GARDEN NOTES, A WELCOME.

Otago Witness, Issue 2571, 24 June 1903, Page 10

GARDEN NOTES, A WELCOME.

A number of the brotherhood of gardeners resolved to hold out the band of good fellowship to the new superintendent of the City Corporation Gardens and Reserves, and invited Mi- Tannock, the new acquisition to their number, to a social spread in the Crown , Hofcel, Eattray street, on the even- { ing of Friday, 12bh inst., when, including several friends of kindred tastes and pursuits, a gathering to the number of about 40 spent a vc<ry pleasant and harmonious two hours, the programme being so well .jyruned as to keep within proper bounds. Judging* from the very high testimonials given in his favour by the eminent men who preside over the Royal G-ardeais tut Kew, and thos3 of the society at Ohiswiek, the civic authorities have acted wisely in 6ecuring the services of Mr Tannock, and his personal appearance further -accentuates the wisdom of "the selection. In the prime of life, after a wide experience, he looks every inch a man brought up to hard wortav has done a good share of it, and is quits fit for plenty more. Ho can also teach how work should bs done ; will «cc it properly carried out, ans ill &o doing many of tlie old mildewed "nVJtions hitherto in practioe will be gradually rooted out, and others more suited to the times implanted. Mr Bafchgnte, secretary to tho Amenities Society, «nd Mr Burlinson, president of'the Horticultural Society, aa well oe other epeakors, impressed on the Mayor (Mr Scott) and the chairman of the Reserves Committee (Mr Crust) in plain and vjgorous terms the necessity of giving their new servant a very free hand in carrying out his ideas, pointing out that in the past many grievous errors had been mado through the interference of amateur councillors who gave directions and pronounoed judgmente on this and similar matters without possessing any qualification so_ to do, thus causing very great sacrifices in time and money, £<nd .making themselves ridioulous in the eyes of outsiders with greater ■kno-wlodga and. experience. - This -opinion ' eaaShot ,Se too. strongly backed jup oh every i occasion, aud whilst fre© eritieisni should' be at all times invited and expressed, pe.tty jea'omios and an excusable .partiality for p&rhaps old hands and performances must be laid aside", and fair play iviflibufc favour, given in bringing the grand natural features of oui city and its environments into fctao prominent and well-deserved position which they should occupy. On* jther remark as to Mr Tannock In personal appe-arrnoa he boars a alight "tanning" from the hot olime of the Wp-st Indies, \vl*s«r© 'hj has been for a time employed, but the heot has not apparently impaired liis native vigour, and in our more bracing climate he will soon recuperate- mid make up any possible loss lie has sustained. In menta.l frame he ie so constituted as to win rcpect and confidence. Not showing any overweening j oonfidence in himself, ho makes no boast lor display of superiority. He has exrressed a favourable opin : on on past operations, is highly pleased with the salubrity of our soil and climate, and t.he contour of our domain-? ; and he enters on hia duties with I high hopes of securing success, and is willing to receive any suggestions, and will give • them every consideration compatible with I his own judgment. Having come to teach, lie willingly admits he has much to learn in regard to our flora and botany, end,ha3 already set about the acquisition of the knowledge he strongly Iceires to obtain. During the proceedings of the.- evening Mr M'lndoo pave a short sketch of the history of gardening- in Otago .since ite first start, oommencin? with -the Ro-v. Ma 1 Burns, an amateur who h^ld out the project of every BQttler bavin? his cottage clad with bis own ,vinbs f «jod •fcli«» road lines Btudde.d with fig trees, a prediction not -yefe fulfilled, but evidently on the way tow-arc's accomplishment, as .shown in one of the illustrations in ; the Witness of a country residence in tli« i Otauo Central dietriot, »h«*-e dusters of i luscious grapes arc* sp-e-n growing in t-li<? ope-n j -_ a foretaste of what Dunedin will yet benefit by. What has to be done, and easily may be done, in adding to the attraction of our oity is shown by tho frec-ly-give^n services of the Amenities %Society in turning to things of beauty some of the neglectod snots along the- dopes of unformed stroete in different localities, and more parfcioulorly in beautifviiiff th* Anderson's Bay road, now ) 83 transformed by enclosed bHts of native ■ shrubs, luxur" ntlv prowinir, though exposed to thoi faeavv nor'-on store «weepincr freoucntly ud the- I< arbour, and rot in the elifrh+esfc affected thereby, but rather se-em-I ing to revel in them. i Tho Ro.sc of fcharcn has a fwrr-f wun'^n!; i name, and should no=>se«s ra r e qualities. Th« very name "rose"' Ikvj brc-n apr-ronria+cd by many comtries as o mot^o. Wp have the ~Ro*i of Denmark, and the Root of 13n<7l*nd, the latter of which caia=«d many l>:t*<?r and bloody iattlcs. In tho preiv-nt instance the head is on more peaceful soil. i Several answer* have boon given o-<= fa> what the Rose of Sharon really vas. Th* plant &s known to us is oertainly a Hush., &tf-inin£ even tne dignity of a tree. Crom whic'i the valuable ros»W<so3 for furniture purposeß is obtained, and it consequently claims special attention. Thia Li not claimpd for it, Iwre, •so it may t»a#s out of consideration. Associated in th<* Biblical quotation, "Rose of SWon and Tilv of the valW," t.V» name assumes a bulhou* crenealogy, find many writers deJm it +■>■> have been a m^tib&r of t3i© nawueai ffimilr. anrl put forth cogent reasons for co thinking. Eager disputants on

the other side say it is entitled to a higher standard, and place it as one of the mallow tribe, & hibiscus, bearing more useful properties, and better fitted to sustain its reputation. The Rose of Jericho is largely grown in several places, cad is valued as a fruit because possessing medicinal qualities, while it is also highly ornamental as a flower. The balance of opinion being equally divided; it remains with each grower to form an opinion of his own, and hold it as a true solution. Nothing comolufive has been advanced, or ever will be, to settle the matter positively, so it must remain, as do many other points in Holy "Writ, a vexed question until another revelation comes about to eet the matter at rest. It is a harmless controversy, poising only on speculation, and mot likely to produce practical results. Of a similar character is that of the sycamore tree, upon whoso branches little Zaoheus, the publican, climbed to get a better view, and from which he was emphatically called down. Was it what we call the Oriental plane, now planted along botb sides of th« Ootagon and on the AnideKon's Bay road? I. M. I.