SPRING IN THE CAMPS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3194, 19 September 1917, Page 6

SPRING IN THE CAMPS

DAFFODILS AND KHAKI There's something in the music, And in the soldiers' swing— We hardly need the daffodils To tell us it is spring. Yet the daffodils, and other flowers too,, are there, in the,camps of Trentham and Feathereton; They nod in the warm breezes, their goldeoi delicate trumpets thrill to the sound of the marching pots, the booming of the big drum, Mid the skirl of the side-drums,' as bh.o band leads into camp the soldiers of the Thirty-fourth Reinforcements. When these bulbs were being planted men wero. making bets with one another whether there would over be a Fortieth Reinforcement. It looks now as though the optimists will have to pay once more for their optimism. But that is by the way. The point is that yellow daffodilß and bluo anemones and white freesias, as.welX as red rununculus and. brown pansies and other flowers are lining the as the Thirty-fouirth Eeinforcements go into camp. Spring is a good: time to go into camp. . Featherston has been a little garden city for some time. Shrubs and green lawns and flower-beds line the space between the main road and the camp building. Where the water-race crosses • tho road near the gates the channel has beea narrowed between 6tones and lilies planted. That is the visitor's first view of the beautifying schemo of Featherston Camp. Further along are the shrubs and lawns just mentioned. And where the tall flagpole stands outside Headquarters a pretty little garden has been made. But perhaps it is at the hospital that the noticeable work in this direction hasbeeto done. , -

The hospital Hock at one time was a, barren-looidng place, sheltered by gloomy pine trees. Now it is a bright spot, for which the dark trees" make a good eettin». Lawns have teen laid down, row wardens made, and linos ox sna>pel£ shrubs planted. The scheme isMteMive and is still being enlarged by willing workers, including convalescent soldiers. All manner of plants hare in. Among them are two heavy-leaved plants outside the P.M.O.'e quarters. Thereare often arguments among unbotMical people a3 to whether they are aloes or bananas or green bay trees, thor are they aTe flourishing, like tho rest of the gardens And spring is there with her daffodils. Trentham really makes her debut snrin" 06 n garden camp, though the h&l grounds and ca™P have had claims to beauty » ing Trentham has been a dafl horse. During the exact ? ncrrionltuTal activity. Without exacii* norning their swords into ploughshares, the camp staff have urged the spades,m „U pa?te of the camp tc fnd the coming of spnn, brings realisation of their plans The Thirtv-fonrths meet with .he hrst of' these many successful efforts just inside the gates, where a series of gard i. q j c p-nelosed 1n tocks, begin Stacei of battles and places where Ivrit Z<xikvn^ fnnX-GaWpoir Mwsine*. on white granite slabs, are set ,» the Kfnnps on a ever ench flowpr-b&d. it > Rftmr*fhin« r "for Ihe nGTT p °M ier Tr feline of bright flow*- plots made fi plnK ' here I s open space before ing hospital. a wider scheme of pardoning has been devise,!. A lofty iHamf*>*.£ bv the Engineers, soars to the blu-, m regulation ship-shape •nshio-i-there is no longshore nßjnng on this flagpole, and the taut steel wires Irani in a breeze. between it and the hospital and the dental hospital the landscape gardeners have had a free hand ant! plenty of room to work. The J 1 '? ( v f the scheme is well established, and the convalescents have a pleasant niwpect to 9aze at. Peril an* equally pleapnnt to' who have nothinjr tn> do isthe ot men and horses working at the ?ron™ in front of the new Headqunrtere-work-in" fast, so as to catch the planting season. ere it has quite gone, for oven tho niilifarv. cannot make Tvatiire -rork to Hie word of command, thovmh they ar® transplanting her imb, leaf and root. Behind the denhl hospital m the angle of the two winjs of the building, a pleasant trarden. with garden seats, flower borders. and gravel nath?. has been wade. Tet further along the street an e.xtensivg fernery is.being made. Tt includes «t !in»dsome summer-house, made of manuka and pimga stems. 'But the fernery which forms part of the garden or the officers' mess is well underlay and-prow-ii'vr bravely, in spite of the frosts. Here also are the beds which represent different countries -jn the Empire. with her daisies, sweet w,lHam. aimrases, and other Ew'» h n l,owe Africa. Australia, and .<ther represented. Where the now the site of a garden, and there aro other beautv spots on the way from tho hospital to the Engineers camp, the points at which the beantificabon of tho ianiD be^an—though the A.S.G. omce* have a claim, too. for they hnye always been adorned by pot ph"»k fe nnaint. pretty corner amonr the rumD tf £!!&*. 4m \fter the long, wet winter, officers -Ml men look at one aofc i"J' l • ha " the camp is looking well, isn t it.