A NATIONAL ASSET.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 127, 21 February 1908, Page 5

A NATIONAL ASSET.

THE GLORIES OF MASON'S CARDEN3. ■ :' QUESTION 'OF GOVERNMENT ACQUIREMENT. If* tho person interested alights at- the Lpwor Hutt Station) jumps into one of tho 'biises'in waiting, : and- pursues tho straight' broad way —the Appian : way of the Hutt Valley—northward,' Ins attention will be arrested ' at- tho-2}-imlo post by- a somewhat dingy signboard on the western side ; of, tho road, announcing to all whom it may concern that- Mason b: Gardens are. within, and may be visited by thq private or special invitation.; Tho entrance' is as 'unimpressive; as. the. sign, and as tho property, which extends for half a'rnilo along tfiO'main-Hutt; Road,'is shut."'.off- from tho outer world by. an aggravating!}* lofty, hedge, tbero'.is nothing .to. indicate .that. something worth seomg .and';enjoying lies.. bohiiid; tli'o •Just-spattered hedge-row. If that impression 'causes: you to pass on, you arc infinitely, the , poorer, tor Quaker , Mason's Gardensat tho Taita arc, perhaps, the finest, 'and/certainly ;'aro ,lhe most: valuablo botanically in. the, whole of the' Dominion. ,The 'statement is not made in; ahy f idly boastful; sense',: but 'with'a conviction ..born" of-, a close,inspection, and rafter. consultation - with several: geintlomen:.wild; make a -study of flowers,; snrubsj' an'd' trees,'and who know, the gardens of New, Zealand as the chess-player. knows ihis ,board .' There - are gardens; per..haps,..with', greater,;'areas.'of. cultivated 'ground'set-;out''iri;'sm6dth-'shaven lawns' and ,beddingVplantsjl'biife ,that is only ono phaso dfvgardenihg/icarning.'a trim prettmess by the precisiqii; of the,growtn and the arrangement T arid'c6mbination of colours. . ■, A Riot, of the Rare. •■■■:

