AT THE FLOWER SHOW.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19846, 15 January 1920, Page 7

AT THE FLOWER SHOW.

Colonel R. J. Collins may well call Christchurch the city of beautiful gardens. The Sweet Pea and Carnation Society’s Show yesterday in Victoria. Square gave ample evidence of the enthusiasm shown by both amateur and profess ion a 1 ga vde nrr s. Tho carnations were especially line, such an immense variety being displayed. some embowered in feathery gypsophila, others surrounded with their own peculiarly becoming grey-green foliage, others wearing the stiff white paper collars which some exhibitors regard as the orthodox thing for afternoon and evening wear for show carnations.

The recent nor’-wcslers had proved very trying to the sweet peas. The shower bouquets had suffered badly. Roses were scarcely represented, probably owing to the dry season, but the few shown were very fine, Airs ShayleGeorgo’s .silver bowl of exquisite pink roses being rich in colour and fragrance. The decorative classes always attract attention, and the idea of deciding tho table competition by popular vote was a. step in tho right direction. The shilling entrance at the door entitled everyone to a vote. During the afternoon Table Ho. o of red carnations was much admired, but No. 3 finally gained first prize-‘ Conventions die hard, and the epergne and four silver vases for table deaerations are no exception. Low bowls of clear glass or the many beautiful kinds of pottery would be far more appropriate. One cannot keep up an animated conversation through an epergne. It would be so ranch pleasanter to sec one’s viz a viz at a dinner table than to crane one’s neck to look over an erection of flowers and greenery. Tiro baskets of deep red carnations and dark plum and copper beech foliage were very beautiful, the scheme of colour being perfect. Tho Woolston Tanneries’ exhibit of fuchsias was quite a. feature of the show, and tho very beautiful specimens of tho coleus family on the pratform were greatly admired. Tho children’s section was also very commendable, but the. competitors were confined to two humlies, who shared tho prizes, andono could not but hope many more young people would enter another year. Aliss Lynda Rowe’s arrangement of pale pink and mauve sweet peas in a handsome Benares bowl well deserved first prize. Among the visitors to the show wero Airs Cnroy-liill, Aliss Laura Tabari, Airs Jenkins, the wife of tho vice-presi-dent of the society, Airs Palmer, Airs Wildcr-Fnx, Airs Richard Anderson and Airs HoldsworthAliss Thurston, formerly Lady Super, intendent of tho Christchurch Hospital, and later Matron-in-Chief of the Hew Zealand Hospitals in England, was a passenger by tho. transport .Kigoma, Miss Thurston will stay iu Wellington a week before coming down to Christchurch.

is said that Lord Reading, while in Nerv York recently, told tho following stofy in the course of an afterdinner speech, in which he commented, humorously on tho Coakney acfccnc; “A woman cook from the East End of London,” he said, “came to New York. One day her mistress grew confidential, and told her how she had lost her husband. I Ho went out west and was killed by a bison. Of course you know what a bison is.’ ‘Of course.'Vuknu. I wishes I ’ah ’alf a mud for every pudding h’ive baked in one.’ ” This cook had evidctly broken the “■ .basin*”