection, coining second, conI tamed nearly as many varieties. Mr H. Co.atman and Mrs Simpson olso exhibited some good fruit. In the amateurs' class, Mr J. Mitchell took the lead, being the principal prizetaker in all sections. In the vegetable class there was more competition than in the others, Messrs l T. M'Oombie, J. Main, H. Coalman, and ' Hartley being the most successful. Mr I Hartley's tomatoes were very fine, ,and he ! secured both first and second place with ' his exhibit. I I was nearly forgetting the gardeners' i cut flowers. • In this class were some very good exhibits. Mr E. Gebbie was the only exhibitor of roses and zinnias, for both of which ho was awarded first prize. Mr Bradbury came first for 12 cactus dahlias, also first for 12 show dahlias, Mr*E. Gebbie taking seconds in both exhibits. Phlox 1 Drummondi was well shown by Mr Onglcy, " and the other sections were competed for by Messrs Branthwaite, Bradbury, ivL'Com- , bie, and E. Gebbie, these exhibitors dividi ing the honours between them. I In the special exhibits not for competii lion, Mr Branthwaite exhibited a gigantic flower spike of Liliiun platyphyllum, something like lilium auratum, but more waxylike in the petals. This excited general adi miration. Two specimens of the curious ! bottle gourd, from Mr Woonton, and a I bunch of blooms of Romneya coulterii, '■ came in, for a fair share of attention. A J nice group of pa-lms and maiden hair ferns 1 wns also exhibited by Mr M'Oombie. I J. GEBBIE,

Public Gardens, Oamaru

The Wanganui Herald says that* the peach trees on the Wanganui River have recovered from the various blights that have affected them for years past. As many as 253 large peaches were counted on a tree at Banana only three years old, and many of the older trees, particularly the late varieties, are similarly laden with splendid fruit. It is anticipated that in the near future peaches will be as plentiful up the river as they were some 18 or 20 years ago, when they could be bought from the Natives at about |d per lb.