THE FLOWER SHOW.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13531, 28 February 1908, Page 3

THE FLOWER SHOW.

XIMAIIL".. 11 (JUT IC L" LT L" KA L SOCJKTY. The ;iimil;ii show of I lie 'I imaru I i oil icultuial Society was held ill tin- JJi il 1 Mall yesterdav. and old member.-, of tlie managing committe'e and old e.vhibitois declared it to Ik- tlii- best- till' Society has ever had. hi some respects it probably was. but there are usually some sections that in different. years ntaiid out prominently in turn. The speakers did not mean to make any reservation, such a.s " considering tile' dry season w» have liail." II:, ' «as mentioned, but as a reason for surprise ihat the show was t-o good as> it tvji-, and especially that such a line array of vegetables had been possible. The cutllowvis were also very satislactory, some kinds of exceptional size and beauty, and all looked remarkably fresh and richly coloured. Among liie-m the cacti, ;..>tcis.

double marigolds, and it few select glauioa were conspicuously line. Late a.s it is for them, there were some nice roses, tiiat de-served attention. In fact the best competitions were in roses —eight in tile gardeners'. nine in the amateuis' section, in the garden rose clac.ses. There was also a nice collection of sweet peas, though these were faint in coiour compared with the earlier growths, and thev oeeined still moie so m com-

parison with the brilliant, linos beside them. Millichamp and Co., brought down a good lot- of cut llowers from Ashbulion. This section was contributed to by thirteen on gardeners', and twenty-live on

the amateurs' side. A row of .stages down the middle of the halL was occupied by collections of pot plants, " staged for effect." by .Messrs G. J. Jiealey, G. Ivnowle.s and F. l'alliser. The " effect" of these 'was brightened in the evening, by tlie lighting up of a number of tiny colotired electric lights among the plants. The hall, by the way, was lit by electricity at night, and an excellent light was provided. One of the stages was occupied by floral designs, and some of these, "stands" of llowers and foliage, introduc-

i-tl ;i novelty ;it these shows. Pol plants were numerous, but were not. 011 the average large, and the stages therefore looked lighter than usual. 11l civ were ten vx-

lubitons of these hi two divisions. There was not a large collection of floral iirrangeliieiits. but specimens of tasteful combinations were sent, .baskets (5)( stands (1).-, tpergncs (2>, sprays (4), wreaths (6).

U 1 table decorations there were seven prepared by adults and four by giri.f These were judged by popular vote, and tiie results were: Adults : Xo 5, .Mrs Irwin 1, Xo 1. Mrs Goodman 2. Xo 5, .Miss 15. Beswick 5: girls: Ethel Hume, Dorothv Irwin, Marjorv Wallace, Fanny Black.'

The first thing one saw; on entering the

main door was a long stage full ol new apples, not so gay in colour, of course, as an autumn show would be, and .spoiled by an ugly flaming for the protective fence mode about them. But from a "utilitarian point of view the collection was suggestive of possibilities for the apple business that have been almost neglected here for half a century. There were five exhibitors of apples in the gardeners' section, and eight in ilie amateur section. The only other fruit >hmvn in quantity was plums, and of these there were about 50 entries in both sections. Pears, apricots, peaches and grapes were also shown. J. Wallace, and G. Parry were the chief contributors; and more tlian half tlu- exhibitors- received few or more award tickets. -As nbi/ve mentioned, the vegetables were a fine assemblage i.f sampus,

and a highly t-alisfacioiy leal lire of this section was the number of exhibitots—over twenty in the A, 'and nearly thirty in the B division. Onions (17). carrots (19), parsnips (14). round potatots- (19) : beet 113). marrows |l4) were the best, filled elates in' the latter aeetion. .Sue Lee and Co.. it is worth noting, were successful exhibitors in a number of cla.ss-e.-:. The awards for " collections,"' and ui~ tries for each were as follows: A. Gardeners: —Annuals (2). .Mr,; H. Elworthy. J. Wallace; stand of cut floweis (2). Mrs H. Klworthy. C. S. Howard ; hardy do. (4), G. J. Sealer, Mrs P. A. Elworthy; apples, 24's- (o), G. Parry, A. S. Elworthy, W. McXaughton; do. 12's (4). A. S. Elworthy, G. l'arty; tray of fruit (3), \V. McXaughton, G. Parry; potatoes (8), Millichamp and Sons, W. McXanghton ; collection of vegetables (6). E. Mills, F. ."launders. B. Amateurs.—Annual* (5). W. G. Invin, T. D. Young; stand of cut iloweis lo), Miss M. .Smith, Mrs Lack; potatoes (3), E. Waite, Dr. Thomas; all vegetable; (8), W. J. Black, H. Broadhead. (The full prize list will be published to-morrow.)

Along the* south side of the hall was arranged a tempting collection of cookeiy exhibits, that did credit to the numerous competitors, and gave a good deal of trouble to the lady judged, to select the best. Among the nice things sent in by stxt-een competitor—sponge roll (?), marble cake (9), were tile lust competitors. But the bttst exhibit of all ■was declared to be Mrs W. McMillan's shortbread, it was s-> perfectly .shaped and so smooth of surface- and of inner texture.

A special exhibit that attracted much attention, was Air W. Lowe's model of house and garden, dv.-.eribed yesterday, the quaintness of the complete detail affording much pleasure.

