CENTRAL STATE NURSERY, EWEBURN. (Mount Ida Chronicle.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2241, 11 February 1897, Page 26

CENTRAL STATE NURSERY, EWEBURN. (Mount Ida Chronicle.)

During a recent visit to Eweburn a lepre- i Tentative ot this journal had au opportunity of inspecting this infant nursery, founded by the • Government iv the beginning of October. The project is so full of beneficently potent possibilities for the future of Ceutral Otago that we are sure our readers will be glad of a short detcripticn of the progress already made. The ■nursery reserve consists of 20 acres, situated in tbe centre of the Bwebucn township reserve, a block of 740 acres, which, we understand, will Bhortly be cut up for disposed The chief reaeon that determined the selection of this site was Its position, which is as nearly as possible in the centre of the Maniototo Plain. This central titufction will reduce to a minimum the difficulties of the transport of the trees to their permanent plantations and at the some time economise the labour of those engaged in the .- work. It may here be noted that the general plan ior the future will be the planting of broad long belt* of trees radiating from the centre of the plain towards the surrounding hills. Of course, water supply, Ruitability of soil, tubsoil, and aspect were also factors iv determining the site. The boundary ( fence with substantial posts htlf a chain apart ' and iron s=tandr-rdR between is rendered rabbitproof by l£in wire netiiug. A laurel hedge has been planted withiu the boundary fence, and ' eeema to be thriving excellently, giving promise of great value a» shelter for th« young trees. On passing through tbe entrance gates, which are »s neat and light as they are strong, one is at once struck with the surprisirgly large amount of solid work that has been accomplished since the first sod was turned a short four months *go. Fencing, ditching, trenchiDg, digging, planting, dam-couetruction, building, a.ll have been making rapid advance, and about the place there is now i an air of order and method, as pleasant to see as it is profit j.ble in operation. Nothing necessary for the success of our embryo forest has b u ni omitted as far as foresight aud ouseivation cau provide. A 6fb I shelter fence of manuka ecjh^__ has been \ erected to the windward cf-the seed beds to '■ prevent demage by the heavy N.W. gales. The j ground underwent no other preparation for the reception of the seeds than trenching — not even manuring. For the protection ot the young plants during the early stages of their growth from tho scorching ras» of tho sun, the beds have been provided with O shaped arching ( light iron frames, like a half moon and ext--nri- ! ing from end to end of tho beds iv long rows, j Attached to the ridge of each frame is a shade ' of canvas which can be rolled down or up < n each «ide at the weather requires, the canvas f being kepb rigid when in use by long iron rods " inserted in the lower side of the canvao. Of { the frames just described, which arc 2fb high ! in the centre, 3ft 6m in width, aHd 18fo iv length, there are at present 80 in u«e. They contain approximately half a million ?oung trees apparently in vigorous growth. By far the larger portion of the treea belongs to the Tyrolese variety ofthe European larch, a tree which has already proved itself, where judiciously planted, eminently suited to -the district. As a timber tree it "would be a matter of extreme difficulty to overstate its value. When to this •we add its grett adaptability to nearly every condition of soil nob wet, altitude, diversities j of climate, its rapidity of growth and ease of culture, ib muit be evident that no other tree j can be ranked on a par with the larch. Next in quality it the Corsicau pine (Pinus larcico), of which there are about 100,000. The tree is of very rapid upright growth, well suited for planting even in tbo most expored snd windswept situations. A non-fastidious subject as to toil, it furnishes a valuable timber, and is cheaply and easily raised from seed, it may be added that one or two good specimens may j be seen just im-ide the gate of the Anglican J Church of this town. Next we come to tbe ] beds of the youug Austrian pine (Pinus J austriaca), another tree that has already ] been proved, by the fine specimens growing in ] different parts of the district, to be well suited to Mftniototo Resembling the Coisican pine in ' appearance, it is of a more robust and spreading habit. Few soils even of the poorest come umisß to this tree, aud, besides providing a timber of no mean quality, ifc is one of the best shelter trees yeb introduced. Large numbers are growing ot tho Douglas lr (Abies douglasii), which furmches the celebrated Oregou pine of America. Many good jpecimens of this tree are to be seen in the Recreation Reserve, Naaeby, where it is flourishing with remarkable vigour. Of the Norway spruce (Abies excelsa), about 50,000 youug trees are in the beds. Thiß tree ■which has already proved itself suitable to this di»trict, produce* the well-known desd of commerce. Amongst other trees grown in smaller quantities may be mentioned Abies menzeiaii, a. rapid growing tree with tinibsr almost identical with that of the Oregon pine ; Pious ponuerosa, a durable, coarse-grained timber ; Pinus etrobus, Pinus abies, and American black sprues (Abies nigra). Ie will be observed that from this list are absent such trees a» Cupre ssus niacrrcarpa and Pinus insignis, and such trees ss bave a value only as shelter aud not as timber trees. The reason of. this is, Mr Matthews states, that on this point bis instruction from the Government was to the effect that ouly those trees producing useful timber were to be planted. The above lif-t wil', we venture to Fay, prove thab this instruction has been thoroughly carried out;. Noticing a larg« number of young cabbage trees at the lower end of the nursery we learned, on inquiry, that MiMatthews has furnished these trom bis own nursery ; and that when the planting season arriTeß he intends to distribute them gratuitously to any settlers who may visit the nursery afe that time. We hope that during the coming season full advantage will be taken »f thiß generous offer, for, to our mind, no pther tree gives a home inch a characteristically .New Zealand look as does the cabbage tree. For the preparation of the ground for ths 'eception of the young trees next season, about lour acres have beeu put into crop on the eastern boundary, where the trees will remain for one or two years according to the variety, before being planted out in their permanent quarters. As a water supply is an essential to the growing of trees in their earlier stages, we find, as we expected, that here as iv other departments nothing hns been left to chance. We learn that water can pasily be got all over the property by sinking in luitable places from lft to sft. In cue place pear the nunery, rising out of a gully, a fine jupply was struck after half an hour's work, jnuch to the surprise of a farmer who had worked on the gruund, and wbo s&id that if he had known water was there he would have bad it long ago. Jusfc so. So would everyone else who required it — it they hmo it was there. Bufc j tow could he know without trial ? And we j verily believe that this farmer is not singular )n thirsty Maniototo. Close to the men's quarters a hole about sft in diameter by 3fb peep was dug for rubbish. To their surprise in the morning it was full of water. Tha hole tras at ouce enlarged and yield* even in this

