PATEA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1003, 28 February 1883, Page 3

PATEA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY .

President, Hv F. Christie; Hon Secretary, A. W. Williamson ; Committee : H. E. P. Adams, C. Orchard, J. Riseley, J. Williamson, Gilbert Pearce, J. C. F. Barker. The Autumn Show of the Patea HortL cultural Society was opened in the Harmonic Hall at half-past two this afternoon, and may be regarded as one of the most interesting yet held. There were circumstances of weather, which would militate against garden produce, ancK the committee could not have entertained high hopes of the competition in the different classes being as large as usual. The season has been the driest one known for years; in fact we have had three months of drought, and it was only in well-sheltered swampy places with plenty of manure that vegetables could be grown. The heavy vain and wind of last week knocked the flowers all to pieces, and in the view of a concatenation of adverse circumstances, the collect tions of fruit, flowers, and vegetables, ar? superior to what might have been reason;ably expected. The judges who were to have attended found at the last moment they could not do so, and the committee secured the services of Mr Scrivener, of Wanganui, and Mr William Howitt, of Patea.

The vegetables generally were fine in size and quality, and there was also a large variety including one or two exhibits of an uncommon kind. As a rule this class of competition is left to the professional gardeners, but here we had contributions from the kitchen gardens of settlers about. Mr J. Kius, as usual was to the fore, and showed some especially good onions and red cabbages. The latter were like solid balls, and hard as wood. The long and round red beet shown was of good size, but the latter lacked color. The rhubarb was excellent, as wasalsoabrace of cucumbers grown by Mr Jacob. The potatoes were not so fine as we have seen at pre-vious-shows by r the although there was,.no Variety, e I I In frtiif there "was hot so muclfcompetition as usual,, and. but for Mr J. Paterson’s really splendid collections, this class would have.been but .poorly represented. This gentlemen almost occupied the whole of one isideboard, having: no less than thirty-nine varieties of apples, twelve of pears, and forty-nine dishes of mixed fruit embracing apples, pears, plums, raspberries, r ~gooseberries,; strawberries,' mullberries, elder berries, peaches, and grapes. The yellow Magnum BoriUm plums were remarkably large and the peaches very fine, considering the weather we : have had. The black and white grapes were small,, but an improvement on former efforts to bring this choice but difficult fruit to rear, to perfection. * A dish of nectarines was deserving of |a paize, being superior to samples.of this fruit ordinarily.exhibited. Mr R Prouse bad a dish containing honeycomb and colour; and a quantity ot bottled fruits and preserves were put in. • ; - : The collection of flowers is larger and ihofe varied than‘might have been expected for the reasons already mentioned. Thete were more -pot- plants than last year, but no so many hand bouquets, spring being a; better time for this class of exhibits. The three, bridal bouquets were not made up' with such taste as is usually displayed in the delicate and interesting contributions, indeed one of them was placed in a dirty unwashed bottle, and looked anything but pretty. There were plenty of button-holes, which the young gentlemen of Patea will have an opportunity this evening of investing in. If there are any aethetics among them, a local Bunthorne, he can be supplied with a sun flower. There, are some very fine Zinnias and Phlox, and one particular plant which obtained attention was \a geranium with variegated flowers. The pot plants had the appearance of having been roughly used, but there were some handsome specimens amongst them. Owing to the late hour at which the judges finished, our report is necessarily shorter than it would have been otherwise. The Patea Rifle Volunteer Band will be in attendance to-night under the leadership of Bandmaster Harnerton, and the hall should present a gay appearance.

