Arbor Day

Hutt News, Volume 11, Issue 12, 18 August 1937, Page 5

Arbor Day

The annual Arbor Day celebrations were observed on Wednesday last when all the local schools took part in the ceremonies in their own particular district. A feature of this year's operations was the planting of a scarlet oak at cacli of the schools. These are similar to those planted 011 Coronation Day, and were donated by the Borough Council. The following streets were planted: Potomaru, Bauchop and Tui Streets, St. Eonan's Avenue, Eastern Waterloo Road and Malone Road. The Mayor, Mr. J. W. Andrew, ' the children of the purpose c-f the u.. mony which was to foster in both the young amd the old a love of trees and the desire for their protection. Mr. W. H. Wilson pointed out to the eiridren the importance of trees to the bird life of the country. After telling the children of the meaning of Arbor Day and all that it stands for, Cr. J. S. Dallingcr spoke of some of Nature's wonders particularly in regard to trees. It was a wonderful thing that the giant kauri rising its head 100 feet to the sky t'.iould have its origin in a tiny seed. But still more wonderful was the inc.v.ilainable fact that the sap is forced f om the root system to the topmost l.::if by means of the Cambrian layer, 'j 10 ascent and descent is separated bv o' iy a thin partition. A still more won'jrful example of this law of nature wa; to be found in the great redwood t':. uily, Sequoia Gigantia, a native of California, which attains a height of 450 feot, and no one had yet been able to discover what force controlled the luting of its sap. In 'conclusion Cr. Dr. linger left this problem with his hear, rs with the suggestion that there might be among them a botanist of the future who would some day bo able to say that as a result of his studies lie hud been aide to find the answer to this great problem. At the High School, tl.e chairman of the Board of Governors, Mr. .T. Stonehouse, and Mr. D. A. Kwen, a board member, the Mayor and the pupils ■planted trees in the grounds of the sellool an'd Mr. Ewen planted the Coronation oak.