TREES IN THE STREETS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19221, 9 January 1926, Page 10

TREES IN THE STREETS.

OVER 1800 PLANTED IN 1925. CITY COUNCIL'S GOOD RECORD NEW VARIETIES' BEING USED. VANDALISM TOO COMMON. Few peoplo except near-by propertyowners take any interest in street treeplanting. Others see rows 7>f little trees no larger than ' walking-sticks tied to stakes, and fail to realise what these beginnings will mean in a few years to the street and tho city. • Without drawing much public attention, thoi Auckland Council has been steadily planting mora and ' more. streets with trees, and it will be only a matter of time before every suitable thoroughfare will have - them, ? Some particulars of the work done so far, and in particular during last year, were given yesterday' by the Mayor, Mr. G. Baildon. Auckland city has 108 miles of streets, all classes included. Of the total, over 25 miles have been provided with trees. Last year 20 more streets, aggregating 9j miles, were planted, 1880 trees being put in between the beginning of June and the end of September. All aro now inserted in tho footpaths, 2ft. 6in. from tho kerb) , . • . The Varieties of Trees. The following is a "list of the streets planted and the varieties of treo3 used:— ■ Eemuera: Lucerne Eoad, Canadian elms; | Kelvin - Road and Upland Road, plane j treesj.'Wotidl.ey Avenue,' Japanese 'flowering cherries. Parnell: Staffa Street, pnrifjs; Gladstone Road (Parnell Park frontage), scarlet ■ flowering gums. Epsom: Eanfurly Eoad West, silver birches; Kimberley Eoad and Empire Eoad, Canadian elms; Banff Avenue, Japanese flowering cherries; Corbett-Scott Avenue, scarlet flowering gums. Ponsonby: Islington Avenue, Huntingdon elms; Shelly B&ich Road, Canadian iilms; Wharf Eoad, Lombardy poplars; Marine Parade, pepper trees. Grey Lynn: Elgin Street and Warnock Avenue, Canadian elms; Fisherton Street and Garnett Eoad, silver birches; West End, plane trees. ' - In addition, Princes Street has been replanted with Lombardy poplars, the old ones having mostly died or been removed in the course of years'. Rapid Growers Preferred. The choice of trees for street planting is a difficult matter. Good varieties must be capable of making a strong growth in their early years, and must in general be rapid growers. Trees which require careful nurture when young are quite unsuitable. Another requirement is that they grow symmetrically and spread well when ■ properly pruned. They must be unaffected by smoke and cold winds, and where | their shade is not wanted in winter they should be deciduous, though in other situations evergreens may be used. In tho past planes and lindens have been much used for the purpose, and many Aucklanders are grateful for their shade in summer time. These trees, hoW-„ ever, make almost too rapid growth, and: other varieties are being tried as well ifl; order to .giyfr a diversity of effect. The Canadian elm, which has been, used with great success in America,, is proving equally good in Auckland. It'is a hardy and quick-growing tree,- of good appearance, and' not / difficult to keep in a good; Bhape. by .pruning.. ,The silver birch, which is very popular in the South Island, is not so good for shade, but when four or five years old is a singularly beautiful tree, with its slender patterned trunk and dancing leaves. v , The Japanese flowering cherry, which has been tried in Eemuera, is greatly admired. In spring it carries ' abundant, blossoms of delicate pink, followed in. dug course; by small scarlet berries. The foliage passes through many different shades of * purple and bronze from spring ; toy autumn. Not long ago the little trees in Woodley Avenue were covered with- : berries. ; , Few Native Trees Planted. .Not- many native trees are, capable of being grown in streets. The puriri has a beautiful appearance, but is an ever-' •green and has to be sprayed carefully to prevent attacks by smut and scale. . The. top is very inclined to die bff .if exposed .to cold winds. The pohutukawa, always a delight at Christmas time with its crown of crimson flowers, is an' unruly tree and inclined to grow into all sorts of irregular shapes. However, in certain situations it is grown very successfully. Undoubtedly the council and its staff deserve very great credit for the progress that has been made, for the difficulties .are legion.. The weather, blights, accidents and vandalism all have to be contended with. As an American authority , has said, a street tree is in danger from its first day to its last. The council's officers are very patient, but they find vandals trying. One street in Ponsonby has been practically replanted five or six times, owing to the destruction of trees. In another, £25 worth of damage was done in ono night recently. Vandals are of all sorts, some wilful and some merely cateleSs. There is the small boy who must try his' new' pocket Jknife on a treey and, if the only tree' available is in the street, he uses thai.,: The-.ubiquitous boy's; trolley, speeding down-hiil, knocks over many a young tree, stake and all. Motorists backing their" cars at night and " horses with an appetite for. bark or strange leaves do nearly as much destruction. Accidents ara inevitable. Lately all' the trees on one side of a • street in Epsom, were killed .through a leaky gas main contaminating the soil,, and had to be removed. and replaced after tho gas main had been repaired. Call for Civic Patriotism. The only remedy is care and civic patriotism on the part of the' public. When it is remembered that .a little leafless shoot tied to a stake will in a -few years be a valuable and . beautiful shade-tree, the shoot will be treated with the respect it deserves. Apart from new planting, the council's; staff have much work to do. Last year they pruned 43 miles of trees, sprayed a great number, and spent £2O0 f on stakes and guards alone. Planting and maintenance required a ton and a quarter of fertiliser, and in the course of planting 500 yds of soil had to be removed and replaced with othor of a better quality. As a corollary to tree-planting there is the maintenance of grass, plots. In i most streets, unfortunately, this has proved impossible, and the whole surface has been tarred or metalled to do away with rough' and untidy grass. If all householders were willing to keep the grass opposite their'properties cut, there would be no need to abolish it. This plan .is followed out in some suburban streets, such as Corbett-Scott Avenue, Epsom, the residents of which asked not long ago that trees planted, and to show 'their good faith offered to keep the grass out. The trees were put in, and the householders now take a pride in having their street always neat and tidy.