PORT ALBERT.

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 201, 9 June 1893, Page 3

PORT ALBERT.

[from our own ooebespoumnt], Saturday night was the Ladies’ night at the Mutual Improvement Society hero, and a good programme was gone through with great spirit. Mrs P. Beeoroft occupied the chair and -.f ulfilled her duties in a very pleasant maimer. The first item was an instrumental piece by the Misses Hartnell and G-übb ; this was very nicely rendered. Mrs -B. M G-übb then gave a recitation, ‘Jan’s Sister,’ in her well-known pleasing style. This was followed by a song by Miss finer Brokenshi r given to ■ u- per, ~ Mrs fine, fine, e rneforward and read a paper on ‘ Slang-' which gave rise to a very animated discussion, after which Miss L. Grice sang- ‘ Mississippi Shore, ’ and Mrs Booth ‘ Galled Back.’ There was a groat turn out on Monday the 29th May of all the original settlors and their families at the Port Albert Hall, this being the 30th anniversary of their arrival in the colony. Over 200 sat down to tea, there being- plenty for

all. The after meeting-.was the best we have had in connection with that movement for some years, the main reason being- that the Eev. Mr Gittos was in the chair : he made a splendid

chairman, and gave a speech relating some reminiscenses of the early days and said how pleased he was to be supported by all the old friends, and he told how near they once were to a repetition jof the Poverty Bay massacre, and said it was only the other day that he was talking- to one of the natives who told him that if the Port Albert tribe had joined them they intended to travel right up North and kill every one they came across, only, ho said, Mr Gittos’ having such influence with the natives prevented the great slaughter from taking 'place. He described the first Sunday they spent on the beach and held the first services, when he called upon one, the llev. Mr Edgar, to offer up prayer, but lie was unable to respond as he with the rest of the friends were overcome with memories of the happy home they had left behind. He gave an instance of how the people were often disappointed at the non-arrival of the cutter with supplies ; of their coming down to his place for food as they had none for themselves or children and how pleased he was to bo able to supply them with what they required. He thus concluded a speech that would be well it every chairman would copy as it bristled with good useful information, and kept the audience all attention. The following programme was gone through : —Part song ‘ Departure,’ by the Company ; song- ‘The Better Land,’ Miss M. Dudding ; instrumental piece, Messrs Armitage, Webster, and Nicholson (violins), and Miss Thiele (piano). This was a splendid performance but was kept up too long; speech by Eev. Mr Mather . very good, but with all due respect to the speaker the subject of temperance was out of place at that meeting ; instrumental piece, Messrs Armitage, Webster, and Nicholson ; song Mrs Waters ; pianoforte solo, Miss Thiele ; song ‘ Pilgrim Fathers,’ Mrs A. Walker; song, Miss Thiele. Mr J. Shepherd then came forward and proposed a vote of thanks to the chairman and all who had taken part in the meeting, and which, by request of the chairman, Mr L. P. Beecroft came forward to second. In a few well chosen words he said that he some of the young men of the place ought to be put on the programme as they will have to take the old people’s places by and bye,and they ought to he brought out. This is a good remark, for not only are some of the young men of- Port Albert quite as capable, but I saw three or four gentlemen on the platform who had more right to speak than some of the interlopers (?) that did speak, anil it is to be hoped they will get a show next time. The brigantine Zeno, Captain Fry. has arrived here to complete her loading : she had part of her cargo 130,000 from Chadwick’s mill, Pahi. The County Council have let a tender to Mr G. Hartnell for extending the shed accommodation on the wharf, which is to he forty feet long. When finished it will be a great convenience to people using the whai-f. Tlic monthly meeting of the Agricultural Society took place last'Thursday at the residence of Mr H. Litten, when tlie subject for the evening’s discussion was a paper on ‘ Grass.’ There was a fail- attendance of members, and Mr G. T. Hartnell, in the absence of the president, was called to the chair. Correspondence was received from the society in Auckland, giving information in regard to this society affiliatingwith the parent society, which it was decided to do. That part of the business beiug- disposed of, Mr Litten was called on for his paper and commenced by saying that the laying- down in permanent grasses was one of the principal branches of farming. He did not think too much could be said about the subject as the land in this part was so changeable that the seed that suited one part would not grow on another part of the same paddock, as a good deal of the land in this district was heavy limestone, and was very wet in the winter, but parched up in the summer ; in fact it very often kills the grass altogether. He said that clay soils are a little hatter for holding grass, but preferred the sandstone land for grass as it held more moisture in tlie summer and does not harbour crickets like the limestone, and said what was wanted was a grass that, would spread over the ground and not leave bare patches to be covered with thittle and pennyroyal. Cocksfoot, rye grass, and clover are the principal grasses sown here, but many kinds of fescues are coming in to use ; red frit-cues being- good for the poor soil of which wo have a goo i deal round these parts and he thought rat tail was the best grass to plant as it was a good hardy grass and it stood both drought, and >vet, and could be burnt off in the autumn and it grows in a short time belter than ever, it would be the best to grow although it was rough on the cattle and horses’ teeth, but it took two or three years before it was auy good, so what we wanted was to find out the best sorts to grow till it was ready. He said the trouble was that the farmers in this district (and other districts as well) were unable to purchase bonedust with their small capital, and the sheep and cattle wanted changing more often than they were. The paper was followed by an in-teresting-discussion, all the members taking an active part, which they don’t often do. The next meeting is to he held at Ml- Kceller’s house. Subject : Sorg-lium.