LARGE TREES DYING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22579, 18 November 1936, Page 14

LARGE TREES DYING

INDICATIONS IN ROTORUA ROOTS REACHING HOT GROUND [by telegraph—OWN' correspondent] ROTORUA, Tuesday Several instances of signs of loss of life in many of the larger trees in the town have given rise to the opinion that the roots of these trees have now reached thermal ground, which is slowly causing them to die from the top. For some time past, as a result of expert forestry advice, it has been known that several of the large mncrocarpa trees in the town square have been slowly dying, and that eventually they will require to be felled before they become a danger. A large gum tree in the centre of the road at the intersection of Ahupapa and Hinemaru Streets, concerning the removal of which there has been considerable controversy for some years, is also showing dead growth,, and the council recently decided that it should be removed at the earliest opportunity. The latest instance is the giant sequoia outside the Tourist Department bureau, which has been a landmark of the town for many years and a source of curiosity and interest to tourists. Six months ago, when a yellowness of the top shoot was first noticed, it was hoped that the tree was not actually losing life, but since that time the extent of the dead shoot has slowly spread downward, and if the roots have come into contact with hot ground there appears to bo no possibility of the life of the tree being saved. The tree was planted in 1887, and it has grown to a height of 91ft., with a circumference of 22ft. 8$ in.