THE AVON WILLOWS

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20986, 14 October 1933, Page 9

THE AVON WILLOWS

TO THE EDITOR OF TUB I'HF.SS Sir, —Those people who admire the willows and wish to preserve them will feel only partially reassured by the remarks of Mr W. J. Barnett and Mr R. B. Owen. Both gentlemen assure us of their anxiety to maintain the willows as they have been in the past, but several questions that demand an explanation have not been answered by Mr Barnett, and the Christehun-h public would be grateful if he would answer them. (1) Why did he cut the tops off the willows "between Worcester street bridge and Montreal street? Most of those willows were young trees—only nine or 10 years old, and it is difficult to believe that young trees require the mutilation and disfigurement that they have suffered recently. (2) Why has a ruthless policy of extermination been followed along the lower reaches of the Avon, and along the greater length of the Heathcote? In these localities the willows have not merely been topped—they have been in some cases cut level with the ground, in other cases burnt or ringbarked, and in many cases they have been torn out by the roots. Both rivers have been very largely deprived of the beauty that until a year or two ago was a source of pleasure to everyone. It is true that replanting has been carried out, but it will be many years before the young trees can conceal the ugliness of the bare and "tjdy" river banks. In spite of assurances to the contrary, one is compelled to believe that there is in fact a war upon the willows by those in authority, who for some obscure reason have taken a dislike to them. I prefer in matters of taste to trust to the judgment of our early City Fathers, to whom we owe so much for our beautiful parks and gardens. It is our part to see that the work they did is not destroyed.—Yours, etc., ANTI VANDALISM. October 11, 1933.

Mr M. J. Barnelt, superintendent of the reserves department of the Christchurch City Council, to whom the letter was referred yesterday, said that he would answer the allegations, but would not answer any more from correspondents. "In the first place," said Mr Barnett, "does your correspondent think for one moment that the 'reserves department takes a delight in pruning and lopping operations? Surely, if he pauses to think, he must realise that the work carried out for the department is for a definite purpose and not merely the whim of an individual. The purpose is to maintain the trees in a neallhy and vigorous condition as long as it is possible to do so, and thus preserve the trees from being permanently and severely mutilated during high winds. This is what would surely happen, and has happened only too frequently in the past." Referring to the lopping of the wil--1 /s between the Worcester street bridge and Montreal street, Mr Barnett said that the necessity for the work was set out in a report to the City Council on May 29 of this year. Certain of the trees were in a condition that constituted a danger to the public in the event of a high wind. Though some of these trees may have

been comparatively young, their upper limbs were in most cases severely fractured, and were dangerous. Only a few of the trees were comparatively young. Most of them were fairly old. When the trees between the Swann's road bridge and the East belt bridge were trimmed three years ago the same allegations of mutilation were made, but nobody would deny that to-day these trees were things of beauty. They had come away with renewed vigour, and to-day were particularly graceful and pleasing. Replying to the suggestion that a ruthless policy had been followed in cutting trees along" the lower reaches of the Avon and the Heathcote, Mr Barnett said that he had no knowledge of this. The only trees the department removed in these localities were some on the banks of the Avon near the Dallington bridge, which, after the autumn storms, started to slide into the river, pulling away part of the road, and blocking storm-water channels. Their removal was a question of necessity Any work done on the banks of the Heathcote between .the Radley bridge and the Opawa railway bridge, with the exception of the removal of one o* two old trees, was done before Mr Barnett took charge. The department made every endeavour to preserve the weeping willows between Ford road and the Wilson's road bridge, and the trees still stood to-day, although all trees which were impeding the flow of the river had to be removed as tl were considered to be one of the causes of flooding in the district.

A fine stretch of willows was cut down in Riverslaw terrace toward Tennyson street, said Mr Barnett. These trees were cut down at repeated requests from the St. Martins Burgesses' Association, and against the wish of the department. It was the policy of the department to preserve all trees, not only on the banks of the rivers, but also in the streets as milch as possible. If a tree was diseased, or a danger to the public, it must of course be removed. Also other departments and local bodies had to be considered. If a tree began to pull away the roadway, or interfere with drains or telegraph wires, the department was bound by law to protect those services.

TO THE EDrTOB OF THE PRESS. Sir,—lt is pleasing to find that our weeping willows have so many champions in "The Press." and well they deserve it. On the river banks about Christchurch no other tree can compare with the weeping willow, and I hope no other will be allowed to displace it. The combination oi graceful sprays with green banks that slope down to the clear water forms a perfect picture, so fresh and yet so restful. This freshness is with us nearly the whole year, for the tree is leafless for only a few weeks in midwinter. Let us keep our willows on the river banks and the other trees off them, for they will both look equally out of place if their positions are changed. A few miles inland, even near streams, the willows seem harder, more stunted, and not so healthy. It seems a pity that tl»ey are so short lived here,'but the only remedy is to keep renewing them. Lopping may prolong their life a little, but one would expect that the cutting of large branches would let in disease and so weaken them. The friendly letters on behalf of the Avon willows are a very healthy sign, but it is still more gratifying to find that those who have charge of them are their friends, too.—Yours, etc., T A S October 13, 1933.