TOWNSWOMEN’S GUILD

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 110, 12 May 1938, Page 2

TOWNSWOMEN’S GUILD

Mrs J. G. Denniston presided over the May meeting of the Wanganui Townswomen’s Guild held yesterday afternoon in the Savage Club, when there was a large attendance of members. After the customary opening ceremony the names of the new commitlee members were announced and the duties allotted to each. Mrs Denniston spoke of the forthcoming visit of Professor Ann Strong, of Dunedin, who is to address a meeting in Wanganui at the end of this month. Mrs Wagstaff was appointed the guild representative on the Children’s Gardening Circle. Miss M. Wallace judged the competition for embroidered handkerchiefs and awarded first place to Mrs Batt, Mrs Denniston second and Mrs Mayo third. This is the first of a series of competitions to be held during the winter, next month’s to be a laundered article. Mrs F. Wagstaff, convener of the garden circle, spoke on the perfume of flowers and how the scent of blooms brought reminders of places and incidents in life. She explained how perfume was made from the oil in flowers, and the huge quantities of blooms grown for this purpose. Although lavender was considered an English flower, it originally came from France about 1685. The various methods of extracting the essence of oil and the processes of distilling were described. Not only the flower petals, but. leaves and roots retained their different scents and were sometimes used for the making of perfume. The speaker pointed out how each plant had its own perfume. Take | for instance camphor wood, which re- i tains its scent always. That is why f it is used for making boxes. She referred to the difference in eucalyptus 1 scents, one species being utilised for the making of artificial attar of roses. From another species a menthol was made, which was the means of it being manufactured much cheaper than formerly. Eucalyptus is also used for other purposes. Mrs Wagstaff then dealt, with spices, saying that cloves are the unopened buds of a tree very like the New Zealand manuka. She gave the history of several spices and described how they were produced. Ginger was the underground stem of the canna plant family, and tumeric comes from a similar plant. Much information concerning herbs was also given. Specimens of aromatic plants and leaves were brought by Mrs Wagstaff to illustrate her talk, which was exceedingly interesting and was followed hy a discussion on the subject. Mrs Denniston thanked the speaker for her very informative address. A musical monologue and an elocutionary item were given by Miss Alice R.ogers. Sprays of berries and autumn flowers and leaves were presented to Miss Wallace and Miss Rogers. After a refreshing cup of tea had been served, the members viewed the display of antiques, which included a small picture of a hunting meet perfectly worked in silks; old silver; a cup and saucer over 80 years old: a pewter tankard with glass bottom; carved ivory card case; an 18th. century “Standish” for holding wax for sealing letters; a Maori stone adze and a copy of. a Wellington paper, the Independent, dated 1869.