Foxton State School.

Manawatu Herald, 27 March 1894, Page 2

Foxton State School.

Duriug the quarter ending in September List a few of the scholars cared for pot flowers in the schoolrooms, encouraged thereto by a prize offered by Mr Redmond. The Chairman of the School Committee was called to decide upon the successful exhibits and to award the prize, and at the conclusion offered a similar sum for a similar competition to be decided before the Christmas holidays commenced. This was also ended ; but i it was apparent that flowers were not | I suitable, as they did not thrive well in the school-rooms, having a habit of growing long and weak and flowering poorly ; so the Chairman promised to give prizes of the same value for the period between school re assembling and the Easter holidays for the two best specimens of j ferns grown under the same condii tions. It appears that this met with the hearty accord of the scholars, as on Thursday last 19 specimens, all very good, were arranged for Mr Thynne's inspection. The first prize, ss, fell to a pot of 1 ferns attended to by Lettie Williams, which were obtained from Mr Easton's bush. j The second prize, 2s 6d, was gained by Emma Howan's exhibit which was secured in Mr Baker's bush. ! A very pretty fern, not so large or profuse as the others, was thought worthy of notice, and the Chairman made a third prize of Is for it. The owner, Alice Purcell, obtained the fern from her mother's bush There was another fern well worthy of notice though its size was nothing to speak of. but its owner had displayed much ta*te in its selection. As the Chairman mentioned as much, Mr Stewart, the head-master, provided the fourth prize of Is, which Adeline Collins had handed to her. The ftrn was from Mr Nye'3 bush. The other scholars who competed were : Girls— Edith Dunckley, Ethel Little, Ruby Fraser, May Gillespie, Amy de Ridder, Annie Rand, Charlotte Easton Louisa Jacobs, Pearl Fraser and Lizzie Easton. Boys — David Abern, Hugh Williams, Her bert Mitchell, Lynn Mitchell and Willie de Ridder. I'he interest aroused in the scholars to care for plants and to care to enliven their school-rooms is not to be allowed to cease, as the Chairman was allowed to announce that Mr Stewart would see that prizes were forthcoming for a similar display of ferns for the next quarter.