Snbjoinecf'isWe Prize' List* ROT PLANTS. Geraniums, three varieties, single, A W Williamson 1 Petunias, two varieties, double, A W Williamson 1 Petunias, two varieties, single, A W Williamson 1 Fuchsias, three varieties, A W Williamson 1 Balsams, three varieties, R B Pearce 1 Begonias, three varieties, foliage, C Orchard 1, H E P Adams 2 Begonias, two varieties, flowering, C Orchard 1 Collection of ferns (established), Mrs Wray 1 Specimen plant in bloom, H E P Adams 1, 0 Orchard 2 Specimen plant, foliage, HEP Adams 1, R Williams 2 Best flowering plant in the room, A Woods 1 ; Collection of plants flowering or foliage, C Orchard 1, A W Williamson 2 Best fuchsias, Major Turner’s prize, A; Woods I Sedmns, A W Williamson 1 . Coleus, C Orchard.l ~..... - CUT FLOWERS. , > j Asters, four varieties, J Paterson 1, Zinnias, three varieties single, H E P Adams 1, Rpsce, three,.ya.rietiie&, A.H tYilliamsqn 1, PaUsiCsj six*’varieties, H E-P-'Aclams" 1, J Paterson 2, Verbenas, six varieties, HEP Adams 1, R B Pearce 2 Stocks, four varieties, Miss Gowland 1 Dahlias, three vaiielies, A H Williamson 1, Mrs Wray 2 Phlox Drummundi, three, varieties, J, Paterson 1, Mi's Wray 2 . I •Hand Bouquet, not more than six inchesdn ' v Adams 2 Bridal bouquet, not more than four inches in diameter, A Pearce 1, Miss Williamson 2 ; Table? ■ decorations,' ’fhfeo ■ only), Mrs Orchard 1 Stand of flowers, C Orchard 1, Mrs Wray 2 Collection of cut flowers, Mrs Wray 1, R B Pearce 2 Floral device, A W Williamson 1 FRUIT. Grapes, white, three bunches, J Bins 1 j J Rius;ll Apples, dessert, plate of six, J Paterson 1, A H Williamson 2 Apples, best collection, three of each sort, J Paterson 1 Peaches, clingstone,’plate of six, J Paterson 1, L Bremer 2 Peaches, freestone, plate of six, J Paterson 1, L Bremer 2 Pears,, dessert, plate of sis, J Rius 1, J " Paterson 2 Si " i . ?’■ : -Pearsj cooking, plate of six, Pearce 1, J Paterson 2 Pears, best collection, J Paterson 1 Nectarines, plate of six, Rius 1 Blackberries,, plate of twelve, A H Williamson 1 ’ Quinces, plate of six, J, Williamson 1, R. Williams 2 PI inns, dessert, plate of six, J Rius I,‘ J Paterson 2 Plums, cooking, plate of six, J Paterson 1 Melon,'rock, one, Miss Williams 11 Melon, water, one, Miss Williams 1 Cape gooseberries, plate of twenty, R Williams J, A Pearce 2 Jams or jellies, in jars of not less than 11b each, E Payne 1, Mrs H Williamson 2 Collection of fruits, J Paterson! Cooking apples, Mrs.Jacob 1, G Pearce 2 VEGETABLES.' Peas, twenty-five pods, Mrs Wray 1 Beans, runner, twelve pods, R B Pearce 1, ; J Bias 2 ■ ’’ - Beet, two roots," HEP Adams 1, Mrs Wray 2 Carrots, six, J Williamson 1, Rius 12 Cucumbers, two, Mr Jacob 1, L Bremer 2 Tomatos, six, A H Williamson 1, Rins2 Cabbages, two, De Banks 1, Mrs Wray 2 Cabbages, red, two, Rius 1, J Williamson 2 Onions, six, Mrs Wray 1, De Banks 2 Onions, collection^,.three of each-sort, L Bremer 1 Pumpkins, one, Rius 1, Mrs Guy 2 Turnips, six, De Banks 1, Mrs Wray 2 Potaties, kidney, twelve, De Banks, 1, A W Williamson 2 Potatoes,round, twelve, AW Williamson 1 Collection of potatoes, De Banks 1 Collection of herbs, Rios 1, Barker (?) 2 Vegetable marrow, C F Barker 1, A H Williamson 2 -:r i comb, 121bs, B- feouse T JJ EXTRAS —SPECIAL PRIZES. Water Bouquet, Miss Williams 1 Chilian Beet, HEP Adams Eschalots, L Bremer 1, De Banks 2 Buttbh-liole Boquet; G Pearce 1, Miss Williamson 2 Rhubarb, A H Williamson 1, Rius 2 Bread, G H Palmer 1 Single Dahlia, HEP Adams 1 Indian corn—G H Palmer 1 Saxifrage—A H Williamsonl Bottled gooseberries—Miss Williams Pie melon—Mrs Wray 1