dry season an uuf*iliug supply. A Farringdou pump has been erect^d over this hole, and v couneoted by pipes *ua uhe seed beds, which by means of a ho.c are thu3 provided with tho necessary supply of water. A powerful wind mill is being erected to raise water from this and other springs on the property. On the uortheru and higher boundary two large dams have been constructed to store water for nhe tluriug a dry season. E?en if the creek which supplies these d*m» should ran dry, as ithasdoue this season, arrangements are being made to keep the dam full by forcing the water up from the springs before-mentioned, by means of the windmill. A complete sefe of meteorological instruments is in use, and observations are taken •'aily at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. As showing how largely the success of the nursery is dependent upon irrigation, it may be meutioneel that the rainfall since the commencement of this work until the date of our visit has beeu only 0 73m. A largo and commodious building has been erected of sun-dried bricks. Iv oue end com- ,. fortable quarters are provided for horses ; next< to the stable is the shed for trap*, a very necessary convenience in this climate of extremes ; the other end is occupied by the workshed and i the men's quarters. The whole of the founda- | tiens and floors are laid in ctmnit concrete, which, owing to the plentiful supply of gravel 1 clobb at hand, has been found cheaper, as well as more suitable than timber flooring. The rapid progress made and the success to far attained in this new undertaking reflects ttm greatest credit on the State Forester (Mr Matthews) and his two nurserymen (Messrs Gleeson and Roberts), who, by the way, both served their apprenticeship under Mr Matthbwa lit his well-known nurseries at Dunedin, a success all the moro creditable seeing the work has been initiated iv ou« of the worsb i>e»sons erer experienced in the Maniototo district. Or course it will bn nald, and truly said, that in this important undertaking its managers have only begun to climb tbe u'sb brae of the Hill Difficulty, that the lirat winter aud the planting process have yet to be far« bufc the abundant precautions taken to attain success in its earlier I 6tage» favours tho hope that an equal success 1 will follow the latter stages of this undertaking. Iv the meantime, the thoughtful farmer who j visits the Eweburn nursery will meet with every '■ courtesy from Mr Matthews aud his assistants, , : -will see muoh to instruct him, and will, wo trust, take home with him a number of new ideai on which to chow fcho cud of reflection at bis lemue.

I In the course of his remarks, one oE a depu1 tatiou to the Southland Educaiion Board from i Round Hill, who appeared in suppo v t of a [ rt quest tor a. school, mentioned that £30.000 woith of plnut was on the field, and that £3000 would shortly be expended in the construction I of races and reservoirs to store water for mining ; purposes. I A woman who belongs to the habitual ! drunkard ciais in Invetcarjjill is said by the I police ta hay* tueh a thirst for spirituous I liquor that -when she could nob get brandy, [ whisky, or ruai, she drank ehlorodyne and painkiller. The police have been making inquiries into the disappearance of & turn of £13 from the office of the railway stationmaster at Balcluth* last Friday- A couple of flasks of whisky have alao (probahly at the same time) been abstracted from a case which wai consigned to a Balciutha resident and was lying iv the office. In consequence of the number of typhoid I cases in the Wanganui Hospital, none but urgent casea are allowed adnis»iou. The February number of the "Phonographic Magazine," which has been so much enlarged that it can now be boasted for it that it is the largest magazine in shorthand iv the "world, has been issued. The general get up barely admits of mi,- , proyement. A new feature in it is that some '. capital photographs are given iv illustration of I a descriptive article.