ARBOR DAY ACTIVITY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8482, 17 July 1913, Page 7

ARBOR DAY ACTIVITY

WELLINGTON CITIZENS DISPLAT KEEN INTEREST. An exceptional degree of interest was displayed yesterday by Wellington people in tho work of planting trees to' clothe some at least of the bare hilbtddos around tho city. Arbor Day was observed with more enthusiasm than Wellington. has ever shown before. Spades were piled with vigour in many directions by men and women, boys and girls, and it ia estimated that many thousand new -trees are now trying to grow on Wellington Kill* as a result. Every encouragement was given by the municipal authorities to those prepared to aid in tho good work. Selections of trees suitable for planting in various localities wore issued to school committees and other public and semi-public organisations wine hunderfook to give the ma proper start- Bohool children were given a whole holiday, and in most instances utilised a portion of it by planting a tree or two. SCENES OF ACTXVUT.

The Mayor (Mr J, P. Luke), the chairman of Uie reserves committee (Mr GL frost), several members of the City Council, the city engineer (Mr W. it Morton), and the town clerk (Mr J, Palmer), with a number of ladies, formed the official party which toured the city and visited the chief scenes of planting activity during the day. Beginning with the Kilbirnio school, the part ypaased on to the Boseneath school, and thence to town belt section 48, adjacent to' Vie toria College, whore the main ceremony took place. After lunch the tour wao resumed, and during the afternoon visits were paid to the Newtown, and Island Bay schools. , , , At each stopping place the party found the school children assembled under their respective head masters. After a brief address by the Mayor and Councillor Frost the usual procedure was for the visitors each to plant a tree, after which the-childr en themselves were encouraged to do the same, Mr and Mrs Luke and Hr and Mrs Frost must each have put in quite a number of trees during the day. | TEN ACRES OF TREES.

The ™ niTl function was on the town belt at Kelburne, where eight or ten acres are to bo planted, and some 13,000 young trees given' a chance to adorA a bare hill-top which is one of the most prominent things to be seen from any vessel coming up the harbour. The work of the planting here is being continued by the city forester and hia assistants. . In the course of his addresses during the day, the Mayor emphasised the point that the City Council was actively concerned fn the re-afforestation of the town belt, on which about 50,000 trees were being planted this year, in the attempt to beautify the surroundings of the city. In this, however, they ha dto have the assistance of the jiublic, and he was much gratified to notice the great interest being displayed by the citizens, and especially the school children. The council was spending about 10 per cent, of its revenue on the various municipal gardens and reserves, and it remained for the public to do all it could to beautify other spots at present left treeless and bare. Councillor Frost also spoke at various points, and showed that the reserves committee was most anxious to do everything passible to remove the reproach eo often levelled at Wellington citizens—that they took little interest in the bcautificaion of thei rsurroundings. SPECIAL GARDEN PRIZES. Clyde quay scholars were not able to plant any trees owing to the rocky site of the school, but the committee, in order to interest the children in tiee and garden cultivation, has decided to offer special prizes for the three best kept garden plots in the district. WORK AT LEVIN. Arbor Day was a busy day in Levin, The Mayor, (Mr B. E, Gardener), the members and officials of the Borough Couuoil, and the general public heartUy joined in a spontaneous movement for the beautifying of the,town. Trees and shrubs were planted on the reserve near the railway station, and trees that had died were replaced by saplings.