Invercargill Nurseries

Bruce Herald, Volume VII, Issue 642, 20 October 1874, Page 6

Invercargill Nurseries

(From our Travelling Reporter.)

'I'he pretty and pleasant euvirons of luvercargill have about them a few gardens which deserve the notice of the public. We shall first look at Airwood, Cleaves nursery, situated at, the top of Dee-street. It is about four acres in extent, and is divided and subdivided by 11 hedges ami moveable paling shelters. The eastern portion is devoted to the production of the pine, larch, fir, cedar, and cypress. Of these there are an immense variety, exceeding anything I have yet seen in any part of Otago. The beautiful Araucanian pine, a native of Chili, flourishes in this congenial soil," and bids fair to equal its o\rn mountain brethreu of the Ancles, A line row of piuus pimatcr, pf five,

years old, and four feet high, occupies a portion of the central garden, while rhododendrons, holly, and quicks abound. The beautiful } camellia with their white and scarlet flowers arrive at luxurious perfection here, while fruit trees, great and small, attain a maturity unexcelled in any other soil. A southern hedge of young quicks is being thickened by slipping the spare shoots without actually separating them ; they are then forced down horizontally amongst the roots, and thus continue to grow. The effect, after about five years of slipping, is a dense, impenetrable body of thorny wood, which will defy all beasts great or small, to say nothing of boys. The handsome golden ash, weeping lime, and weeping elm, an American variety which abounds along the banks, at intervals, of the St. John, the Hudson, and other rivers. The forest,* fruit, shrub, and flower stock of Airwood Nursery is Avorthy of the extensive patronage bestowed upon it from all parts of Otago and Canterbury. * Out the Northern Road, as far as the Wai- J kiva, are distributed here and there houses, j farms, and gardens, some of which are very | pretty and rural looking, amongst these the nursery of Mr James Cooper is located. It is surrounded by a shelter plantation of gums, pines, firs, cedars, shrubs, and flowers. Great attention is paid to shelter hedges, of which Mr Cooper has a most original style, in a frame of light wood in which is placed young manuka, adorned with sweet peas and scarlet runners. This moveable fence is taken down in sections, when required for another portion of the ground ; in the meantime the seedling pine, &c, has its warm and fostering shelter. Rhododendrons, camellias, silver' cedar, larch, 15ft high, Norfolk Island pine, which grows nowhere so well as on its native isle, amidst the lovely groves of limes, citrons, orange trees, guavas, and plantains. A fine weeping elm was shown me grafted on the top of the common variety of English elm. This has the effect of spreading the branches and producing a canopy of leaves to cover the rural seat beneath. The garden is five acres in extent, and divided into quarteracre blocks, laid down in fruit trees, stocks, deciduous trees, pines, as before-mentioned, shrubs, small fruits, and flowers. The Scotch, English, Irish and Cape heathers of all varieties succeeded remarkably, and proves what was before stated, that a free, warm, saline soil is the best for the production of these plants. The hot-house contains some fine pot plants, while near the dwelling house, the grape grows finely, and produces abundantly. At the foot of the garden, Mr Cooper has a fine natural spring and lagoon, which he is about to turn into an ornamental water. The whole garden is well worthy of a visit from any lover of nature, or purchaser of beautiful curious, and useful garden stuff.