ROUND THE SUBURBS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19272, 8 January 1931, Page 3

ROUND THE SUBURBS.

Estuary Changes. Indications of further and desirable changes in the Estuary are to be seen since the succession of nor’-westers this summer. The southern bank of the middle channel, opposite the Rowing Club’s shed, is wearing away under the bombardment of the waves and curving into a well-defined bay. The main stream, directed against this, _ swerves towards the sandspit opposite Shag Rock and is cutting away the beach. The erosion has been going on for some weeks now and it is thought that this may divert the main stream again towards the pier. It is because this stream runs straight past the end of the sandspit out to sea, that Clifton Bay is now, for the first time, a dry sandy beach. A Hillside Plant. Amongst the hill gardens flourishes a shrub valued for its foliage, its berries and its ability to develop freely under dry conditions. It is known as the South African “ Chick Weed,” and was, really, a very undesirable immigrant. It was introduced into New Zealand in Lyttelton Harbour about forty-five years ago when a horse from South Africa, quarantined at Quail Island, escaped and swam ashore at Governor’s Bay. The “passengers” he carried with him took root in soil there and were the “ pioneers ” of the species for this Dominion. Strange to say, the plant belongs to the composites and should develop a wind-borne seed. Instead, it develops an attractively smooth round berry, the colour and appearance of which makes it. a welcome resident on the cultivated hillsides.

A correspondent signing himself “ Moderation ” writes to the Wellington “Dominion” as follows:—“The two Plunket Shield matches that Wellington has played seem to me to point clearly to the fact that cricket all the year round does not agree with Dempster, and no wonder. His batting for him, has been a failure, and his fielding is listless. He must be sick to death of cricket and everything connected with it. He is well below par, and on his present form would hardly be worth a place in the team for Home. I would suggest that with the possible exception of the Auckland match, he should net be allowed to touch bat or ?>all again until the team reaches England. I would go further, and suggest that he should go Home by himself in another boat, for if he goes with the team he will hear nothing talked of from morning to night for five or six weeks but cricket.”

The Auckland captain, C. F. W. Allcott, is still one of the ablest all-round players in the Dominion. Against Canterbury he scored 3 and 65, while against Otago he hit up 114 not out. With the ball he captured none for 3 and two for 66 against Canterbury, and two for 29 against Otago. With the New Zealand team in England in 1927, Allcott aggregated 753 runs, at an average of 27.88, and captured 37 wickets for 1026 runs, an average of 27.72. .