TREES AND POWER LINES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25457, 11 February 1944, Page 5

TREES AND POWER LINES

CURATOR’S OBSERVATIONS In response to the Mayor’s request, the curator (Mr John Tait) reported to> the Oamaru Borough Council last night that he had visited in particular Wharfe, Upper Ure Arun, Reed, Dee, and Tees streets, and’on the whole had been impressed by the additional beauty given to those streets by the trees. In Reed street, at the Cross street end, several trees had been pruned rather severely, but, on the other hand, from Ribble street the trees had already grown into the wires and again required attention. The branches overhanging the footpaths and roadway were also in need of further trimming, although trimming had already been done this summer. Dee street ribbonwoods had grown into the wires and required cutting back. The method of cutting back silver birches in Wharfe street, Mr Tait said, was not the orthodox one, but the effect from the roadway was much more Posing Only a few trees were lopsided, and the general effect was decidedly good. A number of, the trees had grown up into the wires, and required cutting for the second time this season. The limes in Tees and Upper Ure streets were at a nice stage and did not require a great deal of attention, although in years to come they would present the same problem as in Reed street. The wires in Oamaru, and particularly in Wharfe street, Mr Tait said, appeared to be very low, and with the extra fast growth of trees it was a very difficult job to keep ahead of the growth. . , Dealing with the future policy of planting, Mr Tait stated that it would be advisable to plan for this when forming new or re-forming old streets, by providing, if possible, an even wider strip of grass than in Conway street, bearing in mind that trees had root systems extending at least as far outwards as the ultimate height of the tree. The curator suggested the provision of a wide strip of grass in the centre of some streets, and the planting of a single row of trees, allowing them tor develop more naturally.