PUKEKURA PARK.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13635, 14 April 1908, Page 3

PUKEKURA PARK.

CTIAT WITH THE NEW CURATOR. Parsing through Ptikcknra Park the other day, ono of our representatives pumo across Mr "VV. W. fJmith, the new rwrator, busy tidying up the walks, otc, and generally preparing for the approaching planting season. Mr Smith i ; <>m> ol" tlu 1 greatest authorities on l>otany in tho Dominion, and a great admirer of New Zealand foliage. "What do you think of the grounds?" queried the reporter. uWoll,"u Woll," said Mr Smith, "on entering them some years- ago I was very , earnestly impressed with their naturalness and tin- excellent work done in modelling and planting them. Allowing full scope for our various tastes an 1 stylos in the art of landscape work, and all circumstances and difficult lev; no doubt experienced in the early days, 1 do not think it could have been carried on on much better lines. The difficulty of obtaining suitable trees and other plants during the earlier years of the Park probably explains the presence of many pines, but theso, 1 may say, have served their purpose well, whilst among them are j some of the boat Pinus Insignis I have met with. Several have clear, straight trunks over 100 feet high, and over four foot in diameter at the base. Those should yield excellent timber for building outhousos, etc. Although a despised tree in some districts, 1 am of oj)inio7), in vjew of the increasing f.carcitv of timber, that it will yet be planted extensively in the Dominion tor tho purposes 1 have named. There are also some large trees of Pinus Maritima, which yield a more compact and durable timber than tha,t of 1 the Insignis, but is a little slower' in growth. The quality bf these timbers, when tested, should form a safe guide to those settlers who intend planting trops for , building purposes. There is no doubt the Park has b6en worked on admirable lines. The recent extension of the upper lake has also much ■enhanced the beauty of thfc Park. When tho banks and oaten spaces hear it are planted with _ tree ferns and other suitable native, trees, and beneath them low-growing ferns, it will prove most picturesque, whon viewed from tho low hills overlooking it. Considering the limited means at the< posal of former Boards,,, andfitji^r cjifficulties exi>erieiiced, ;^hffi ParV,,& ; Jiijghly* creditable ta.;f fypm -ana-iio forHSjar.-oura-' tors, who have raised it to ite present state . and status amjpng th% pifljJic parks of tho Dominion," Mr Smith is a lover of Maori names, and fully approves of the rodentlvproojpimed new name, Pukekura Park, a& being more appropriate and euphonious than that of Recroition (grounds. "Judging from the number! have seen here," Mr Smith jocularly remarked, "Pukekura Park appears to be a very popular place with/honeymoon couples. And so it i?," he added, enthusiastically. "It is a charminp nlace for young and old. People of Taranaki have something to be really proud of. There is not a finer scene in t<he whole Dominion than the view across this lake, from where we are standing and beholding Mount Egmont — the chief scenic attraction of Taranaki — in the background." Our representative casually referred to the natural beauty of the grounds. "Yes," said Mr Smith, > "you may have artificiality in gardens and a brilliant display of colour in flowers, but they don't come up to the true level of Nature as a place like Pukekura Park. It is the naturalness of the grounds that gives such, a charm to them." "And how do you intend to proceed in the future P" "It is impossible at present to outline any particular scheme," said Mr Smith, "to adopt and follow in the future for the further beautification of the Park or for enhancing its value for educational purposes, or as a pleasure resort. Much will necessarily depend on the Board's means to be applied to the work in developing it on these lines. With care, of course, much can be done. Besides the ordinary and daily work of maintenance, the Board intends to continue planting native trees extensively, and thu»; strictly preserve tho natural features of the grounds, for which they are how invariably admitted to, bo the best in the Dominion. But the finer classes of exotic plants will also be allot re J several spaces to encoiirage the tastes of those who admire them. "Nothing definite has been arranged by the Board at present as to th^ clearing, re-modelling.' and planting of ■ several small valleys in the Park, notably the two near the Wa-hotise, now covered with coarse, unpidturesque vegetation. The Board fully recognises the improvement to be n>»de hv clearing and planting them well with , native trees and shrubs. 'It is, however, intended to dear with these valleys at an early date. On the shady lower parts near the lakes, and on the island at the head of the large lake, groups of the dwarf-growing.' native ferns are to be planted and accurately named for the convenience of study by visitors. Fresh humus could well be added to these sites to enable the plants to produce a vicprous growth." Speaking of New Zealand's native Hora, Mr Smith declared that there \vfos no place in the whole Dominion where it might be seen growing to such perfection as in Pukekura Park. The group of young native trees growing on the island affords an excellent practical lesson in the planting of new bush, and illustrates how easy it is, and how rapidly in some districts, to regenerate native bush. They have been planted several years and have made remarkably fine growth — so* much so, indeed, that they will require judicious thinning and transplanting to enable the stronger ahd larger trees to V expand and develow perfectly. It is ; proposed to form larj?e beds of good ; mould in which to plant and display - lie rrrowth of n<? many of the beautiful - varieties of native flax as may he proi cursihle. Of these there arc about

