PUKEKURA PARK BOARD.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 16049, 6 February 1918, Page 6

PUKEKURA PARK BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING, ■■ i 1 1 The Pnkokura Park Board' met on Monday flight. Present: Messrs R. Cock (in the chair), H. Ford, C. E. Bellringer, J. W. Hayden and A. Gray (hon. secretary). CURATOR’S REPORT. The report of the curator (Mr. W. W. Smith) was as follows: ✓ “As in the previous month the chief work of the board’s staff has been that of mowing the heavy growth of long | grass and burning it 'The walks on | Cannon Hill have been reformed and I widened, with improved result. The walk to the racecourse lias been further widened in parts, and graded. >Ve now propose to proceed with the widening and reforming of the walk leading up to John Street from the triangle bed at the Sports Ground. Wo are mowing the area at present. When mown and cleared the work will bo proceeded with. The walk up the hill in the Sports Ground is completed. I would: call the attention of the board- to the present condition of the Sports Ground. As we cannot possibly hope to mow the ground with scythes it will be necessary to procure a horse and horse mower to do the work. Some of the very objectionable grasses are, now in flower. They should therefore be mown to prevent them from seeding, and- the grass promptly raked and binned. The terraces will also have to be cut, to prevent the weeds growing on them from seeding. This be done with scythes. Owing to the great growth of the general vegetation of the park the heat, on-certain days, dried and shrivelled the foliage of a number of plants. The temperature on January 27 (81 degrees in the shade) shrivelled the leaves of the water-lilies. Growing in the deep bed of humus under the water the plants grow with phenomenal vigour, causing the floating leaves to crowd in a dense mass and vise out of the water. Such is of rare occurrence. The lily lake is more-like a bed of lotnson the Nile than one of water-lilies in New Zealand. The blooms have been very plentiful and very largo this season.” Mr. Gray said that owing to the TeohnicaT College vacation the grass in the Sports Ground had not been cut for some time, but it would- be done at once. Mr. Bellringer thought some arrangedeut should be made to have the grass cut during the Technical College vacation. When it was long and. untidy it gave visitors the impression of a dirty front door. The corrugated iron fence was another eyesore; He thought it would bo much better to pull the fence down and sell the iron, which at the present time would bring in from £SO to £6O. In its place climbing roses could bo grown—Mr. Smith was an adept growing them—and- with punga posts, etc it would he a thing of beauty instead of the present hideosity. In reply to a question, Mr. Bellringer said that bv the time football matches were played on the ground again the roses would provide just as good a screen as the present fence. He intimated that he would bring the matter up at a later meeting. Considerable discussion took place on the need for funds with which to carry out the hoard’s improvement schemes. It was unanimously agreed that something, would have to he done, and that ah appeal by the hoard would not be unheeded by the people of the town and district. Qn the motion of Messrs. Bellringer and Hayden it was resolved that a fete be held in the park on March 7, and that a committee be set up to make arrangements, , The Chairman, Messrs. Cock, Hayden and Bellringer were accordingly appointed. jt was decided to aak the Mayoress to take charge .of the tea arrangements.