ON THE OLD BUSH TRACK.

Grey River Argus, 15 December 1928, Page 3 (Supplement)

ON THE OLD BUSH TRACK.

(By “Ehoa 0 te Manu.”) Now the bush road joys are chiefly these, The crimson patches on Rata trees, The view of the ridges high and blue, When the wind from the East is walking too. The Rimu’s branches sweeping down, The shadowy aisles in green and brown. The music of creek and waterfall. The bell-bird’s anvil and tui’s call. The touches of silence, the flurry o* sound, The leaf-mould scent from the dewy ground. The gleam of the river’s shawl of lace, The fern-veil hiding the steep hill’d face. These are the joys of the Bushland road, For him who travels without a load. Some weeks ago the Clematis flowers passed but they are still showing the fluffy greenish-white seed plumes. There will be really nothing conspicu ous in the way of bush blossoms until the Rata comes into its own. The Ilinau flowers (mentioned last week) will be seen for some time yet and the Kainahi (locally miscalled Red Birch), which occurs very abundantly all over New Zealand is blooming strongly now throughout Westland. It is probably the most widespread oi anv of our bush plants; it is to be seen on every roadside where there is bush or a rem nant of bush. The shape of the leaf varies greatly w’ith the age and position of the plant and it is very popular as an adjunct to floral table decorations Although bush flowers on view at present are not many there are beautiful and charming shades of green in the bush foliage. There is the bright green of the young Broadleaf and Mahoe and many others from th e Miro and Silver Pine to the russet colour often shown on the young Rimu to say nothing of all the ferns. Then there is the well-known Fuchsia which has been crowded with flowers this a browny-green top and then the whity season and will presently produce the Konini berry. The leaves of the Fuchsia on a bright breezy day show’ first undersides. Artists have been struck with what they have designated tht sombre colour of the New Zealand forests but close observation disclose*a sufficient wealth of greens and browns at least. South America is the land of the Fuchsia and it is from that country thal( the well-known garden varieties are derived. Another well-known New Zealand bush tree that is well-known in South America is the Kowhai and travellers in the latter country say that many spots there on the western side bear on this account a striking resemblance tc certain gorges in Westland, New Zea land. The gorse which Oliver Gold smith called “the blossomed furze unprofitably gay” is now well to tht fore on Coast hillsides and valleys. N( one questions the beauty of this im migrant’s bloom nor even the useful ness of the plant for shelter am fences when it is kept in strict sub jecrion, but on the Coast it is a out hundred per cent pest, as is also it* compatriot the blackberry, which ha: now penerated into bush country where it was unknown a very few years ago. Whilst no one would wish to re tard any possible industry that is like ly to emanate from introduced ani mals, for instance, it is nevertheless £ striking fact that very many’ past im portations (plant and animal) have de veloped into one hundred per cenl pests.