ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY. PLANTING OF TREES BY H.R.H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXV, Issue 3699, 27 May 1869, Page 3

ACCLIMATISATION SOCIETY. PLANTING OF TREES BY H.R.H. THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.

Yesterday morning the committee of the Acclimati. safcion Society received an intimation from his Royal Highuess that he would visit the Domain, and attend at their gardens at half-past eleven to plant the four trees whioh had been selected to stand in that delightful place of recreation as memorials of his visit. As it had been determined that the operation should be performed ia an nnobtentatious and private manner, very few of the citizens were enabled to be present, and those fortnnate exceptions who witnesssed the ceremony wera merely such as bad been accidentally strolling about the grounds at the time. Shortly before noon his .Royal Highness, accompanied by his Excellency uhe Governor, Capbain Pitt, A.D.f\, Major ilamley, aud c 'iorttd by H.R.H.'s orderlies, cinteredup to the gate, where the parby was received by the Hon. F. I). Fenton, on the part of the Domain Board; Captain Hutton, President of the Acclimatisation Society ; and Messrs J. T. Mackelvie, D. L. Murdoch, W. Morrin, members of Council. Thfse gentlemen, with Mr. Brighten, the enei'getic curator, accompanied tho Prince through the garden p. After viewing tho various specimens of natural history confined in the cagei, and commenting favourably on the at* prcb of tha gardens, winch the Piince said he thought were in a mo it; creditable condition considering the short period which he had been given to understand had elapsed since their first formation, H.R.H. proceeded to discharge the sellimposed task. The trees, which Were fine healthy young planbs, couapiised a specimen of each of the varieties Dammara robusta, Araucaria (Jookii, Araucaria glauca, and though last not least, a tall symmetrical plant of English Oak. The spades employed were the common oaea in daily use in the garden, and his Royal Highness in haudling them showed the result of some practice in the horticultural art. Mr. Brighton held the tree upright while the Priuce shovelled the earth about tha roots. After the four had heen set, his Royal Highness remounted his horse and started with his suite for the races, whi'e his Excellency the Governor returued to Government Houee on foot accompanied by members of the Society. Before leaving the gardens Sir George remarked that the Prince intended leaving our shores next (thia) day at two o'clock p.m., but that he would go on board his ship the same evening, and hoped that no popular demonstration would take place. It appears that his Royal Highuess is awell'wisher to the cause of acclimatisation, inasmuch as he has consented to take six brace of pheasants with him in the ' Galatea' for distribution ac Tahiti and among the various islands he intends to visit. His Royal Highness would also have taken with him two Solomon Island emus, bub that he will not return to England for eighteen mouths. He, however, suggested thafc the present would prove exceedingly acceptable to his brother the Prince of Wales if they could be safely deliveied at Sandringnaru. We observe that the gardens are looking particularly well, and that the birds and animals are iv a flourishing condition. We also remarked an increase in the length of the row of raptores which Mr. Brighton has st-ungup as terrois to other predaceous birds, showing that he is unremitting in his endeavours to preserve the valuable imported specimens.