A Visit to Mr Weightman's, Awahuri.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 210, 9 March 1896, Page 2

A Visit to Mr Weightman's, Awahuri.

(KKOM A COURESI'OXDENT.) Awaliuri is a small village a little over four mil(?s from Feilding, and is a place we do uot very ofteu read about in the newspapers, but it has a garden and orchard very much noted for their beauty. I refer to the. beautiful garden owned and cultivated by Messrs Jos. Weightnian and Sons. A visit to these is worth travelling one hundred miles to see, especially at this time of the year. Recently I had the pleasure to be shown right through the hothouses, the orchard, and the nursery, aud it really was a treat. If you can allow me space in your valuable paper I will attempt to describe it. As we go in at the front gate the first thing that strikes the eye is an elegant palm, some fifteen feet high, which has only been planted live years. Then I was led into a hothouse. What a blaze of colors ! The begonias are simply marvellous, all colors imaginable. I noticed particularly a very dark one, a real beauty, another salmon, and a third pink, which Mr Weightman informed me were from his own seedlings, together with many other beautiful specimens. The coleus w 7 ere very beautiful, the size and colors of the leaves being line. A little further on I came to the dahlias, of which there are sixty varieties on one bed, and forty on another. Some of the best sorts were peacock, pioneer, John Hickling, king of the crimsons, and Miss Marj' Meyer, the last named being the only yellow cactus dahlia in cultivation. On the other side were Chrysanthemums, about two hundred varieties, all looking very healthy. Mr Weightman has taken the highest prizes obtainable for these flowers. I am referring to the National Ch^santbemum Society of England Silver Medal. I was next shown the fruit, which hung " like ropes of onions " on the trees. The plums, peaches, grapes, and apples are a sight. The trees could not bear better than what they are doing. The}' arc literally breaking down. In conclusion, I am sure anyone calling on Mr Wgightman would be treated as kindly as was. After I had been shown round 1 tasted Mr Weigh trnan's cider, which was " prime."