* Mason-'%"v can.ylioast-; -little.- of this. It flies', higher.vjn.;"the-; sphere of ; erilawns in cns:;of-.''them, ;in;Vas good'-a',condition ..as .can be/expected: after. ;such' a. protracted-.drought, but "they-, are not 'starred with two-inch bedding '''plants'; in geometrical array—they' are merely, grassy,; glades between one -of . the most-i maghifiuent-'; collection '. pf .Vshrubs; and ; Australasia.'There is a' cottage where tea' may bo drunk and confidences- exchanged'near.'.the.gate ; that iis ex.pected in; any.; gardens that' invite .the spection of the public, but one is .ratherstaggered, to discover ', half' a dozen, yards away; a towering/cork tree; with--its; life-pre-serving bark at least a couple, of inches thick, a' picturesque ; hibali - palm. showing three 'rings (each ring'-, 'means a' year's, growth); a stately.'full-foliaged ingots faint (foreign perfume; a magnificent bunya bunya. (Aiiraucaria 13 ifl willi), a strikirigiy'iharidsoirid 'tree towering'' fifty: feet'anto the/ether,'- and said.'to be the.only, specimen ih : ' if: iiot in- New' Zealand.;- vlt deserves a-'paddock • to., itselfbut: the'.riot of th'eV rare is too - pressing,' for close around it -'aro"a .'vefy"fino '' rimu l . a lancewood tree, a. -!'treaAred ;;:'pohutakawi ' (New . Zealand Christmas treoJi- while through; a space' between'' the 'fullrfoliagerf branches,' tiio; enthusiastic gardenerippints out a-good' specimen .New, Zealand honeysueklo,. an Indian hawthorn, 'V shower of wistful wistaria, and a giautVelustir 'of lapigeria, an; uncommon creeper ~with'-a'" pink, waxy; bell-like flower.': Dy Shady. Walks. /...,■ , yWhen'ono can toss a biscuit as far as such botanical' treasures . from the front door, what /of ■ the 1 forty-cigit acres that have been planted with equal liberality ian-1 discretion by/the late Mr. Mason during the. lialfCRntury:'ho was : engaged in; spending, a 'fortune on " his; TSita' I ,preserve's. ■ ' Walk round and i observe..< 'At the'-rear of . the-house : are' hqt-houscs, sheltering feitoo;is of 'much better 'grapes'/than "Australia is_ sending vus., Round: these" 1 are - flower T beds i; gorgeously- a-.-bloomy and,: 'further,' -the .path becomes tonked'"^tn;'a>'Bolid.^ptolanx ; high 'rhododendrons, .; whicli, iri 'flowering season, :harig'oiit banners' 'of 'the' richest coloursin Natures r best6wal. Surprises That Never Cease. of-b'otarii-sairsurprises; appeared. ;to be limitless. .There was,a;.weeping elm:;that...formed 'a -perfect bower, its drooping' branches .-just touching the' ground .on. every'; side, Awhile., preserving a'circular'interior. Whatfa nook for. the telling of the old tale! .' ! B&ides]the y elm was a weeping laburnum—a quaint,' dropping; tree with well-defined sadness in every.leaf. An introduction -to the camphor .tree was imperative ; ; and the crushed leaves of the menthol. tree, well-smelt,i]produced "genuine tears. Olives have been .recommended for growth in the Hawko.'s !, Bay ' : district—after ;;seeing' ''.Mason's" one might;. ask :; why_ not the Hutt. Valley -To. further. emphasise the medicinal, value 'of .the/gardens, the writer wasasked to.'chew-a twig. ~ He did so, arid the memory went.;;back''.-..tov. schoolboy.,j days, ..when a panh'orth .brf'liquorice loot was the limit' of reckless dissipation. - , 1 ■ .There a're..veritable huge,walnut trees,' bearing nuts-half; the size: of a'man's. fist,!and neariby' a deeply-interesting purple beech'(the gardener-discovered ithel first seedof /this variety>he -has seen in New Zealand yesterday);-,- -. Sparse in ■ foliage, ' vicious, spurs.maliciously concealed,;the coral plant - is botariically . interesting on "account of a! peculiarly-shaped scarlet,'flower, which consists of a single, folded curved: petal below » firm - pistil curving outwards and downwards.. . ....', . ' Money In Trees. ' ;- - ' /Kurther on,- a magnificent species of, a large-leafed magholia was seen near the path. Tlie lower branches had been " laid ". (borne down 'and- buried in the soil), and a dozen plants ..wore ; flourishing.; They wero. worth at;least;a, guinea a. was saidi-that many would be glad to ' get them' at- the price., - It'is essential tliat-the fine specimen —the; only one. in New. Zealand — of ,Cali 7 fornian redwood should be mentioned. Both that',' and'the "Abeous Albertiana". (an enormous ornamental tree of perfect'; symmetry with' its far-spreading-.'branches;, quite zontal, the lowest only. eighteen inches from' the. ground) would prove • ornament enough for/an eigth-acro.section. . . . .. The chief horticultural joys at present brightening' tho parched earth" are the 'gorgeous Canna lilies .of all species, the asters, and; the . last .of tho "roses. Besides all that has ;been stated,; Mason's .Gardens are rich in fruits. There apples, 'pears, ! plums, peaches, prunes;. and'.,, even . persimmons oranges and lemons a-blowing and'a-growiiig in this suburban elysium, and,' when it is stated that : twenty. tons of potatoes were hoed from 'other ; parts of the ground last season, some idea , of ; tlie resourcefulness- of tho soil can .be gained. . . " Mason's " as > National Asset. :. Mason's Gardens . cover 110 acres in the highest and happiest.-part of tho ; Hutt Valley. \ Of this,'4B acres'are laid, out in gardens and plantations. . ,It contains, botanical treasures that could not bo produced with - a "quarter" of a' century's careful endeavour. Though; two. and a ■ half ■ miles from tho Hutt: station, t,ho. back boundary, of the estate is "within half, a mile of tHe railway line. On'several occasions it has been suggested - that' the present site of Government House is too iValuable'.for-tho, purpose, and that a 'sito might.be selected for a new viceregal • dwellirig rather more-remote from the business centre of the city.' .With Mason's Gardens open for sale, an opportunity occurs for tho acquirement of what should be- a great national asset at, a; price per aero no greater, if riot less, than is being asked for the' paddock land round about, which meaiis that the arboreal -treasures : would be-secured for "nothing., With Parliament; Souse; fronting Lambton, Quay on the site of the existing Government House,-' tho:preseht/Parliamentary Building — or what remains of itadapted to the ' purposes of the /Vssembiy Library, a .national museum, and .art gallery, and the permanent homo "of the King's representatives .set up amidst tho sylvan glories ;of the historic. gardens -at the Taita, 'fouuded at the . beginning of things by old Quaker,' Mason, tho, Dominion . would : bo equipped, witlik that which now. sho lacks— ■ dignified edifices.' . If the Government. is seriously, "-contemplating . a ; comprehensive building schemo- in -regard, to her-principal State, buildings' the foregoing suggestion' is oiie .that,'merits careful consideration; In . any : case, arid in vjpw ; of the ■ possibility of : Mason's ; Gardens being cut up—a certaip. act of vandalism—a report on the property as a museum of arboriculture from a gentloman of Dr. Cockayne's parts would bo of cxtremo ralmv ■. ■■ ......... .