Many of our smaller reserves lend themselves admirably to this method of growing the queen of spring flowers, and in the Octagon, during the past few weeks the admirable effect of the beautiful blooms of narcissi in the green sward has been freely commented on, and admired by the passer by.
It is to the Botanic Gardens, however, that the majority of the flower loving section of the public must look for the choice, modern varieties, and as Mr Tannock has an established collection of practically all the best narcissi in commerce, a pleasant and profitable hour may be spent there in looking over the fine show of blooms.
There are in Otago many ladies and gentlemen who have valuable private collections, comprising the latest and most expensive varieties of narcissi, and it is gratifying to know that the Dunedin Horticultural Society, despite the difficulties arising through the war, has decided to hold the first exhibition of the season in the Garrison Hall on Saturday, and thus afford the public an opportunity of seeing those chaste and perfect daffodils, which would otherwise only be seen by a privileged few.
• In a letter to the Army and Navy Journal a retired army officer says that no intelligent soldier will fire a dum dum or an explosive bullet at the enemy, for they both kill. The object of the rifleman is not to kill an enemy, but to wound him.
''A dead man is simply one soldier lost from his army. He is not a burden to anyone. A wounded soldier must be taken care of. Four wounded soldiers must have an ambulance with two horses and an able bodied soldier driver.
''Thirty wounded soldiers must have a surgeon, a hospital steward, and 10 or a dozen able bodied soldiers to aid the doctor and wait upon and nurse the wounded men. The ambulances block the roads and delay the troops, especially the artillery and the supply wagons. When a man is hurt everyone is anxious to get him at once to a doctor.
''If the troops on the firing line are not well disciplined, and a soldier is wounded, there will be three or four soldiers who are willing and anxious to carry him to the rear. For every soldier wounded the firing line loses four soldiers, and 10 wounded means that 400 men are lost to the firing line, for they never rejoin their regiments until the battle is over.''
- ODT, 21.9.1915.