forty, many of ilicin being still in tho hands of the. Maoris. We have already been promised some fine varieties, which will make a good hod for a beginning. Large bods each of tho native veronicas (koromikos), oleavias, coprosmas, carmichaolias (native brooms), aciphyllas (speargrass)^ Dracophyllums (grass-tree), pittosporums, senecio3, and other beautiful and conspicuous genera of plants, will be added as they are procurable. In these several genora* many species exhibit great variability in different habitats. By grouping them into separate bods and botanically naming them accurately, they couid then bo conveniently studied, a-nd ' would bo of ready service to young botanists and school teachers. A QUESTION OF SUBSIDY. ' DEPUTATION TO THE BO HOUGH COUNCIL. A deputation consisting of tho following members of tho Pukeknra Park Board — Messrs F. P. Cork ill (chairman), R. Cock, S. Percy Smith, H. Ford, R..C. Hughes, W. L. Newman, and E. Tribe (secretary) — waited on lhe Borough Council last night and asked for an increased grant to tho runds of the Board. Mr Corkill explained that as Irus lteos of the Park they had oomo. >with hat in hand to solicit, not their sympathy — because they knew they already- \ had this — but an increase of the syiji-' pathy. They had found times rather, ' bad, and had had a most difficult task to keep going. He thought they wer»; all awaro of-,tly> change that had bopyimado during the last two or' thres , years in connection with the Sporty Grounds. Those grounds formerly vpi">| duced £50 or £60 a year, but 'owing td . tho new departure tho Board got abso-.. "> lutely nothing from that source now/ , and had not done so for some two or throe years past. The loss of £50 a* year from such a small incomo'as their* ' was seriously felt. Then, again, '^n4come from other sources had dinlim J ished. Tho Board used to bo fairly well supported by the i>\iblic with ' : numerous annual subscriptions, 1 of ( 10s, v [ but since their friends had starred the- ' present Sports Grounds movement thejf '. had taken a great many of their sympathisers. They did not grudge, theni these subscriptions, although thejf felt 1 the loss very seriously-; but they reco««-i nised that what was being done wa^ ' for the benefit of the whole comnwnity, ! md to the Board in particular. . al- ', though they were trot as yet derivtng^ • any financial benefit. The Board tkAV \ it was now desirable to approach tho x i Council and ask for at least anotljp* £50 a year." They would have viiskod that the Council should double the subsidy and vote them an acWifcunusl £100, hut they recognised thai the Council- had many, demands mado upon its income, and they thought that t\ x i<i , T j year at <any rate, if tho Council eouM i give them an increase of not less than •? £."30, it would enable the Board, with '. the special effort it was intern 1 :»d t(^ make, to carry on. They had just engaged as curator of the gi*ound3 a man of very high qualifications — a man who stood at the head of his profession in the Dominion, and who was recogniij«rf as probably heat? and shoulders a'jovo nny other man of his profession ir New Zealand. They had been very. fnr,tu* nato in securing the services cf,*!Vh' Smitli, whose coming here, he tiiomght, would be very beneficial to the -com* 5 munity at large. Although they had r i made a very favourable Arran^encnt ' in regard to this appointment, U would .' still involve them in a little extra ex- t penso. In other ,-waySr their expoiirti- , ture wqft. tiwreasingj biit.-lhe i^iTftWt r was decreasing.. Last ylpar the hour?! was £100 to the had on the tw^l 'c \' t pnonths' operations. This overdraft ;w.as guaranteed by certain member* of the Board who from time to time.f** the last twenty years had had tA^have recourse to that. They would Ui:o to see this debit wiped out and inc. n"eounts again put in credit. This could only /be dono by an increased joeo/m*. The expenditure Tiurtng the vori w had amounted to £429, but of this £176 was abnormal expenditure wh,ich twta not likely to be reouaring— namely, 'the 4 extension of the lake. He was sure the members of the Council who had teen the work would admit, that a very, great , improvement had heen effected 'at com- i paratively small cost. . i . . • Mr Cock echoed' the remarks, ,of Mr Covkill. Ho \vaß rather surprised tne chairman of, the Board Had been j£o modest in asking for a paltry , addi- ( tional £50. He cotisidered the Recreation Grounds was one of the only, 'assets the /Council had got in tli«'town<. of New (Plymbuth, and thought that, instead of a few naving to g6 iwund year after year soliciting siifosenprtions, the tin)e had arrived when the ratepayers should ! contribute a special rate of Id in the £; which would pro^ duce £227. This would no^ hart anybody. He hoped the Counoil wpuld give them £300. ' * , '< „. Mr S. Percy Smith said that, $f po Council cast its eye round the Bonwfa- ■ vion, it would ftnd that recreat^jn, grounds in nearly, all places were kept up entirely by the municipalities, but' in New Plymouth, for", 'some reason or other, a few were Expected to go rbiind hat in hand to canvass for.fimdn. -.^ Tho Mayor agreed that the Recrear tion Grounds formed a valuable assert* to the borough. Whilst he thought the Council would favourably consider the request, he said no decision "&mld bo arrived at that night. The master, would be gone into when the estimate^ for the ensuing year we're being drawtt