THE SCHOOL EXHIBITS. Special competitions and clases were putin the prize schedule for the schools of South Canterbury, the exhibits wero arranged by themselves in the lecture room, and they made an excellent) little Show- of themselves. Mr l'itchiugs Grant, tho committeeman specially in charge of this department displayed much zeal in working up and arranging the school show, and it was surprisingly good and proved, very' popular. Except those for the school gardens competition for Mr. Huntley's challenge shield and guinea, the' exhibits were received as from individuals, so as to preclude any setting of school against school on the merits of wins by individuals. The clases- were nearly all for testing taste and skill' in arrangement, and in this respect the majority of the competitors produced veiy nice vases, baskets, bouquets and so forth. A class for collections of glasses brought out eight or nine large sheets of cardboard covered with gra.-s plumes, named. . The first prize wen', to a collection that was rathe'.' (rowded. and not so well arranged as Miine 01 hers, but the- collection was a huge one. and the grasses. were labelled with both common and scientific names. All these sheets of grasses had required a great deal of industry for their preparation. Some collections of leaves were not nearly so carefully done. Specimens of brashdrawing ami woodwork were higlily creditable. especially the former. The cookeiy exhibits were excellent, and suguseted that there are some clever cooks growing up in the schools. The numerous plates of scones, sponge rolls and shortbread, were almost without exception very good. Posted on the. walls were tiie first, four of the 16 botanical essayssent in.

The principal nrize. Mr Hurdley s shield for school garden produce brought only two entries, fiom Winchester and Hilton respectively. They were very different in character, and the visitor who did not look closely into both would say at onco that tii-.iv was no doubi which was the best : but the one that made the feast .-how .-it a cl-inee. was accompanied by statistical lecords and notes tiiat counted educationally. The Hilton collection was

outstandingly I lie best for variety and quality of vegetables, including eleven varieties of tlie potato, and numerous tiowers set off the utilitarian produce. Winchester showed a dozen varieties of potatoes and as many of onions, a few other vegetables, less we 1L grown than Hilton's but with two curios, among them in maize ilower and swelling cob, mud » khol rabi plant. And besides the vegetables was a collection of about a score of varieties of seeds in neat glass vessels. The school garden idea was amply justified by either exhibit,, still more by both of them. The .following is the prize list for this section, with the number of entries in parentheses. . Basket of flowers (8),. Eileen. Sealer, Xita Holdgate, Eva Buchanan; collection sweet peas (6), E. .Sealey, Wm. McMillan, Myrtle .Segar; vase, St. 11l Suid upwards (51), Kathleen Young. Uladys. Vincent, Dolly .Selwood, Olive Coker; vase, St. II (15), Xgaio Rennie, Ruth Woodley, Jessie Fraser; hand bouquet, under 15 (9;, Doris Rennie. Kathleen Young, Alice Stonier; bru-.diwork flower drawing (t>), Rena White, Connie O'Callaghan, Ralph Holdgate. Chri'Ssie Jlorweli ; bru.shwork design, from plant. over 12 (9), Dorothy Farley, Frank Mcliartland. L. Hayes, J). Sellwood; woodwork (6), W. Hamilton, R. Shillito, H. Bennett; collection of grasses 19), Myra Knowles, Jas. Karton, Bessie Thomson : collection of leaves (11), Winnie Robertson, Hilda McDonald, Clara Pallis'er, Ethel Ivalaugher: essay on a botanical subject. St. IV to VII (16) Eric Todd, Donella McCaskill and Dorothy Hardcastle (equal 2), Hilda Morris. Ovenscones (18), Flora Mcßride, Myrtle' Scott; sausage rolls (3). livue Coe. Alary Tlioni-. son ; jam tarts (4), Irene Coe, Ina Berry; sponge- roll (11), Hone Pearse, Myrtle .Scott, M. MeLelland : marble cake (2; Flora Mcßride; short bread (8), Flora Mcßridv. Myrtle Scott; homemade sweets (1). Marion Ford. Mr Hurdley's challenge shield for school gardens', and £1 Is to winner for purchase of books, tools, seeds, etc., Tile garden,•> were judged, "as a going concern in December, by Mr (}. Cross for the Board of Education, and Mr Cross now judged the produce sent- in and by arrangement added the points awarded on his visit to the. schools. In a report to the committee ill* Cro.-s expressed regret that his instructions to judge by the " b« st

products" did not allow liim to give points for the educational records sent in by Winchester. He must therefore place the Hilton School first for superior quality of produce. The points he had given for the gardens happened to be equal—--4 each for vegetables and 4 for flowers. For the collections the awards were :

Hilton. 7 each for vegetables and flowers ; Winchester, vegetables 4, flowers 6; totals: Hilton 22, Winchester 18.

Mr Hurdlev was so pleased with the exhibits that he gave a second prize of half a, guinea to Winchester, and also promised to renew the challenge shield when it i.s won outright by the lust school to get its name placed upon it. Judging was completed in good time, and this duty done, the committee and judges lunched together in the Harrison bandriom. Tho attendance during the afternoon was good, and in the evening

t-lie hall was thronged. The door receipts were therefore good. The Garrison Band kindly played a few selections at tilt- door early in the evening, and Mr Coombs' orchestra furnished, pleasing music within. The show pasie'd off without :i hitch, thanks to the experienced management. It was not only a .-uccc:-s in itiself, but afforded encouragement for the future, in the amount of interest displayed in it by exhibitors and public.