PARKS AND RESERVES

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 105, 28 January 1931, Page 10

PARKS AND RESERVES

Directors in Conference

SPECIALISED PROFESSION

Matters relating to the care of parks and reserves were considered at the annual conference of the New Zealand Park Superintendents’ Association held at the Dominion Farmers’ Institute building yesterday. In the absence of the president, Mr. R. W. Goodger, of Napier, Councillor B. G. H. Burn, chairman of the reserves committee of the Wellington City Council, presided. Members present were Mrs. A. F. Fraer, Christchurch; Messrs. H. D. Johnston, Gore; J. Tait, Oamaru; J. Black, Palmerston North; C. W. Corner, Napier; D. N. Harper, Timaru; J. JSmith, Petone; J. A. McPherson, Invercargill; M. J. Barnett, Christchurch; W. Adams, Hastings; E. Hunt, Lower Hutt; J. C. MacKenzie, Wellington; and D. Tannock, Dunedin. The secretary, Mr. D. Tannock, proposed the appointment as president of Councillor B. G. H. Burn, of IVellington. Before the motion was seconded Mr. Burn said that it was more than possible that he would not be a candidate for re-election on the City Council this year. Mr. Tannock said that the duties of the president practically ended with the conference, so that it did not matter if Mr. Burn was not elected to the City Council this year. On these terms Mr. Burn accepted the office as president. , ■ ... Other officers elected were; Vice-pre-sident, Mr. J. G. MacKenzie; secretary, Mr. D. Tannock. The date and location of the next conference were left to the vice-presi-dent and secretary. It was mentioned that it was the South Island’s turn for the conference. A World Movement. The vice-president welcomed new members and said that the principal object of the association was to gather information with reference to public parks, gardens and recreation grounds. The conference was the means of cementing all park interests into an harmonious whole, providing for further conferences and exchange of ideas. It was realised that park management was a specialised profession and required a man fully trained and capable. It was satisfactory to know that more public bodies were recognising the importance of their parks and that the directors must each be the sole responsible head of his department. The British Association of Superintendents of Parks and Reserves held its tenth annual conference in Glasgow in September, when over 200 superintendents were present. In the United States they were to hold their tenth national conference of parks executives in North Carolina in June. National flower shows in connection with these conferences was no new thing. He had read of such shows extending over nine days with attendances of 60,000 people. Superintendents in New Zealand by meeting in annual conference and holding big shows as they were doing were really participating in a world movement. Care of Sports Grounds. Mr. C. Corner, superintendent of reserves at Napier, read an interesting paper on the maintenance and control of sports grounds, in which he stressed the value of strawberry clover.for districts subject to long, dry spells. This clover was non-slippery, drought resisting, and would stand up to heavy rolling. The seed had not been knowingly sown, but it had proved to be of great value on the Napier cricket ground, both the last Australian and British teams declaring that Napier had given them the best wickets in New Zealand. Municipal Nurseries. Mr. J. A. McPherson, superintendent at Invercargill, read a paper on •’Municipal Nurseries.” Little did the public realise, he, said, what an enormous amount of work was quietly carried out by the propagating and nursery section of the municipal reserves department. A well-equipped nursery was the secret behind all seasonal bedding displays, both under glass and outdoors, and provided the large quantity‘of hardy trees and shrubs for parks, roadsides, and garden planting. “Such a nursery,” said Mr. McPherson,'' “means a tremendous saving to the ratepayers and also overcomes the difficulty of shortage of supply in any particular item. Trees are raised by the thousand for avenue work which a superintendent may have in mind for park extensions, and when the time comes for planting the difficulty of hunting from one end of New Zealand to the other to find the necessary amount of trees is avoided and the cost is ever so much lower.” Landscape Gardening. “Landscape Gardening” was the subject treated by Mr. W. W. Adams, superintendent of reserves at Hastings. “Nature is our great teacher in this branch of the profession,” said Mr. Adams. “When we see a beautiful landscape and are smitten with the harmony of the picture we may safely study it as a lesson. Is there a straight road? No. Is there anything formal? No. Is there a square, pond, or lake, or river? No. If there be one of these, the eye would be offended. If it be not the artificial work of man’s hands, it may be wonderful, but certainly not pleasing. The charm would be broken. We find in all pleasing landscapes a total Absence of formality, and the gardener’s task is to imitate the beauties and to bring into -his Work as many of the best features as the nature of the ground he has to work on, will admit.” “Street Trees and Plantations” was the title of a paper contributed by Mr. J. Tait, superintendent nt Oamaru; nnd Mr. D. Tannock introduced a discussion on the care of cemeteries.