ITEMS OF INTEREST

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 4, 7 September 1943, Page 6

ITEMS OF INTEREST

Rose With Green Corolla

Rosese with petals deep green in j colour have been exhibited in Aucls-1 land. The green rose is not common,, although it has been grown in Auckland for many years. With foliage, calyx and corolla all of a deep olive green tint, the green rose is not colourful among brighthued exotics, but the flower is. perfect in shape, and, as one horticulturist said, "mighty like, a rose." Maori Food Supplies In some respects Maoris in Auckland follow the ways of their ancestors in getting food supplies. There are small creeks at Onelumga, Henderson and other districts which still yield a haul of eels and shellfish can be got on nearby beaches. In addition,, the kina, or sea egg, is also sought. II is found at low water in places where there are. rocks, and has to be obtained by diving or wading. 'Fierce Fighting' The manner in which one town was taken after the Bth Army began its offensive failed to line up with the story of its capture as told by the 8.8.C., according to comments by Lieutenant-Colonel J. A. Bretherton, writing to his family in Chrtstchurch. The soldiers were amused, he said, at the tale of "fierce fighting" to. secure the town. "Three of us, were first into it with a revolver or two and a Tommy gun, and it was like Cathedral Square at midnight," he writes. Fine Shearing Tallies In tw r o consecutive days 613 sta-tion-class Romney ewes and lambs were shorn at the Government farm, Poro-o-ta-rao, Te Kuiti, by Mr A. Pittams, of Wa'imiha. On the first day his total was 308., and on the second day 305, the working time in each instance being 8 hours and 40 minutes. This, performance runs close to that of Mr A. Pratt, Cambridge, who in nine hours sheared 321 ewes on the Glentui Estate, Te Miro. A fair average day's work for a competent shearer is 220 sheep. Native Loyalty "If we don't like a Government law in the Solomon Islands, we send it back," said the Rev. J. F. Gdldie, a pioneer Methodist missionary, in an address in Christchurch. He said that the missionaries were always on the watch to safeguard the interests of the natives, even if it meant "having a scrap with a Government official." All the natives of the Solomons knew that there was liberty and justice under the Union Jack, and their loyalty was unwavering. Interest in Kiwis Men of the American fighting forces, said the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry) had displayed great interest, in the wild life of the Dominion. Several of the men had travelled to see two kiwis being looked after by Mr F. D. Dodson, curator of the game farm and fish hatchery at Greenmeadows, near Napier. Permission, with .certain st.iplated conditions, had been given the Hawke's Bay Acclimatisation Society to retain at the farm the birds, which, through misadventure, had been injured and found some time ago far away from the bush. Ten Sons Serving Of the eleven sons of Mrs W. Hilton, of Silverspur, Australia, ten a.r? AyUth th? Australian Impel ial Force, one serving abroad, four in New Guinea, and the others in Australia. A brother of the late Mr Hilton served in the last Avar;, and also a brother of Mrs Hilton. Mrs, Hilton has a son-in-law in the Australian Militia Force in Australia, and another son-in-law, a returned soldier of the last Avar,, serving with the Garrison* Battalion. A grandson, Able-Seaman Hilton Lloyd Croft, of TooAvoomba, aged nineteen, Avas reported missing last March. The youngest son,, Ray, Avho is 14, lives Avith his mother. One Too Many There is a story they are telling in the Caribbean Sea—and swearing it is true. A transport lay in harbour preparing to sail Av'ith a detachment of troops ordered back to the United States. Suddenly from the soldiers their turn to mount the gangway, one figure broke and ran, shouting "I'm not going aboard that boat, and you can't make me." Two burly M.P.s gave chase and at the end of a lusty rough-and-tumble session half-'drag-ged, half-carried the fugitive aboard. A feAV hours later when the transport Avas at sea, noses Averc counted. There Avas one nose too many. A homesick soldier had found a Avay to go home.'

The 'Jumping Jeep' A highlight of a demonstration of aerial strafing at Foxton was the "jumping" >act of a jeep, which was greatly appreciated by the troops who. watched it. Finding that the jeep could not Cross a ditch by careful manoeuvring, the driver backed, his. vehicle, unloaded passengers, and took a good run at the obstacle. Amid the applause of soldiers the. jeep leapt the ditch and bounced to a standstill, much in the manner of a horse that has negotiated a difficult jump. Cat Family's Ordeal "When unpacking a new motor one day we were all very amused to see some American reinforcements jump out of the case —a cat and five kittens!" writes a member of the Middle East Forces to a firm in Wellington. "The kittens were in good order, but thci mother was about done. The motors are usually covered in grease, but this one was licked clean; in fact, polished. After feeding them for a few days, they were all very frisky, ' and after a week the mother was in the pink of condition. At that time most of our freight came from America by air, and,, according to the date on the case, Mrs Cat and family had been in that case 1 for three weeks."