LA BELLE DUNEDIN

Evening Star, Issue 18375, 8 September 1923, Page 15

LA BELLE DUNEDIN

mm BEAUTY EVERY YEAR. SCENIC NOOKS ALL BOUND. Tho most beauteous women would soon lose their good looks if they neglected themselves. Loveliness is a trust, therefore betrayable. So with a city, to a certain degree. Nature has provided a romantic and magnificent setting for Dunedin, and its outline cannot bo spoiled by man, but tho natural forces that gave this endowment are over operating to sully it and forcing ns to do for our fair town something which is the equivalent of the bathing and tho manicuring and tho walking which ara amongst tho methods by which a woman preserves her shape, her complexion, and her grace of movement. It may in sincerity bo said that this duty is willingly and indeed affectionately performed by our Reserves Committee in co-operation with tho superintendent of reserves (Mr David Tanned?) and his staff. Thov take a delight in making “the crooked straight and the rough places plain,” and never weary in then 1 work. Ono day this week a ‘Star’ reporter was permitted to acoinpany Mr Tunnock in a visit of inspection that included a number of minor beautifylngs, seme of which are worth calling attention to if any of our citizens would like, to extend their knowledge of tho beauty spots. At St. Clair the street planting this season is in Norfolk street, where for the first time the English hornbeam has been employed for this purpose. It, is sometiling'like tho elm, but does not grow so big. * Tho native Olearia Tra-versil has been used for planting in Gresham street, at Anderson Bay. Up to the present, natives have not been used for street planting, since evergreens are not generally suitable; bit Gresham street runs ns nearly as may be north and south, so these trees will not keep off tho sunlight, and it is hoped that t,l:o experiment will prove a success.

Canning-ton street, Maori Hill, has been planted with Oriental planes, find Cumberland street with olms.^ These am the most important street plantings of the present .season. It .is worthy of note that the new young trees are for tho first time staked with saplings from tho City Corporation's own plantations, mostly of tho larch .and Oregon. These slate taper nicely, therefore can bo carried to the top of tho tree without, prejudicing the general appearance, and as their bark is somewhat like the bark of tho trees they support the trees have not pronouncedly the appearance of being propped up. Answering a question, Mr Tnnnock said that (hero was now little if any wilful destruction of the young street rices, and ho is extremely pleased to note that householder of f inal! as well as largo properties ore taking a keen interest in not only guarding these trees, but in keeping the grass tidy. An instance of tin's cam© to view as the subject was being discussed, a neat little bed of violas being the work of a householder who evidently late a pride in his tree. The superintendent mentioned that ono man in Brookes street, manifested real concern over the lass of his tree, it having died through being stuck in too close tc a water pipe. The neighbors had been poking fun at him because ho was the only resident of the street whoso tree bad not thrived. Tho Maori road from Montpellier to Arthur street, a most delightful sequestered walk, lias been much, improved by clearing back tho tangled bush and cutting the elderberries out of tho edge of Jubilee Parle. Tho trees in the park comfortably shade the road without making it dark or wet. As one passes he notes that tho trees in the park arc 1 eating .mil budding in great beauty. There is in this locality a captivating progression of loveliness—now tho tender leafage, next the blossoms, afterwards the autumn tints. The Queen’s Drive, back of the Boys’ High School, is now further planted with dins, and it is gratifying to observe that, the elms hero planted by Mr iannqck when he first caroo here arc now taking size, and shape, having' reached tho age at which they can lake care, of thomrelvoa. Tho intention is to plant memorial calm on the bank overlooking the echoed playing field. The young trees for tnat purpeso aro doing well in the Botanic Gardens nursery, hub it is deemed _advtoN’o to let them'grow a little more before bigOn the Town Belt proper there is a great growth of native trees ami shrubs, and generally speaking nothing else is needed ; but open spaces occur here and there, raid those aro being filled up with groups of flowering trees and shrubs, tho color of whio.li will contrast well with the sombre nai ive.

At the junction of Melrose and'Wallace streets is ono of the improvement; in which tho Amenities Society is interested.' A plot of considerable size in a, prominent position is being trenched, and is to he ut once planted with flowering shrubs. In Wallace street it is pleasing to see how peeps of the harbor have been made through, the buc-h without spoiling the look of ike natural growth. Claremont street was the first thoroughfare in tho town proper to bo used as an experiment in tree planting. It was done the sumo year as Yalpy street at St. Glair. Now it is a question which of these two streets makes the prettier picture.

Grater street, Maori Hill, is now being greased at the sides. This idea is reported to work well in Dunedin. It lessens the cost of maintenance; it giver- a street a good' appearance; it largely saves it from getting dirty. A very big job is the re-forming of the Maori Hill recreation ground, commonly known os tho Clear. It is being mail© bigger and reshaped so aa to bo more of an oval than a square; therefore better for cricket. Men are now ploughing off tho bumps and filling the stuff into tho hollows. There is an, abundance of goo-dl soil close by avail able for top-dhcsc-ing. Tho shed is to bo shifted a bit to tho jvest. The view from the Clear is ono of tho most expansive and varied that can be got anywhere about Dunedin. A dozen or more hornbeam trees have 'been put in on tho edge of the declivity overlooking Wo will an gh. (Money is being collected for the formation of a, tennis court adjoining tho Clear, and' when this is provided tho City Corporation will put. the formation in hand.

The road on the lower side of tho Clear has been much improved by cutting out a lot of intruding undergrowth. A new job is to tidy up a bank near Si-radian and War-render streets. Tlfo rubbish has boon taken off the face, and veronicas .aro firmly set in little pockets. The operations named constitute only tho newer undertakings. There Ls maintenance work in every district which calls for continuous attention. A satisfactory feature about our city beautifying is that it Ls spread over tho whole area. No locality is favored, and none is neglected. Tho general idea is to prepare generally for the future, whilst not forgetting tho present.