THE HOLIDAY.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume XXII, Issue 1676, 6 August 1892, Page 2

THE HOLIDAY.

ARBOR DAY.

The celebration of the first Akaroa Arbor Day was held on Thursday last, that important element in all outdoor demonstrations, the .weather, being perfect. The demonstration on this the first celebration of the day, although only intended to be. somewhat of au experimental nature, was highly successful, and passed off without the slightest hitch. All the preparations had been made by the Committee the day previous, the holes had been dug, and the trees procured, so that when the youthful planters assembled, nothing remained but to proceed to business, the general method of conducting the day's proceedings being modelled on that which has obtained for some years past in America. The children began to assemble at the Borough School shortly after ten o'clock, nnd were joined by the boys attending the High School. At the hour of commencing the proceedings, half-past ten, upwards of 180 children ,had assembled in the school grounds, 'and were marshalled by Mr Nichols, the head mast"r. Each child bad been served with an ornamental ticket, with the words " Akaroa Arbor Day, 1892," aud a running along with a bannerette. The bannerettes, and all the work connected with the tickets, were the work of Mrs E Funnell, of Grehan Valley. The small banners were of ull colours and designs, and formed a very striking and picturesque effect. Mrs Funnell, during the whole of the preliminary arrangements, has been simply indefatigable, and much of the success of the day's proceedings are due to her energy. A large number of residents and settlers from the Bays lined the fence overlooking the school playground, and a prettier or plensanter sight when the children in their Sunday best, with smiling faces, each looking the picture ot health and happiness, it has seldom been our lot to witness On the children being formed into four lines ready for marching, Mr Qeo. Armstrong, Junr., the Chairman of the School Committee, who has along with the other members of the Committee been most assiduous in giving every assistance in promoting the due celebration of the day, stepped forward, and said : " Ladies, gentlemen, and children —As Chairman of the Borcugh School, it gives me great pleasure to preside at the first celebration of Arbor Day in Akaroa. Is ia s festival which 1 thoroughly believe in, as I am suro the planting of trees is a good thing, and has been most successful elsewhere. . I believe that the work begun to day may have most satisfactory results, and think the thanks of the community are due to those gentlemen who have taken up the matter so warmly in this district (applausa). I will now ask.Mr Jacob-. son to say a few words,"

Mr Jacobson, as ■ Chairman:-: of the' High School Board;' spoke a-t -some length on the advantages'' ef* planting native . trees, and ffid" pre"servat(on;bf native -birds, 'anli'c'oncipilecl., by.offering aj.prize prf a giimea to \ihe child who in' c his " opjnipja success full} cultured one ofihe Jtre'esirvplauted' till.next. Arbor Day.. ;"-■ i,--v ■ -■-? ■.-.■■- .

Mr jVfcGregorsaid'that the--proceed-ings ofjtjhe day were; as far as he was concerned, quite a labour of love. Children were, however good otherwise, bad listeners to speeches, and his pleasing duty was ; simply by way of direction asking them to carefully attend to the remarks and methods of planting as explaiued by the gentlemen who had kindly consented to act as- supervisors. Messrs Jolly,, Ingle, Perm, Bicknell and Hahn would show each child what to do, and he was sure each child would carefully follow their instructions. Some people rather ridiculed the idea of having a tree planting day on the Peninsula, as a matter ot- course the wants of the settlers necessitated the clearing of the original bush, and it was only prudent that in suitable spaces this should be restored by the hands of the little planters now present and elsewhere that day. The work of the day had also an educational effect of the most practical sort, giving a knowledge of the names and habits of their native flora, and when they closed their school books the books of nature was always open, and such daya assisted in it's reading. Another* matter, was one of great importance,,, itjl gave children an interest in their native land, and was conclusive to the laying (

of the foundation of a national life a thing much wanted in New Zealand. 1 He would just conclude with a' remark of Mr Vincent Pyke's, a man who loved New Zealand dearly, " That the man •who planted a, tree was a public bensfactor, and the man who cut one down was a public malefactor." (applause).

At the conclusion of these addresses, the children formed in line, and'marched to the planting ground... The procession was headed by 6ome lads carrying a banner suitably inscribed " Arbor Day, Akaroa, 1892." The girls marched first, and then the boys, the Colonial " Jack," with the requisite number of stars being borne at the head of the latter. As the children all carried bannerettes, the effect was very brilliant, and Mr Nicholls had a most imposing crowd to marshall. Arriving at the ground, planning was commenced without loss of time, the locality being at the Domain gate on tho Cemetery Road. We believe the holes had been dug by Mr Staples, the members of the St. Peter's Association, and a host of other friends. In the distribution we noticed Messrs Etienne Lelievre, E. and J. Funnell, W. Peulington, and the gentlemen already mentioned. Mr Eugene F. Lelievre also gave much valuable 1 assistance. The following is a list of the trees planted :—

The trees planted were: —Hini-hini (Melicytus ratnifloues), black matipo (pittesporum tenuifolium), white matipo (pittesporutn eugenioides), red matipo (myosine urvilla) y ngaio (myosporum latum), Oho (panax lessonii), cabbage or ti tree (cordyline australis), kawa kawa fpiper excelsum), ribbon wood (plangianthus bahilinus), karaka (corynocarpus lavigata) kohwai (sophora telraptora), rata (metrosidera lucida), lance wood (panax crassifolium) broadleaf (griselinia lucida), ake (olearia dentata), ake ake (olearia aricenniafolia), totara (podocarpus totara), white pine (podocarpus dacrydioides) titoki (alectryon excelsum), black ferns.

Those present then made their way back to the Borough School, where plentiful refreshments were found, under the superintendence of Miss Henderson, Miss Dawber, and other ladies, assisted by Mr Wight and Miss McGregor, pupil teachers, and other friends. Miss Henderson has done much work in connection with the celebration, and so has Miss Dawber, and both should be specially mentioned. After a capital repast, and cheers given by the children under Mr Nicholls , direction, for the Arbor Day Csmmittee, School OomJJ mittee, and teachers, a start was made for the football ground, which was the next centre of interest. The ground was in grand order, and our men if a bit evermatched, showed they were no laggards, but could do their devoir most' gallantly, and with practice could be infinitely more dangerous. Captain Thomson is a capital fellow, and to him is mainly due the success of Akaroa football, as his pluck and enthusiasm makes others rally round the standard, and keep the ball a> rolling.