THE DOMAIN GARDENS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8953, 12 June 1907, Page 1

THE DOMAIN GARDENS.

MR D AWE'S • PROPOSALS. With tie advent in Christchurch of Mr James Dawes, F.R.H.S., horticulturist and pomologist there has arrived a new epoch in the history of the Ciiristchurch Public Gardens. Too long, he said, this niuety-acre plot '0u ground, tree-planted, grassed, and 'Sower-plotted, has lain gently tended, suffered to find, save for the culture of prettiness, its own state. Now that he has been appointed its head gardener, ho has plotted ooit a course of treatment that will embody to the utmost in reason the surgical maxim " cut deep and spare not." The greatest good of the greatest number is his object, and he Peeks this for the plantlives of the gardens as well as for the.r human visitors. Especially will this be the case, if he carries out his pro posed course, among the trees. When the operating kniie, the shears, the saAv and the spade have been at work some time, there will be a groat change. Trees will feel the sudden loss of limbs; shrubs, unknowing of the goodness lurking behind apparent roughness, will silently bewail the taking away of growths that have for years embraced them, comforting with their warmth, but injurious in their comfort. Crowded places will be made more clear, and where there are now masses of foliage and cramped collections, there will be judiciously spaced plants that will please froan every asgect and allow the eye to wander beyond them to vistas of further trees and lawns. The new head gardener will take out every plant that has not an immediate use in its present place, in order to give the otlfers a full chance of living to their best ability. Those he will remove, if they deserve the further lease of life, and will be placed where they too, can develop to a state to- which their deserts entitle them. • Mr Dawes has occupied important positions at Home, a.nd on leaving was spoken of most highly by these w! o were in a position to appreciate his work. He is an authority upon fruit growing and horticulture generally, and to the former his succe«?se© at Home bear witness. With regard to the intentions of the new guardian of the Domain, a reporter visited the gardens yesterday, and was taken round by Mr Dawes, who showed him what alterations lie contemplated. In the first place the public will, Mr Dawes said, be given moa-e liberty. In the management of estates visited by much larger numbers of people than these gardens, he eaid, he had found that *lio more liberty granted to visitors the greater was the consideration shown at their hands. For instance, he said that_ the present prohibition against walking on the extensive and pleasant lawns of the gardens would very likely be abolished. This would do no harm at all, because even now people, prohibited from the freedom of the grass, walked fearsomely upon the edga whence they could easily escape, and so wore it badly there. The walks in the gardens would altocst .all be reduced in width, being much wider than was needed — wider even than those in Hyde Park. He proposed to remove the fence abcut his own cottage, co exposing to view the pretty l>utch garden there and allowing access to the sundial. Pointing to the long borders of shrubs and herbaceous plants that follow some of the walks, he said that these would need sorting out a.nd clearing of all the more common shrubs where these interfered in any way with the choicer sorts. The borders themselves, he proposed to fill with better herbaceous plants than were growing there now. Already the aveuiue of trees along Moorhouse Avenue was under attention, and was being pruned, drastically at the southern end where it ran the risk of damage by the wind, and more lightly in other parts. The holly hedge along the Avenue, being in rather poor health, was being prepared for treatment with manure. Proceeding further into the gardens Mr Dawes said that the several plots vn the corners of th 6 lawns, now planted with miscellaneous collections of shrubs, would be robbed of meet of r em j'- leaviu S o^y the best and largest standing, and would be grassed right U P to the standing plants. The others w °uld if possible, be used elsewhere, and the palms that were in some of them would be transplanted into a straight row along the front pathway. The big front lawn he would have diversified by flower beds, larger than those that were now there. He proposed to create a rosery near the' house, where the present small one now stands, and there to concentrate all the roses to be grown in the gardens, with trifling exceptions. The shrubberies practically throughout the gardens would be attended to in the way of clearing away those bushes that en-

cumbered the growth of the others, leaving the handsomest in all cases, and, where possible, leaving 6paces between so that there would be a clear view between the groups. As the 6pacee between them would be grassr ed, free access would be given in all directions. Similar treatment would be accorded to the growth along the river, and everywhere the object would be to let 'the best plants remain, and to allow glimpses of the river to be obtained from the paths at frequent intervals. The flower beds sea tered about the grounds Avould be practically abolished in favour of those grouped near the front of the gardens, and in these he would endeavour to keep up. a' scheme of colour all the year round. In the New Zealand native shrubs section he had found the same fault as elsewhere, an overcrowding of the pla.nt6 to the detriment of all, and a repetition of species that was neither pleasing nor necessary. He proposed to go through these when opportunity offered, and let daylight in among ( the crowded plants and the people among the trees so that all of them could be seen. Mr Dawes explained, in general reference to the alterations he proposed to make, that they would take a very long time to carry out, owing to the limited staff. They would not involve any change in the general scheme of the gardens, but would deal, almost altogether with the details, but still would broaden the effect of the view in the gardens, while in the smaller parts the appearance would be much, improved. . INFLUENZA SYMPTOMS. • Feel rotten. Headache — Fever — Watery eyes. Commence taking Chamberlain's Cough Remedy at first symptom. It is pleasant to take. Safe and sure. Always cures. . 8 The Duchess of Wellington possesses the splendid service of Sevres xnade for Napoleon 1., of which every single piece it different, the set being practically priceless. In the cellars at Apsley House is also "tfhe wonderful service of plate presented by Portugal to the Iron Duke, which has been valued at £200,000. The centre-piece is' sft high, and four men are required to lift it on to the table.