GORSE INFESTED AREAS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVII, Issue 23205, 19 May 1945, Page 3

GORSE INFESTED AREAS

Plant Them With Trees Suggestion By Major Johnson “A great deal of our downland country is going to gorse.” said Major P. H. Johnson, chairman of the Pioneer Park Domain Board, at the annual meeting of the Board yesterday. “A simple and profitable method of controlling this gorse would be by tree-planting,” continued the speaker. Major Johnson remarked that his experience of tree-planting at Raincliff had proved that trees planted in the middle of patches of gorse did better than those in the open. In his opinion, the reason for this was that the gorse offered shelter from wind and frost, so giving the young trees a better chance. The same thing could be said of trees planted in pianuka scrub. The trees planted there were going extraordinarily well. “After all, this is Nature’s way, and it is the best way," observed the speaker. Tree-planting The annual report stated that on account of the shortage of labour it was found impossible to undertake the planting of all g'orse-infested areas as was agreed to by the Board last year. However, 500 thuya plicata and 500 macrocarpa were planted by labour arranged by Major Johnson. The secretary, Mr A. W. Anderson, was able to arrange for a gift of 2000 oregon from the Reserves Department of the Dunedin City Corporation, a further gift of 300 n'othofagus solandri, the black beech of the Canterbury Hills, were also given, and all those trees are doing remarkably well on account of the wet season. The Board was able to get into touch with Mr Bryant, of Kinloch, Lake Wakatipu. who sold 3000 nothofagus fusca (the red beech of Otago), and 100 of the best of these yearlings were planted on the outskirts of the bush. A certain amount of planting would be undertaken next year. As soon as funds permitted it was the intention of the Board to carry out the following work:—Tree-planting of gorse-infested areas; comnletion of tracks so that all parts of the domain were accessible; build fireplaces for picnic parties and as a precaution against the menace of fire; make arrangements for a residence for a warden who should be an R.S.A. man with the necessar knowledge and enthusiasm for the bush and trees generally.