SCHOOL GARDENING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9192, 23 March 1908, Page 4

SCHOOL GARDENING.

EXHIBITION OF PRODUCE. The recent innovation of gardening and applied Nature study in the primary schools has resulted in emulation between the schools in the new work, and a competition was lately organised among the Canterbury schools. Its results were . exhibited at the Normal School on Saturday. The unfavourable season was to blame for a much smaller (exhibition, as far as the number ' of entries went, than had been hoped for, but while eorne schools "were put so far out of the riinning that they oould not compete, others more luckily favoured were -able to make excellent displays. The exhibits included collections of farm roots, for which the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association gave a prize, collections of general garden produce, collections of grasses, dried, mounted, and named for reference, and weeds similarly treated. The first prize collection of farm roots and garden produce was an extremely creditable one, and while the others fell behind in. merit and in completeness, their quality was good. The growere have, it is understood, taken such records of methods and results as to make the work useful in the future. The winning collection of grasses was a very complete one, scientifically named and mounted in a case. The weeds were large collections, indicating care in gathering and a desirable appreciation of knowledge. ; A large display of woodwork from variouß schools was made on the benches that had been p "epared for schools which failed to sen... in garden produce and the exhibits were entirely creditable and interesting. The gardens were judged by Messrs Dalziel and Rennie! for neatness, general appearance, absence of weeds, variety and growth of flowers, at the end of December. There were nineteen competing schools, and the prizes were awarded as follows : — Malvern, 1 ; Spreydon, 2; Ashburton, 3; Bushside, 4. Mr M. Murphy was judge of the produce shown on Saturday, and the following are the awards: — Collection of Grasses — Malvern, 1; Bußhside, 2; Bromley, 3. Collection of Weeds — Springston South, 1 ; Bromley, 2 : Malvern, 31 Series of Notes and Drawings — Woodend, 1. Collection of Vegetables — Malvern, 1 ; Spreydon, 2 ; Springston South, 3 ; Templeton, 4. Collection of Field Crops Grown in School Ground — Malvern, 1 ; Bromley, 2 ; Southbrook, 3.