Early Settler's Hall sells daffodils

"La Rochelle'', a unique bungalow at Kopuka, Southland, is built entirely of logs taken from surrounding bush, sealed with plaster. There is practically no sawn timber in the building, which is a comfortable residence. - Otago Witness, 11.10.1916.
"La Rochelle'', a unique bungalow at Kopuka, Southland, is built entirely of logs taken from surrounding bush, sealed with plaster. There is practically no sawn timber in the building, which is a comfortable residence. - Otago Witness, 11.10.1916.
Last night the Early Settlers' Hall presented a quite brilliant spectacle.

By the evening train from Lawrence some 25,000 blooms of daffodils, carefully packed in wooden cases, and transported in a special van, came to hand, and a willing band of workers associated with the Otago and Southland Patriotic Association was busily engaged in taking the flowers from their cases and placing them in large baths of water to keep them fresh.

The flowers will be offered for sale on the streets to-day, and the money so obtained is to be devoted to purchasing material to be given to the school children to enable them to make up comforts for the soldiers.

The workers were mostly women, and one could not but help thinking that, while they were carrying heavy baths from one stand to another, working with the greatest enthusiasm for the good cause, there are still many people in Dunedin, and Otago, for that matter, who have but a faint idea of the arduous toil from day to day of these women workers.

The Lawrence Horticultural Society and the Lawrence Women's Patriotic Association supervised the picking of the flowers, which, however, were actually plucked by the school children of the district.

The children have also tied them into bunches. About 10,000 of the blooms were gathered on Mr Hart's property at Wetherstones, and the remainder from the Lawrence gardens.

It now rests with the people of Dunedin to see that the efforts of all those who have worked so nobly to assist our men at the front are amply rewarded.

The flowers are in the best of condition, and those who buy them will receive full value for their money. It may be added that Mr H. L. Darton came from Lawrence in the train carrying the flowers, to see that everything went all right.

He desires to thank the railway officials for the careful way in which they handled the cases, and also Mr D. Wallace (goods agent) for the manner in which he supervised the unloading at this end.

•The old council room at Mornington was the scene of great activity yesterday, the occasion being the collecting of the Mornington School children's donations for today's ''Flower Day'' in the city.

Over 600 children, under the control of the head master (Mr W. Davidson), marched to the Council Chambers, bearing contributions, which varied from blooms of different kinds to produce, including eggs, potatoes, and other kinds of vegetables.

One little lad brought along a rooster. Cakes, pickles, and jams were in abundance, and the stalls to-day should be well stocked.

Miss Stewart (president of the Otago Women's Patriotic Association), Mrs J. A. Johnstone, and Misses Burt, Rattray, and Geerin took delivery of all the articles, and there was a distinct element of pride about each child as it handed over its donation and received the thanks and a word of encouragement from the person taking delivery of it.

•Specimens of Ostrea hyotis have been forwarded to the Christchurch Museum by Mr Howard Tripp, of Timaru (says the Press).

These were obtained by fishermen dredging off Timaru in 25 fathoms. The Ostrea hyotis is a fairly large oyster, about the size of the Stewart Island variety, but not so well flavoured.

It has been obtained before off New Zealand by dredging in the Marlborough Sounds in 16ft of water, though it has a fairly wide range from the Indian Ocean.

The securing of these specimens goes to show what results might be obtained if a system of dredging was gone on with round the New Zealand coastline.

- ODT, 6.10.1916.

COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ

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