ARBOR DAY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 566, 22 July 1909, Page 6

ARBOR DAY.

TREES FOR WELLINGTON.

BEAUTIFYING THE CITY RESERVES. TJNPROPITIOUS WEATHER. , The Arbor Day movement, which was set going in America many years ago, has nover aroused much enthusiasm in New Zealand, but this year, owing to tho initiative of tho Mayor (Dr. A K. Newman), results have been achieved which should bo of lasting benefit to 'Wellington. ' Unfortunately, tho weather yesterday ( was cold and stormy, and this caused most of tho tioc-plantuig functions to be poorly attended Tho Mayor personally supervised the beginning of what should, in h fow years, l becomo a very hne plantation on tho slopes aboio Oriental Bay, while councillors and other citizens helped to carry out an extensive plan of campaign in different 'parts of the city, as detailed below. Tho public schools had promised tbctr co-operation, but tho unpropitious weather interfered with the attendance of tho pupils Mr. G. F. Glen, Superintendent of the Municipal • Reserves, had thd expert direction of the scheme, and members of his stall assisted at tho several functions, and continued itho operations aftei wards. Altogether, about .sixteen or soyentoen hundred treos have been, or are to be, planted in Wellington m connection with tho Mayor's Arbor Day campaign ' , , Arbor Day was observed as a Government holiday, and tho City Council offices closed at midday.

THE THORMDON PLANTATION. ' Councillor Fleteher officially inaugurated the plantation at the junction of linakon Road and Thorndon Quay Tho attendance of the public was too small to justify any speech-making, or other ceremonial. Two hundred and fifty children from the Thorndon School would havo been present, had the weathei been favourable,'and it was intended that each' of them should actually take paft m the planting They assembled at-tho school, "bnt as the headmaster coujd not see his; way Jo accept < tho responsibility of exposing them to the stormy weather they wero dismissed for the day The plantation will occupy tho long narrow triangle from the late Esplanade Hotel to the "Zigzag". Hitherto the ground, which slopes steeply from Tmakon Road to* ThorHdon- Quay, has been a r.ithor unsightly waste , A 'couplo of tiuiidred trees should oltect a very desirable transformation The trees provided foi this plantation comprise the followiign— Silver flattie, 100, broadleaf 00, elaeagnus, 25, escalonia, 25, and taupata (coprosma),-25.

, DUPPA'STREET RESERVE. The adult citizen was missing when the forces assembled at Duppa Street,' but Councillor J. P. Luke (chairman of the Reserves Committee, of tho City Council), Mrs a ° d .. M f> Luke, Mr Stuckey, headmaster of the Island Bay school, and his staff, together with Uo of the'city's employees, marshallxl a useful squad of about 50 enthuewsti: school children to some effect A bright stiii shono at'll a.m.. and Councillor Luke, addressed the gathering briefly, and impressed on the children the importance of tree-planting on this day specially set aside for tho purpcaj of mfusmg life into a laudabk) movement. He remarked on the benefits that-the city and the individual derived irom tho tree-planting, aod pointed to tho United States as an example to follow In the States, Arbor Day was tho enthusiastic gathering that jt should be, 'and largo areas of land um planted each year by the school eMdrem. After dealing at somo length with the wider phases of tree-planting, and tho position as outlined by a Jiojal Commission which sat in tho Old Country recently, Councillor Luke urged the necessity for afforestation in the Dominion Largo areas ot forest land had given \vaj to tho inarch ot settlomjml and it was, imperative that other areas should be planted, and practical work done in the way of forest culture. Tho children should—he hoped would—appreciate tho great work that, was being' done m the parks, plantations, and recreation grounds, which works were largely for their benefit The children had a claim on the municipal authorities, and tho authorities would o&ntmuo to develop and improve tbo playing areas and reoreation grounds What he wished the younger members of the commvSltJ to underata nd was that it was expected that they would protect and eafoguard the property of tho people as represented by the public parks. After Councillor Luke's address the gathering mounted the north-western slope of tho park, where planting operations wero oommonced with enthusiasm, under the direction of Councillor Luke and Mr Stuckej After a number of Austrian pinos had been planted, tho, party moved on to the southwestern corner of the ground, where ifurfcher work was done From this spot a descent was mado to the flat, where more planting was dono between the two recreation grounds Altogether about 150 pines were planted, and portion of the supply of 130 elaeagnus, japomeas, and escalonia japomca were also set in the ground.

