ARBOR DAY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 262, 18 August 1949, Page 6

ARBOR DAY

Observance in Ashburton

MANY TREES PLANTED There Avas a large attendance of primary and secondary schoolchildren at the delayed observance of Arbor Day in Ashburton, at the Domain this morning. Although the weather was. unpleasant, these present listened enthusiastically to brief speeches by the Mayor (Mr E. C. Bathurst) and the chairm m of the Reserves Committee of the Borough Council (Councillor H. G. Ferrier). Both speakers impressed on thechildren the beauty and value of trees and the necessity to prevent the ruthless destruction of Nature’s beauty. Cr. Perrier stated that the observance of Arbor Day originated in America SO or 90 years ago, and since then more and more countries bad realised the importance of keeping the. land covered in forest or bush. History showed that the ruthless clearing out of trees had an adverse effect on the land and caused floods and erosion. A visit to the Dunedin City Corporation’s Reseiwe in the area surrounding that city had impressed on him more clearly the foresight of the organisation responsible for the planting of the trees. Some of the more fortunate of those in attendance helped the Curator (Mr A. F. Morgan) .and members of his staff plant golden and claret ash trees along the Grigg Street entrance to the Domain, and Mr Morgan explained the correct method of planting.