FOR BEAUTY AND SONG

Grey River Argus, 6 September 1939, Page 5

FOR BEAUTY AND SONG

KOWHAIS FOR TUIS AND BELLBIRDS. The Forest and Bird Protection Society was recently invited to offer advice helpful to the Raetihi Borough Council, which wishes to plant a quarter-acre section with trees suitable for native birds. In reply, Captain E. V. Sanderson, president of the Society, suggests that as the section is small, it should be planted wholly with kowhais, whose beautiful blooms give feasts of nectar for tuits and bellbirds. As the flowering period would extend through some weeks, it would be a worthwhile place of call for the birds, which would not be so much attracted by a few trees of various species bearing flowers dfi berries at different times. In the off-season, too, the foliage of graceful kowhais is a very pleasant ornament of a landscape. A kowhai grove of Greymouth is well known for its charming assemblies of tuis and bellbirds in the spring. Captain Sanderson recommends the planting of kowhais about fifteen feet apart, with tree-lucerne between to serve as shelter for a few years, until the young aristocrats are sturdy enough to thrive without the “nurses.”

YOUNG VANDAL KILLS FANTAIL. USES TAIL FEATHERS FOR DARTS. Although increasing numbers of young New Zealanders are showing a friendly interest in native birds, there are still some boys whose lust to kill does not even spare the lovable fantail. Here is an extract from a letter received by the Forest and Bird Protection Society from a correspondent in Pikowai. Bay of Plenty:—“l have seen boys with catapults or shanghais shooting at fantails and other birds, ■twice I have written to the school master about this cruel practice. I know he does his best by talks to the children, but I have felt it is a pity some member of your Society could not get out this way, between Otamarakau and Matata, on some Sundays and catch these boys. I know it would be hard to catch them. I was led to write because one boy shot a fantail, broke its wing and then pulled its tail feathers out to make a dart before he killed it. I often get pleasure in watching birds and I feel so sorry for any one who can be so cruel-natured as to harm the poor wee things.” The Society’s reply has this pipage: “The whole matter hinges on the present inefficient system of administration of wild life matters in the field. The penalty for the killing of the fantail or any other protected bird, or the possession of its feathers or eggs, is £25. under the Animals’ Protection and Game Act.”

FIRE OR DEER? AS NO. 1 ENEMY OF NATIVE FORESTS. . Many members of the Forest and Bird Protection Society are inclined to disagree with a recent statement of Mr. A. R. Entrican, Director of (Forestry, that fire is a worse menace to native forests than deer are. j It is admitted that there is a great need for the national campaign against fire, but it is held also that the necessary work for that purpose I should not lessen the drive against deer which have already done enormous damage in the forests of high country. It is probable that on the settled lower levels, fire may be the greatest destroyer. It is contended that the control of fire-raising should not prove as difficult as a war of extermination against deer. Periods of rain give a respite from fire, but when deer infest a forest they do not have holidays. There is no forty-hour, five-day week for these pests and their allies, wild goats. NATIVE TREES'. QUICK GROWTH. AN IMPRESSIVE DEMONSTRATION. It is not easy to change an old belief of many New Zealanders that native trees are slow growers. However, the success of various wellplanned plantings of native trees is helping to spread the truth about their remarkable response to peeper treatment. For example, Captain ■ : E. V. Sanderson has established a Strong growth of about seventy species of native trees on a half-acre section at Paekakariki, Wellington. A dreary stretch of sand dunes, covered with lupin, exposed to i winds from the sea, has been changed into a delightful young forest, where , one may enjoy that bush scent which warms the heart of nature-lovers, i Of course, when the tree-lover beI gan his task, which seemed absurd to ' many onlookers, he heard frequent predictions of failure. The area became known as “the rubbish heap,” because! of the heaps of dead lupin and other rotting vegetation, destined to form the humus necessary for the young native seedlings. Some critics declared that the plants would be blown out of the ground. They felt that the experimenter was wasting ! his time, and they were rather sorry for him. Those adverse commentators who have lived to see the success of the experiment wished that they had followed Captain Sanderson’s example. He had observed Nature’s way in the establishment of forests, and took a similar course. Some of the lupins were left to act as nurse plants. As the young natives grew up they shielded and sheltered one another. It was a kind of “close corporation” for mutual benefit. In addition to the nitrogenous nourishment supplied by the roots of- lupin, the young trees had the help of natural phosphates in the sand. Artificial fertilisers were tried, but potash alone gave any desirable results. Any organic manure proved beneficial. Cow manure gave a notable fillip to karaka. • A general height of 15 ft. to 16 ft. was attained by the plantation in ten years. Any species which outgrew the others .was cut back by heavy winds• to the average height of the whole stand—the height at which the trees were mutually protective.