MASTERTON BOWLING CLUB.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9057, 17 February 1908, Page 5

MASTERTON BOWLING CLUB.

SATURDAY'S GAMES

There was a fair number of bowlers present at the Masterton Club's green on Saturday, and some very enjoyable games were played. A match game for the Doubles, and a championship Feathers game were played, and both proved good spectacular games. Following are the scores: — Championship matches:— Blinkhorne, " Hunter, McEvven, Yates (skip), 21, beat Hosking, Cameron, Ewington, and McEwen (sk'p), 17.

Doubles.—Johnson and Hollings 28, beat Wilkes and VV. Piagnell, 16. Friendly games w°ie played as follow:—Hobday, Arnold, Gordon, Boagey (skip), 24, beat Cullen, Griffiths, Robieson and Prentice (skip), 23. Gordon, 24, beat Robieson, 14. Prentice and McEwen, 20, beat Johnson and Boagey* 9.

IMPROVEMENTS TO THE GREEN,

GOOD WORK BY THE CUSTODIAN.

Mr W. H. Denby.who has had charge of the Masterton Club's green for about five months past, has displayed unremitting care in keeping the trreen and its surroundings in the best possible condition, members having nothing but praise to bestow upon his efforts. On Saturday a "Wairarapa Age" reporter visited the green, and was genuinely surprised to see how well the pretty plots were looking in face of the severe drought, which has played such havoc with private gardens in the district. Mr Denby was hard at work digging and pruning, and effecting improvements in other respects. In the face of the most discouraging weather conditions the custodian has displayed commendable industry, and the green has retained its attractiveness to a very large degree. An important piece of work is now being carried out by Mr Denby, which the club will be grateful to the caretaker for when he has accomplished it. The newer green of the two has never since it was put down given that satisfaction which members desired, and Mr Denby has taken it right up. and intends putting it down afresh and introducing into it a method of drainage on an idea of his own which members think very highly of. The draining of a bowling green is by far the most important feature to be considered in its construction, and when the custodian announces the consummation,of his desires in respect of the new green no doubt it will be equal to, if not better than, the old green, which, by the way, is playing remarkably true when the trying ordeal of summer heat it has been subjected to is considered. Recently the caretaker decided to flood the old green in order to clear it, and the result was remarkable and unexpected. Soon after the water had covered the whole area uf the green thousands upon thousands of caterpillars rose to the surface. They were of quite a formidable length, and must have worked considerable mischief to the green in an insidious way. They were, however, not given a chance to return to their destructive work, but were cleaned out in a body. The staking-up of the ornamental trees, the arranging of wire trellises for climbing plants, and the cleanly and attractive !appearance of the fountains are all subjects which commend themselves to visitors to the green.