Almost adjoining the eastern nursery attached to Mr Tannock's quarters is a dell which lends itself most effectively to artistic gardening, and the most has been made of its natural advantages.
On both sides of a fairly steep gully, spanned at two points by rustic bridges, the banks have been planted with rhododendrons and azaleas, which in the season will present a wealth of brilliant colour.
Last year the young plants gave some indication of what may be expected; this year they should be resplendent with gorgeous blooms, for already the buds are showing freely.
In between these miniature trees have been planted in profusion narcissi and primuluses, which are likely to enhance the beauties of the dell and complete the colour scheme.
On part of the eastern bank, which last year, owing to lack of sufficient plants, had to be left practically untouched lilac bushes and other shrubs, foliage and floral, have been planted, and the dell should be a beauty spot well worth visiting, especially as the garden plants are flanked by native fuchsias and other indigenous trees.
Art and nature have been most artistically blended throughout, and the whole bears eloquent testimony to Mr Tannock's taste and skill as a landscape gardener.
A footpath has been constructed through the gully to the Northern Cemetery road, so that visitors may view the beauties from every vantage point.
The regular meeting of the Port Chalmers School Committee was held last evening, Mr J. McLachlan presiding.
The matter of inquiring about an honours board, to hold the names of the ex-pupils of the school who are serving the Empire either on sea or land (there are about 100 at present), was left in the hands of the chairman.
The report of the inspector of the school was highly satisfactory, and the secretary was instructed to write to the rector congratulating him and the staff.
The Rector reported that the average roll for the past four weeks was 479, and the average attendance was 457.
Once a year the shag comes up for trial before the Acclimatisation Societies' Conference on a charge of being a suspicious character, unlawfully preying upon trout.
At the conference on Wednesday Mr Edgar Stead (Christchurch) said the shag had the virtue of being the natural enemy of the trout, and without them the trout would increase in numbers and correspondingly decrease in size.
Mr Rutherford advocated the removal of the protection on black-and-white throated shags, which, he said, were so voracious that they had impoverished the fishing in some of the rivers and streams in the North Island. This was affirmed by the conference.
On August 1 the new award came into operation making the tipping of a steward a breach of an award under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act.
When the Maori arrived at Lyttelton on Tuesday to tip, or not to tip, that was the question. If anything, the small army of stewards was more assiduous than aforetime, and, when the hands of seasoned travellers found their habitual way to their trousers pockets there was no one to say them nay.
There were quite a number of breaches of the award. It is stated that a number of ''the men on the road'' have entered into a solemn league and covenant to abolish the tip. - ODT, 6.8.1915.
