MORE ROADSIDE TREES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 21 May 1936, Page 2

MORE ROADSIDE TREES

FOR THE PRESENT AND FUTURE ‘Remembering the stark bareness of the roads on the Waimea Plains and other parts of the Nelson province, and with the advance of winter and the piantiiw season, 1 thought the following extract from The Tree Lover, in an English magazine, might he of use, writes a Nelsonian who is travelling abroad: — "Trees and shrubs should be grown on every roadside. Whether it be a main highway along which endless traffic streams, or a quiet country lane dear to the nature-lover, every roadway is a better and pleasanter place when there ere trees and bushes growing by the wayside.

"True enough it is sometimes necessary to remove trees that obscure the view from a road, or that conceal sharp little turns on junctions, but such cases are comparatively rare. With a. little careful planning it should be possible to plant up most of our roadsides in a way that will improve their appearance without spoiling the views of the surrouding countryside, or reducing travellers safety. “Wherever planting is done, the usual practice of road authorities is to plant standard specimens (usually of a standard species) at regular intervals, and an excellent, practice it is as far as it goes. Much more, however, could and should be done.

"Unfortunately there lias been in the past- a great mania for ‘tidiness’ on the part of road authorities that lias led to the destruction of many fine trees, though now it is pleasing to find that they are usually allowed to remain.

“But on the whole our roadsides need far more trees. Indeed, there is no reason why the highways should not become a veritable tree sanctuary where every kind of native tree may be found growing freely. Such sanctuary is needed badly, for modern plantations are made up almost entirely of foreign species and there is real danger of our finest trees becoming very scarce if not extinct. Let us, then, make our roadsides famous for their trees, and plant them with such taste and skill that future generations may he proud of the splendid limber that borders their highways, even as wo to-day are justly proud of the wonderful trees tluit our forelathers planted for us to possess and prize.”