A HOME TRIBUTE TO MR D. TANNOCK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19964, 4 December 1926, Page 3

A HOME TRIBUTE TO MR D. TANNOCK.

The Gardeners’ Chronicle, in one of its recent issues, gave the following particulars of the career of Mr D. Tannock, and in doing so paid deserved tribute to the valuable work he is performing in this city in the important position he holds;— “Mr D. Tannock, superintendent of gardens, reserves, and plantations under the Municipality of Dunedin, is a native of Tarbolton, Ayrshire, and commenced his gardening ca’-cer in 1889 by serving an apprenticeship in the gardens of Colonel C. M King, Autermony, Stirlingshire, where his uncle, Mr Andrew Tannock, was head gardener. After finishing his apprenticeship he worked for some time at Pollock and Ralston. While at Pollock he attended the evening classes ni botany, agriculture, and chemistry at the 1 Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical 1 College. In 1896 he obtained an app ”iitment at Kew, where he was employee lor three years, part of the time as subforeman under the late Mr William \\ atson. While at Kew, Mr Tannock was clerk of the lectures and secretary of the British Botany Club. In 1890 h® ' Vi l s chosen by L " Daniel (then Dr) Morns

to go with him to Dominica, West Indies, as officer in charge of the Agricultural School. In this position he remained tor four years, when he was recommended by Sir William Thiselton-Dyer for the position in New Zealand which he still holds with so much credit to himselt, to British gardening, and to the entire satis,faction of the authorities at Dunedin. In addition to official horticultural activities. Mr Tannock finds time to deliver important lectures, and contributes weekly articles on gardening to two of the leading newspapers—one in Christchurch and one in Dunedin. He is also the author of several books on gardening in New Zealand. He has been responsible for the laying out and planting the grounds at the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition. He has also planned and carried through valuable afforestation work which is best described in the words of Captain MTntosh Ellis, Director of Forestry, in a lecture at the recent great Exhibition; —‘The citizens of Dunedin are to be congratulated on the policy of expansion with reference to the city forest plantations. Your corporation, with its 3000 acres of growing plantations, and with the proposal to plant up a further substantial acreage in and contiguous to the city and in the Waipori watershed, is in the front rank of those corporations in the Empire possessing communal forests. 1 have visited these plantations, and can say without hesitation that there are none better. The time will soon come when the net revenue from these valuable plantations will be greater than from all your other public services combined. Keep up the good work until vou have established a city forest of a, least 30,000 acres!’ —a striking testimonial to Mr Tannock’s work and worth.”