TREE-PLANTING NEAR OAMARU.

Otago Witness, Issue 2801, 20 November 1907, Page 36

TREE-PLANTING NEAR OAMARU.

The Oamaru Racecourse is situated on the North road, about three miles from tha Oamaru Post Office. The grounds lie upoa the west side of the road, and have « long frontage facing seawards. The racing track is mostly on the flat, the ground rising , gradually towards and behind the grand! stand. From this point there is a splendid view of the entire course. Originally there, was a belt of quick-growing forest treea planted on the south-east and notth sidea of the grounds; these were far too tKickly panted, and, of course, grew up unshnpelyj | trees. About a year ago the trustees decided to have the main road frontage thinned! out and made more sightly. Perhaps tha thinning out was rather severe, and the principal frontage was disfigured. It was - then decided to have "this frontage filled up with a better class of trees, straight lines, and holes eubsoiled and properly prepared. , for the setting out of the new plants, this in order to give them a fair aturt. The sea? I son has been favourable, the ground has got? 1 a good waking, and the trees have been set) out, and it is reasonable to expect that! | in course of time they will give a good - account of themselves and be an ornament) 1 to the valuable property of the trustees. It I is frequently the case- with -tree-planters thatf | their work ia considered finished when tha treea are set cut. This should not be. Th« 1 ground should be gone over occasionally | and weeded around the trees. A little cultivation and manuring may also be required, and by-and-bye the young trees will be able to take care of themselves. In the belt which was thinned many of the trees were) j left -which in course of time must be takes out also. The new trees consist of Cupressus Lawsoniona in varieties. This tree has , graceful drooping branches of bluish green, I which lender it very ornamental. A-^es excelsa, a- lovely silver fir. Abie» Menzieii^ a tree which forms a perfect cone, with foliage that has a peculiar commingling o£ green and *ilver, much admired. Picea balsame*. a very pretty tree with a peculiarijl agreeable fregrance. Wellingtone* gigante*. one of the most symmetrical and ornamental of tress. Cedrus deodara. the graceful Indian »d«r; ani Tingi I^obbii, a. very grace* ful tree from the Far East. These evergreens have been judiciously interspersed with deciduous trees, consisting of larches, •river birches, varieties of sycamore and I m*ples, and various kinds of oaks. Tha ever-varying foliage of these will much relieve and harmoniously blend with the morel > sombre greens of the insignis, macrocarps; ■ and bluegums which have been too plenti- • fully planted on ihia fine roadway. whicH i extend* for five miles in a straight and almcsf level Una.

— The earliest English newspaper* wnra not printed, but simply written. Fo r tho benefit of those who wished to consult them they were exhibited in * publio place,, each reader being called upon to pay v small coin called a gaaetta, hence the word "gazette." Tho earlie«t English i\ews^ paper was ihc News, first pub* lishftd in 1622,