RANCHING INCIDENTS. 67 



held at Nelson in September, we put up over one 

 hundred varieties of dahlia blooms— cactus, decora- 

 tive, pompon, and single— and with them won two 

 first prizes and a second. The blooms, being all 

 massed together, formed the most striking feature of 

 the floral section of the show. 



On the same soil we grew some remarkably fine 

 gladioli, which again won us a first prize at Nelson. 

 Altogether, at that same show, we won six first and 

 three second prizes out of ten entries. Eloquent 

 testimony to the natural fertility of the soil of Bon- 

 nington Ranch! 



It was while the majority of us were absent in 

 Nelson at the show that the only instance of lawless- 

 ness which came under our own immediate observa- 

 tion occurred. A stranger came in off the railway 

 track, and presenting himself at Mrs. Lawrie's door 

 begged for something to eat, and after he had 

 been given what he asked for went on to demand 

 money. Mrs. Lawrie gave him a modest coin. He 

 was not satisfied, and demanded more. Calaby the 

 only man of our party left at home, was working up 

 on the bench, nearly half a mile away, so that Mrs 

 Lawrie was quite helpless, and was obliged to give 

 the man what he wanted. No doubt he knew that it 

 was the fair day, and speculated upon the men of 

 the ranch being absent in Nelson. 



The main incidents of our ranch life at this time 

 were such as arose out of the newness of the country 

 and our want of experience. For instance, when our 

 horses went lame, I was advised to remove their shoes 

 and let them run shoeless, being told that it was the 

 invariable practice to do so. This did not prevent 



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