PORI ALBERT.

Wairoa Bell, Volume IV, Issue 158, 12 August 1892, Page 2

PORI ALBERT.

| FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT J Our Mutual Improvement Society held its usual weekly meeting on Saturday, July 31st. Mr E. Walker, vice-president, occupied the cha.ii’, and the attendance was fair. The fust business was to receive the report of the Committee appointor! at the hist mooting to consider the advisability of procuring some more eligible building in which to hold the meetings of the Society. The Committee recommended that part of the hall be secured and that the Committee offer the sum of Is fid per night for the use of such. Also that the Class purchase a curtain to enclose a portion of the hall. The recommendation was agreed to. The following programme was then gone through : —Song, ‘ Still I love Thee,’ Miss Coubrough ; recitation, Mr Bridge; dialogue. ‘ Wolsey and Cromwell,’ Messrs F. Hartnell and E. Walker; song, ‘ The Boys of the Old Brigade.’ Mr C. Walker. Impromptu Speeches filled up the rest of the evening. The Band of 1 lope held its usual monthly meeting; in the chapel on Tuesday, the president, Mr Shepherd, being in the chair. The meeting began by the singing of hymn No. 8, after which the Chairman gave a short speech. Then followed a recitation by Marion Gubb ; duett, Mrs Reid and Miss St oven ton; speech, Mr Gibbous ; recitation, Miss Coubrougli. The weather being propitious, for a wonder, as the clerk of the weather seemed to think that there should have been plenty of water about on that night, there was a good number present, but very few of those whose names wore on the programme, so the meeting depended on volunteers. A letter was received from the Minister’s Conference asking the Band of Hope to add a gambling’pledge, audit was decided to do so.

The Port Albert Agricultural and Pastoral Society met at the residence of Mr G. Thomson on Wednesday. The president was in the chair. The paper for the evening’s debate was on the culture of the potato plantIt was to have been on pumpkins, but the gentleman that was to have written the paper has resigned from the (Society. After some more discussion on that vexed question cf the disputed prize for sheep, Mr Belcher, the gentleman claiming the prize, bring present and proving his claim, it was decided to pay it at once. Mr Ju.id was then called upon to give his paper, and commenced by saying that our climate was very much against the successful growing of potatoes here in our district and said that the limestone land did not suit for potatoes. He also said that the most ho knew of grown to the acre was five tons, and considered the only chance we Dad was to plant in July and digin September when potatoes arc dear and buy between those months when they are dear. The essayist recommended the Kidney Early Rose and Moria white as the most suitable for our soils and gave a little advice on the storing of the crops. The paper, which was rather short, was well criticised by the members, one critic saying that he knew one grower who planted potatoes in limestone land, who had to get a pick to dig them out ancl then he had to be careful they did not roll down the cracks, as the soil came out in huge lumps. The next business was the considering of the CocllinMoth Conference held in Auckland by the fruit growers and a Committee was appointed to draw up a resolution protesting against any legislation on the subject and also that the importation of American fruit be prohibited, as that no doubt was the cause of the pest, and to send the forgoing to our member, Mr Thompson, at Wellington.