VEGETATION IN THE LAKE DIST.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume I, Issue 30, 14 December 1872, Page 3

VEGETATION IN THE LAKE DIST.

. o, ' * A. ui: inner on tlso el m feat arcs of tho vegetation and agrieulf oral capabilities of Vie district. between .Maketu ami .Lake Vaupo, by Thomas Kirk, .RL.fb, has recently been published, from which. wo gainer mucg nectui information. V\!;er pas on;,; ,'gike:u and taking tho new react mm; ...mmi i.tjjr years ago, tho unumturbea tern Is growing ia tho ‘greatest; luxuriance, sis roots havi;;■; pescet rated to n. (.tenth of from live to uhmm u-e-L •A. marked instance «>t tho beneficial rs^siil ss of cultivation is to be aeon at tho j teiopraph station. Te Naao, where lha : false acacia, eider, hawthorn, poplar, I ' v a>iu!', elm, apple, and other planted j trees have attained large dimousiuns, mid 1 are in a remarkably thriving condition. .1 nt reduced grasses flourish, and the j swc.'ci briar has become naturalized io »uch ! ;:n extent: I;.-',; t jio old road has been mo ; a ‘most impassable; yet much of tho : indigenous vegetation in tho viciuitv is | e\tremely dcpuiipoi-ated, ; .! hero can be no doubt that' in a few > }A*ars most of the small valleys in tho I centre ol tho Island will i>e occupied by 1 t!;e sweel briar. A Irately it; occurs I tn roughen I ttu> dc-Unct, although nut so abundantly as nt Te Ague. iforscs are said to la 1.1 on upon us fruit in the winter season, and are I-no duel agents m its uiairibution, .vs the hairy covering of tho scco,-; prevents sno loss of vnohiv when swallowed. Tile growth of grasses and el her surface rooting plants, is encouraged up the Ineuuly shelter it aliords frout the parching cttccls of tho summer mm on a pumiecous sandy soil. 'Ji.p lbe north u{ Kotorua much of the land _h 0 f superior quality, and the forest district bei.ween the lake and Tauranga nnu'l; ho considered amongst the best bind in the colony ; its vegetal ion exhibits a i.r’g-m number of species than is to ho ■■eon nt tho soutdiern part of the district. On approaching Id tukakahi. by way of \VSi ak; irewa.rewa, the pumey «.f*lhe 'soil agam shows an improvement, lull is lea at tortile uu tlie. Inpwol the- In Us. A. long tho edge ol 1 fte Okc, and on {.ho hills, tho fern m remmfmiy luxuriant, and intermixed with g: i- .-■ \ tufty and patches. . Passing .:,.p U Jiake* tho track through tho lor *ut Kaupon»a is occasioualiy dolled w ith patches oi rye-grass and oilier kinds, and might soon bo covered with a permancm, sward by simple surface sowing. 'Lite forest itself contains some of tho liiuvt trees to bo found in tho di.hr.ict. A t tho Vvanma, the outlet by which .Hotokakahi empties itself into .Lake Tarawera, there is a eouiddcrahlo extent of good land; the Turopean ivy and.tho jessauuno iloarum m a degree unknown in. tho northern parts of tho province. The good ij uahfcy of the soil is ut tested by the excellent growth of many cultivated plants, some, of winch have become more or !e naturalized, o UAca t ; m i*ir; The foil owing primes arc recommended as best adajhed ioc tho districtf [ifitotien JJnrf/flun, thu 1)ohI> groM of Jmlin,- ia e'.pA of ro.i.-,ns.<r »l»vi.e*f.r t,o u giv. t -r rxt«nt ill (is si’.-y ottirr gr?ts« yet iutrodne*' < : during tha I'licn-a of la-i m it turniahcd ft ; isrir-- eui’piy o» i's'en f-ioJ wbcit u! her buds woro i dried up. T»I« h**i'r| uf Uim plant, uliould ■not ho j H;>wri «mi| tins sprin-r is «u!!l a-i.t ! y u ivu.«c«<l for I t iu? iM'oiiTul fa Iwtvc L>* come warm. A ready ; method of propagation vvouid bo to chop tho i rm/.i int-o irinali. iiiccch, find sci Mci* tln’m over i t Iso surface m ruun «s:mi ln?r, Ihe mmu v imirfea i apply n a h ♦••.juui tci’f-c t.» ib.s biulVlo p>ra«w (tSfrno* j rvm f/ht/trt’m); v. fi. a jt.'iaja an iiuiatiueo i y:A<l «f succulent, sui on-n*. -u-, ha<»M, j 'H.e common im-noow grass {t’oa prttfenHs) j .would prove o( tlrt grefuect- value, ami speedily j lorni a sward in all hur, t i-c. dt u iC. In -ahiiei ; tiu) ) red aheep’a frreue (F<-.-iuca rubra) stuaus spedtliy adapt (-fl for ravir-cs umi ;»u!|n'(i. Prairie »r:.s» ( fln>mtvi -unloloio'es) v/ou'cl spread witli rapiility in tin l »-. i; 1. v-. A small Australian gn.i.-*, yt'-rnaroxlin JiTOieuii, which prod ecus a d-.f ..d ■»! lino her L-tie, ia sprestdiug last mum-.g no> te.-i-trco in T,tr:ou3 localit.ics> ar.-'t ia of rnfiicicnt pmuu-c to in. .if u>, esjH-rimviilal sowdug in tins dn-l-nct. It. would pri.-rnih'j flon •i.-.ji in the ravines whicb inftmu.it the counf.ry in all directions. d'in in ligonou* Poa would prc»ry almost as ViilUii’-.le :iti (.in- c -m.iii a n-c.adasf fg, 3 , fj hjCCWnt, fiijii al'rn would in f ho S'* a nip*, and produce a vast supply of U Jhtitems neght be Crt.aly e.c-»b!i-h!-il in uf I moist sit u.tiinns, ; on the margin of lakes, hy f lie siJeii of streuma, Ac., and would spec.lily make aa audition to I.Uo ca! f te food of She district. i Th.o station?’ of tho Armed Con'-Ta. j btilnry oifor con 1 res from winch ex peri. 1 ruonts in grass culture might readily b e ! carried out, and the results recorded. A j judicious selection from iho tore"oing, j u hicb uro rocommonil.-d Ijv Air IviHc as S of the ino.-d sritrife kinds, would alitn.y j of uuieb being done t.;wards provld’ng i rcnmuicct supply of hcrVago at a Irivlal