PLANTING NATIVE TREES

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 78, 1 April 1936, Page 10

PLANTING NATIVE TREES

(To the Editor.)

Sir.—l have read with gratification in "The Post" recently; many objections to mixing exotic trees with native trees, when beautifying the hills of Wellington. Exotics are obviously out of place in the scenery of this city, whereas the indigenous flora is the natural covering and lends itself to the glorious open view that is Wellington.

Our hillside section contains principally fairly dense bush, in which we spend a good deal of tune, and nobody could say that there is lack of colour. The trees attract native birds, which give us' much pleasure in observing them. The wonderful view from our porch would be much less interesting were it not for the: foreground of native trees. Judging by their enthusiasm visitors express the same

opinion. i After spending a few days in Palmerston North after" the recent cyclone I noticed the pines and gums that were uprooted had roots that were scarcely under the surface of the ground. In exposed, positions on our wind-swept hills only native trees should be planted. Also, is it worth a very short period of colour in autumn to have months of leafless English trees? Can anyone imagine the atrocious sight of a great'gaunt trunk and skeleton twigs, rearing itself amid beautiful native bush?

Wellington has not the type of land or climate to suit exotics. Kecently we read that Captain Sanderson successfully grew hall an acre of beautiful native bush in the short space of ten years, on; the wind-swept sand dunes of Paekakariki. Would that feat have been possible, with exotics? The Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W,. E. Parry) definitely promised that "the Government would save or plant a native tree, wherever it could," and we trust that this promise will be carried out.—l am, etc., .