Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 1925. THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2897, 16 June 1925, Page 2

Manawatu Herald TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 1925. THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

THE remarks of the retiring President of the Foxton Horticultural Society, as expressed at the adjourned annual meeting of that in-

stitution held on Friday evenin'”; last, no doubt occasioned surprise when read in our issue of Saturday. The remarks referred to wen* to the effect that he (Rev. W. If. Walton) was pleased to note that a little more enthusiasm had been evinced in the Society since the adjournment of the annual meeting the week previous. At that meeting, tin l speaker continued, it had practically been decided that the Society become defunct, but the larger attendance at the meeting that night was a little more encouraging. and he hoped the Society would be able to carry on and have a successful year. That the retiring president's remarks were justified by the circumstances there is no room for doubt, but. it is in some degree satisfactory to note that at least a spark of enthusiasm is visible in the Society’s activities. That the actual attendance at the adjourned meeting can be taken as the sum of the interest in the Society’s good work we refuse to believe, because each succeeding exhibition held by this organisation is quite worthy of our community, but where the cause for comment lies is in the fact that little tendency is at present being shown by the local public to help in shouldering the burden of organising and administering tin* Society's affairs. The public spirit is apparently not a common virtue locally, and needs to be cultivated and fostered to a greater extent, otherwise we. as a community, will be in danger of losing at least some of those organisations from our midst which make for reiinimeni and it wider appreciation of the joys and beauties of life on this earth. Bacon describes gardening as “tin* purest of human pleasures," and “the greatest refieshmcnt to the spirits of man. and since his time, it is sale to say the value of such a pastime has been doubly intensified as a hobby and a relaxation from the strenuous demands of modern business. As each succeeding exhibition is arranged and presented by the hardworking few in our midst, the display is much appreciated by the genera! public, who exhibit or patronise the shows, and it can also be said that the display is often worths' of the highest admiration, and is responsible for the encomium of patrons. Therefore the reason o! little or no enthusiasm being shown for assisting in the work of the Society is not apparent, and the only conclusion to be drawn is that the spirit which prompts the support of these public educational societies is lapsing into it state of coma, and needs to be again stimulated into activity, else our little •community may take a retrograde step which will place us, in this particular respect at least, where we were over liftecn years ago. Let us then, as each occasion demands, do our little Kit in the work of supporting and ndminUlei'ing the Society's alf airs, that we may retain and progress an institution which affords all who wish an opportunity which in no other way occurs of viewing each year an exhibition ol nature’s handiwork which is a delight and education.