HAMPSTEAD SCHOOL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIII, Issue 2738, 5 August 1892, Page 3

HAMPSTEAD SCHOOL.

. At Hampstead School the proceedings were such as would have delighted the heart of the Minister of Agriculture, the active part being carried out entirely by the scholars of the school. The scholars mot at half-past ten, and a plentiful supply of implements being provided by the parents, the bigger boys, ably assisted by the bigger pirls, soon had holes dug lor the trees which were to be planted. ,Th« first tree planted was a memorial oak, which had been given by the Ashburton Domain Board. Mr Crooks, Chairman of the School Committee, made a short address, referring to the indiscriminate destruction of forests m the past, which made it now. necessary that others should be planted m their stead, and the Hampstead School Committee approving of ttie proposal, had determined to do the best they could with the ■mall spac^ of ground which was at their disposal. They had decided to plant deciduous trees, which would shelter them m summer and let the sun shine upon them m winter, and among them was an oaki the tree which every English speaking person ought to respect. He would, on behalf of the Committee, ask Mrs Malcolm to plant the oak as a " memorial royal oak," «nd would ask the boys and girls of the school to respect this tree above all others. He asked Mrs Malcolm to plant the tree with this spade, which she would kindly accept as a memento of the first Arbor Day m Hanipstead. Mrs Malcobn then planted the tree, the completion of the work being hailed with three hearty cheers. Mr Malcolm, head master, then thanked the Committee for the compliment paid to Mrs Malcolm. . He would l'ke to see garden plots allotted t» the girls, for the cultivation of flowers, and was sorry that there was no ground to give the boys little flower gardens also. Mrs Malcolm also thanked the Committee for the compliment, and hoped that the oak would live long and be respected by the children. Mr Crooks thanked Mrs Malcolm, on behalf of tlje Committee, for planting the memorial tree, and expressed hjs approval of Mr Malcolm's idea of girl*' flower gardens. A member of the Committee had mentioned the gardens at St. Albans jfcjhool, flowers g?ows ty *^cji fad tafcefl prises ftt BtyW," ■'■'„ " T^e otl^er fcrrtes, consisting of a row or walnut and silver pine and a large number of inacrocarpa, were then planted, A distribution of " lollies " to the children wai then made, and games were played until the time arrived to form m procession end merch to take part m the general demonstration.