The SLUM CREATORS (iv.)

Northern Advocate, 8 February 1936, Page 11

The SLUM CREATORS (iv.)

Dear People,

A growing volume of public opinion is hastening the coming of the time when present-day curative medicine, politics and religion will take a secondary place in favour of the more important preventive aspects of these vital sciences. Once adopted, the saner and more reasonable attitude towards life will bring < with it not only the total abolition of all slums and congested city areas, but also the obviating of all possibility of their recurrence. A favourite argument against the building of garden suburbs has ever been that of the prohibitive cost of transport to and from the locale of the daily occupations of the population. In this connection Professor Blair says: “What will be the verdict of the historian of the future when, in recounting the history of the critical times of the early twentieth century, he makes the astonishing discovery that our legislation was framed without scientific guidance of any kind; that while our civilisation occupied itself with changes and movements taking place in stars and nebulae millions of lightyears away, it neglected those taking place on our doorsteps and upon which our very existence depended?” The “changes and movements taking place on our doorsteps” have rendered it quite unnecessary for workers any longer to be herded together in congested areas. The old order has changed, giving place to new; and

man now lives in the Age of Transport. It is a significant fact that among the expanding industries of Britain which have since 1923 increased their aggregate man-power by 2,000.000 workers, transport services—including the building and running of buses, trams, trains, motors, cycles and aircraft —have led the way by adding workers to their pay-rolls to the extent of a 50 per cent, increase. During the period in question 1,800,000 new dwelling-houses have been erected in England and Wales, for the most part in new and more spacious business and residential areas.

The changes which are taking place in Britain in the social and domestic habits of the people are indicative of the world-wide transformations which are being brought about (New Zealand not excepted) as a result of the growth of more enlightened views regarding health and the spending of the increased leisure hours now available. The promotion of industries serving transport in New Zealand would stamp the country as being awake to the changing order of things and would provide lucrative employment to many hundreds of her skilled workers as well as being the means of bringing an increased measure of health and freedom to those breadwinners and their families who at present find it indispensable to deny themselves the joy of living in purer and more spacious atmospheres. Housing proposals foreshadowed for the attention of our next Parliament cover the suggestion that subsidies to workers will be considered a necessary part of any adequate scheme, if men andy women and children of certain classes of labour are to be provided with dwellings commensurate with modern views in regard to mental and physical health. Should subsidies be inevitable (alackaday!), for the sake of all that is good for the race let them be applied to transport industries, to the end that builders may be encouraged to plan sufficiently cheap housing accommodation away from those centres that are already too closely congested to react on lines of health and vitality. It may be contested that New Zealand towns and cities are at present comparatively small and their atmospheres fairly clear. It should, however, be borne in mind that this argument will not apply for very long in the future and that town-planners and housing authorities are called upon to build ahead of their own times. Yours as ever,

To be continued

Fremontia Califomica.

This is a good shrub on account of its large clear yellow blooms produced here in January. It is capable of reaching a fair height, up to 15 feet or higher. It is quite hardy with us. It likes the sun and shelter. It likes also I a well-drained rather dry soil, and it dislikes an excess of moisture, particularly during winter. It is the only species of the genus in cultivation. Propagation -is by seed or by greenwood cuttings.

Some Veronicas.

I have seen quite a number of veronicas during the holiday season, and, in. the words of the late Mr T. F. Cheeseman, many of them are singularly beautiful in form, foliage and flower. Of the 103 native species, all but three arc found nowhere else. I mention a few only that I have in mind at the moment. ,

Veronica speciosa, one of the noblest of the group is no stranger here, being fairly generally grown. It is known by its relatively large leaves, which are inclined to be thick and leathery, and by its dense spikes of reddish-purple blooms. This veronica has played an important part' in the development of -hybrids. Probably the best known of these is V. Andersonii. This does not reach the height attained by V. speciosa, but it is a very beautiful shxmb, bearing racemes of bluish-violet flowers. It is, I believe, a cross between V. speciosa and the mox’e common koi’omiko, V. Salicifolia, the most widely distributed of the veronicas.

Veronica Hulkeana: This is a very showy, pale lilac flowered species, little known in the native state. It is confined to the South Island, growing generally on rocky faces. It does well here, but wants its natural growing conditions as nearly as possible for best results. It is much more sparingly leafy than the more common koromikos, and would not be recognised as a relation. The large lax racemes of bloom are particularly attractive. Veronica buxifolia, the box-leaved veronica is characterised by its pals, green, almost greyish, rather small leaves, which are numerous and rather closely packed. It is very floriferous, bearing clusters of numerous white flowers. Height about 2£ feet. Veronica albicaus resembles buxifolia, but the leaves are rather larger. The height and habit are about the same. The flowers are white. Veronica diosmaefolia: This is generally seen as a small shrub 2 or 3 feet high. The leaves are short, very numerous, close-set, and pointed. The inch-long racemes are of white or pale lavender-blue flowers. Winter-flowering Sweet Peas.

If seed is sown now, these plants should commence blooming about midwinter, and continue to their height in early spring. A good plan is to make a sowing now and another in a week or two. An advantage that these plants have is that they do not grew as tall or as heavy as the summer-flowering ones, so that they are much more easily managed. But they must have shelter. A position under the eaves of a house facing north suits them. A good plan is to build a shelter with a glass top or glass substitute, which should not be put on until the winter weather has commenced.

A good deep rich soil is necessary for best results, and, of course, good drainage, as the plants are naturally deep-rooted. seeds either in boxes, or in the positions whetfe the plants are to grow. Give the young seedlings a little shade with tea-tree during hot weather. Also give plenty of water if the weather is dry. Set in about six inches apart. Pumpkins and Marrows Not Setting. It is not uncommon to find pumpkins or marrows fruit in, grow to a small size, then turn yellow and finally drop off. The reason is that fertilisation has not taken place. If you take the trouble to # examine the flowers of these vines carefully, you will notice that they are of two different kinds, both kinds growing on the same vine. One is the male flower which supplies the pollen; the other is the female flower which must receive the ripe pollen before fertilisation can take place. Two explanations are offered for non-fertilisation. Wet, stormy weather is not only destructive to the pollen, but it prevents the activities of the bees or other insects that carry the pollen from flower to flower. Another possible explanation is that the flowers are concealed by excessive leaf growth, and are not so readily accessible to the insects. If failure to set fruit is the rule rather than the exception, it is a good plan to pollinate the female flowers by hand. Pick- off a ripe male flower, one without any sign of a swelling at the base of the flower, and dust the pollen on to the stigma of the female flower. If there are several vines, it is better to use the pollen of one plant to fertilise the stigma of a different plant. The condition fcr success is that the pollen must be ripe, and the stigma receptive, but if the flowers are chosen when full out, there will be little risk of failure. Early cucumbers grown under glass are often cross-pollinated in this way.