AMENITIES SOCIETY

Evening Star, Issue 24915, 13 July 1943, Page 4

AMENITIES SOCIETY

REHABILITATION PROBLEMS Mr Crosby Morris presided over a meeting of'the Dunedin Amenities Society yesterday. At the suggestion,of Mr A. C. Camerou it was agreed that a sub-committee consisting of Messrs D. Tannock, P. O. Smellie, and Jas. Begg: confer with the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce with a view to finding out what afforestation proposals the chamber was sponsoring to the Rehabilitation Council. Mr Jas. Bogg asked if it would not be possible to plant hard woods as well as soft woods. Mr Tannock replied that hard woods were just as suitable for planting, but it took longer to get a return from them. It was now recognised that, the best forests were a combination of hard woods and soft woods. At the moment the demand for soft woods was greater than the demand for hard woods. He said that in his opinion the best hard woods to plant were beech and oak,, although jarcii could also be planted for power poles. In reply lo a question, Mr Tannock said that lolara took 400 years to grow to a size suitable for commercial purposes. In reply to a question regarding the commercial growing of silver birch, Mr Tannock stated that this was an excellent timber for commercial purposes, as it could be turned to such a variety of uses. —Protection of Native Birds.—

Mr H. P. Kidson, who was unable to attend the meeting, wrote in asking if the society could do anything towards encouraging people to plant tree lucerne to provide food for the bellbirds and other native birds. The trees (lowered in the middle of winter, and he noticed that the bellbirds fed on them practically all day long. —A discussion ensued, during which the relative merits of scarlet gums and tree lucerne were debated, and it was decided that the public be recommended to plant both where possible. —Southern Cehietery.—

Attention was again' drawn to ilie unsightly stale of tne Southern Cemetery, and after discussion,' on the motion of Messrs A. C. Cameron and Merrett Wilkinson, it was agreed to offer the City Corporation 100 silver birches and 100 tree lucernes for planting there. It was a«so agreed to ask the City Corporation if it could see its way to go on with the suggestion of planting the roadside in tho vicinity of the cemetery. —Bellelcnowes Coif Club.— Mr M. Wilkinson drew the society's attention to the tree planting work which had been done by the committee of the Beleknowes Golf Club. During the past two years the club had planted, with the approval of the City Corporation, 68 red birches, 8 silver birches, 7 ratas, 18 kowhais, and other trees. Mr Morris expressed appreciation of the work done by the committee of the Belleknowes Golf Club, and it was agreed on his recommendation that a letter be written to this effect, and that the society should offer, if necessary,, to supply them with trees for further planting. —General.— A letter was received from the manager of" Campbell House sliuing that the boys were quite agreeable to undertake the upkeep of the public reserve in front of the building. Appreciation was expressed at this offer. A letter was received from the town clerk advising that the cleaning of Lindsay's Creek from the point of entry at the Botanic Gardens to the point of exit was now the responsibility of (he reserves department, and the superintendent of re-

serves bad been communicated with in regard thereto. A committee consisting of Messrs D. Tannock, J. Simpson, R. Fountain, M. Wilkinson, and A. C. Cameron was appointed to confer with the City Council and schools in regard to Arbor Day arrangements. The secretary reported that a truck of tree ferns was now being collected in the Owaka district, for the society, and would shortly be delivered for planting on the Town" Belt.—lt was agreed to recommend that these be planted on the Town Belt in the vicinity of Littlobourne and Duchess Avenue,