.■■.Residents of /Brooklyn :■ responded ; well to .the; call ;of the city,; something., over 300 people, >mostly ; ;;juyenilesi ■ taking :. part in' *?«.-Planting.Operations in the morning',' and' putting m;.a large ■number, of trees at tie' Sugar vLpaf' ;Hil,; .Councillor, Frost 'directed ■ -proceedings, and was assisted by-Mr R A Wright,: M.P.y ,Mr. .O'Connor,: secretary" of the.v-local/;.^Ratepayers'-VAssociation,-- and teachers v and' scholars from '. the Brooklyn and,,TerAro schools,■ headed by -Mr.- C* Wat--■son,-headmaster-at 'Te'Aro, and Mr.-J: \H : Brooklyn. .Coiin--cinor ;.Frost y v : ~. Wright .vtleiiverea 1 short .addresses, r,appropriate :.'to-the occa- • sion,;.followingr which ■ ..tho' trees • which' - had to,;yx>- planted ~ distribute<l--:and; their roptsrinterred'in/the'wet earth ■ by<an un~ •sbilled/-/ Dufc-.-enthusiastic,. band :■. of. school. 'c»^lqrenj,V..whp%^;w6^k.•waß■'•suEo^yis■ed•■by-• , ■βs-' :^ r^\, -,;. T*e;-<|iill\v(:as'..'soon-:.clbtiied.':.-with,--in-dustnous-. figures,- boat, on' starting ■ the trees on , :-a;-careerv;.of;-beatity , .;aiid.-us.efulnessr; : ;it was a Well-dccupied^arid-happy band of young People, whichishowedjts appreciation of the' tlty-zLouncil,. the..niember ot'KParliament for •tl!e.v.aistnct:;',and-;-their.;.:iniuucipal.vTepresenta-;-tive--;by^rdunds/..'of--,cheere>f6r.'€acn;--:.V.'i----' 'Secondplanting. ;tbok:;place at -the:Trian,gle■in the afternoon,- when the Mayor (Dr. Newman),V and the Rev. -A; Dewdaey were.,;present,. :in-.Addition-.to, .the'gentlemen wiio attended-vm the, morning.' Of 30' odd adults present, only ono u as of - tlie Vgentler sox Di N,ewman planted the first/tree atter speeches had been delivered, but'heavv rain shoners damped the ardour,of.' the'operatorb somewhat In {ho cour«nof his brief address, the Major remarked -that/ he had pe.lged linnself to spend £30.0:•".■ onv. tree- ; planting, uhen the election' contest.was' on Ho had already more than ■,■ fulfilled his pledge about £500 having been, spent iu> dato Ho nas quite certain the.expenditure was justified, and that a few yearir would see an. immense improvement in. the surloundiugs of tho city Before' concMiig, tho Mayof remarked on tho flnthusiasm with which the mcmbois of Iho City Council Reserves Committee had undertaken work in various parts of the city during the day. Mr R A Wright, MP, arid tEe Rev. A Detvdpey also spoko .":..' v, V\ Brooklyn has certainly benefited largely as the result of the Arbor Day effort, about : 440 trees having been planted, 340 at Sugar Loaf Hill, and about 100 at the Triangle. . AT MOUNT VICTORIA. - Close on fifty schoolboys ■ from the Clyde yuay school, with the lieadmaster' Mr W |1 Grundy, gathered\on that part of the .Mount Victona reserve adjefining Shannon 'Street, to keep Arbor Day and help to mnko the Wellington, of tho futuie a beautiful city The Mayor (Dr A K. Newman), the Hon J E Jenkmson, M.L.C., Mr D M'Laren, M.P.-and th« Town Clerk) Mrr J, R* Palmor) were present The Mayor set the work going by planting tho first tree, and then the boys followed his examplo and worked with commendable industry for a couple.of hours. One Jittlo girl, evidently lntont upon ,dcmonstrating the equality of the sexes, watched the proceedings Some hundreds of trees were planted during the mornmg, and an area of about thirty acres has been prepared by the City Council

for future planting. The area to be covered ,will ttdiom the northern end of the future Constable Street-Mount Victoria Road. ■

AT KELBURNE PARK,

Between fiv» and six hundred trees wore planted on the eastern slopes of Kclburne J ark yesterday by .the boys of the Terrace Sohool, nndor the supervision of Mr. Geo. Macmorran (headmaster), Mr. A. Erskino (first assistant), and Messrs.Baskivillo and Hutton (assistants), wiile a group of interested children from the infant classes, in charge of Miss Francis, watched the proceedings from above. The corporation was represented by Councillor, -John Smith, who was assisted by Messrs. A. Brewer and J. Siwndell, of tlio Botanical Gardens staff. There were also present, as active participants in the proceedings: Mr. J. S. Teniiant (of the Education Board's inspectorate), i Mr It L Storc-art'(secretary of the EducaI tion Board), and Mr. Lloyd, a member of I'tho Terrace School Committee. . I Before commencing work, Councillor. Smith I addressed the children. Years ago, ho said, the bare heights on which' they stood had boon clothed with bosh, right along, and- in planting these }oung trees they were assisting to restoro what civilisation bad destroyed. Ho urged the boys to see to it that the trees were protected from irresponsible vandalism, and in the years to como their efforts would be rewarded by the satisfaction of having the slopes restored to their former beauty The speaker "then set the hy falling to work with his spado, *nd all wero soon busily engaged. The trees comprised specimens; of robinia acacia, oloarias, olaegnus, pines, beeches, totara, euonymus and coprosiria.