"TREE SENSE"

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 125, 29 May 1934, Page 13

"TREE SENSE"

LACK IN NEW ZEALAND

SUPPOFIT FOR ARBOR DAY

That New Zealand children are lacking in a "tree sense" was thVyiew : expressed by^the Director of the Wellington Technical College (Mr. E. G. Bidling) at the meeting of the Board of GovernoisjSo^,J;he college: last night | :whenj;|,-rJle:fcferVjwas received vfr6m -the .Wellington HortijEultural Society sug-l-gesting the observance"of Arbor 'Day l.'early ; ya August .and: offering to assist if,necessary. I ,;V .;::-■; ... ;,■ .1, : 'fThat is on&vthingjivfyid lacking.in children in Newi Zealand, not only in the^ttqwns but ;■ also in\" the country;" ;said;s;iMr. Eidling^in^reference to,' the tree''sense. "-^M^They; have grown'up iwithfthe idea?'6"f''the-'d'estruction! flf trees.%Trees are^things^that are in/tEe ■way and*that Jf|tust be^enioyed, and'it has resulted' fo'the development of vandalism of all types. We should encourage Arbor Day not only by actual demonstrations,^ tree?, but .byydiscus-. sions-with the; ; ch.ildren on the'value of ; the. trees in our national life, arid I' think great gp,pd-would, arise." '■';. '/Expressing agreement ivith the director^s remarks; - Mr. :L. McKenzie' said that he was sorry; to say .he belonged to one of those, bodies fond of cutting down trees. Anyone who had travelled' in the older countries, especially in England, knew the charm of trees. The whole countryside looked like a gentleman's park. Wellington was a.particularly difficult place in which to grow trees, and Mr. MeKenzie suggested getting the advice of the Director of Parks and Reserves before doing any planting,

"I can't quite agree with the director when he Says we haven't developed a sense of trees," said Mr. J. J. Clark. "I happen to be in an industry which has a very keen sense for trees

Mr. McKenzie: Cutting them down, Mr. Clark: Exactly.

An emphatic refutation of the statement that trees do not grow well in Wellington was given by Mr. Clark, who. said that the trees planted by the City Corporation on the Town Belt at Kilbirnie were a sight well worth going out to see. He believed that-.the Education Board would make 'every effort to work in harmony with the Horticultural Society in the observance of Arbor Day. Nothing but good would come from it.

The chairman (Mr. W. H. Bennett) pointed out that the college had never done any planting without the advice of the Director of Parks and Eeserves.

"There are other trees besides, these drab pines tV&t we are planting all over Wellington^".'• remarked Mr. McKenzie. He;thought that .pines presented a dark and. ugly appearance, and that pohutukawas • and other trees would grow, well in Wellington. '.'; On the motion of Mr. McKenzie, seconded .byr-Mr," Clark, it was decided that the .board should heartily endorse the objective of the Horticultural Society in reinstating Arbor, Day, and that it should request the heljl of the society in the selection of the '-trees and the correct method of planting them.