CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2833, 27 February 1888, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

Our Horticultural Shows. j TO THE EDITOR. i Sir.—Kindly allow me through the medium- of your columns to place before our Horticultural Society one or I two suggestions for their consideration. i I think it would huve been an improvement if instead of giving on« prize for plums, they venue oiler two, say for the b'-st three varieties of culinary, ami llie llircft best .sarU of des.ierc, only one nf winch should lie a gage. i.iiwmjHgiM being considered the licit of all, it is quite useless for anyotie to attempt 10 compete against them with plums, lik the quality ever so good. If the prizes are not altered, the consequence will be that in a few years plums will he conspicuous hv. their absence, It would be much more i satisfactory to exhibitors if their was 1 some standard laid down in the apple 1 classes so that intending exhibitors would know what they were, competing | for. It slionlJ be stated, especially in i the dessert class, whether the apples i are to be early or late varieties, or i some of each. It is folly to taste a ' late apple, and compare it with an i early one, although the former may he i much better when it is ripe. I notice ! that at one Show the' apples are not 1 tasted, and the prizes are awarded to ■ the best looking ones. At auother, ' they are all tasted, and awarded ■ accordingly. , Yours, etc., Would-be Exhibitor, 8 - _ s A Fruit Growers' Association, a TO THE EDITOR. .

Sir,—ln your editorial of the 22nd uißt,'you relev to the codlin moth and recommend the Horticultural Society to discuss the subject. It appears to me the best way would be to form a Fruit Growers Association. If all those interested in apple growing were to meet now and then and thoroughly discuss the subject it might result in something practical being done. At the rate this pest has increased this lust year or two it is generally believed there will not be a sound apple grown in Masterton five ypars hence, i.e. providing their ravages are not checked. A stitch in time saves nine, The sooner some action is taken in the matter the better. It is a pity to allow so many young orchards to go to ruin without an effort to save them, lam, ic, Jas. C. Alpass. ANOTHERBATHINa FATALITY. Drowned in a Gravel Pit. Sad Occurrence at Greytown, At about half past four o'clock on Saturday afternoon an urgent message was sent to Constable Eccleton of the Greytown police from the Moron, stating that a lad had been drowned in a gravel pit on Mr T. Kemptou's property opposite Mr Duncan Cameron's hoiiieateiil, The news unfortunately proved 100 true, and one more tragic occurrence was added to the annuls of the Wairarapa.

The victim.of this sad accident was soon found to lie John Roliert Whilerod, a liright and intelligent lad of 15 years of age, who had hitherto linen employed in (he Wairarapa Standard Office, and who was the eldest son of Mr Whiierod, engineman on the Greytown branch railway.

The circumstances of tho fatality, as learnt by our reporter on tho scene are as under;— The deceased, accompanied by his brother William, aged 13, and a boy named Win Taylor, aged 10 years, went to the water-holo on Saturday afternoon for the purpose of bathing. John Whitcrod was the only one to strip and go light into the water, the other two lads contenting themselves with sitting on the bank and dabbling their feet, as boys are wont. It should liera be mentioned tbat the drowned lad could not swim, hut as the bottom of the gravel pit had 1 gently sloping bottom, from nothing up to seven feet deep, he could walk about and paddlo without danger on this score, To return again to our narrative, which will be best told in the words of the brother of the deceased, It seems that John, after playin« round in the water for a bit, wos noticed to have a funny look in his face. "I then," says Willie, "thought there was something wrono with him, and stepped into the water to help him out, but when I tried to reach him with my hand he said 'No, I won't; we will only both be drowned' (tho poor boy was evidently very terrified, and was afraid of dragging his brother in too). He then went under the water, but soon came up again, when he managed to gasp out 'Good-byo; remember me to mother and father,' John, at once sank, and did not come up any more, although we waited for five minutes to see if he would, so that wo could get him out," From this little lad's story it will be seen how the drowning happened, The two boys seem to have waited before going for help, but this at their ago and with their fright could not be made a subject for blame, although one of regret. Mr Geo. Wakeliu was the first summoned by the lads, and he brought with him MrPerSvenson who stripped and searched for the body,-which by this time had sank to the bottom of the pit, and owing to the muddy state of the water was not oasy to find. When eventually found and taken out, it was quite cold, and lifo was of course extinct,

As if indicating cramp as the cause of the catastrophe, the deceased's light leg was found doubled up and the toes turnedij, -

It should be added that the eye witnesses Willie Whiterod and Willie Taylor were so much frightened as to be very confused in their statements and gave besides the above, other ac. counts of the fatality, one in which the deceased was said to have dived and not come up again, and anothor in which ha was mentioned as trying to float'on his back (which be could do to some extent) at the time of the mis-

bap, The description we have given at length aeemedj however, to he the one thej beat agreed Very much sympathy indeed is felt in Greytown for Mrund Mrs Whiterot in their add loss, for the parents were greatly ' respected, and the lad was ajift'ersal favorite, and was a very premising boy. ...'.,

The inquest is to be held to-day, and the funeral is fixed for to-morrow.