PIONEER GARDENERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12768, 11 October 1919, Page 8

PIONEER GARDENERS.

Mr John Joyce, of Bligh’s Road, Papanui, is an enthusiast in anything that is connected with early Christchurch, and when he met the “Star” man the other day he said that there was one class of pioneer of whom adequate _ recognition had not yet been made in the reminiscence senes. He referred to the pioneer nurseryman and gardener. LOOKING BACKWARDS. “To these,” said Mr Joyce, “we are indebted for many of the old gardens and beauty spots to be seen to-day throughout tho city and suburbs, and, in fact ? in Canterbury generally. I might say that it was in ages past that many of our most glorious gardens were laid out and planted. To the present-day gardener it appears really marvellous the work that the oldtimers did with the restricted collection of trees and shrubs they had at their disposal- Indeed were they an energetic and persevering set of men. It is sad to think that many of their masterpieces in landscape work " and designs have during recent years been wiped out in order to give space for the erection of buildings to accommodate_ the growing population of tho province. Many a fine old garden bns thus become a thing of the past, and some of the pioneers, if they could come back again, would be puzzled to find the places of a former floral loveliness. Up-to-date streets and houses, with busy throngs of people passing by, have taken the place of the gardens, THE SEARCH FOR SPECIMENS. “Think of the enterprise of those early nurserymen in importing and collecting all the fine specimens of trees from all over tho world which qre now to be seen in maturity wherever we look. _Such a tree is the noble Wellingtonia, which comes from tho mountain forests of California, and was named in honour of tho Duke of Wellington. Then there are its sister trees, botanically named Sequoia Gigantea and Sequoia Sempervirens, two very fine ornamental trees, as well as useful forest trees. Still another is tliat beautiful pine from the sunny land of Brazil, which is commonly known as tho monkey puzzle (Araucaria Imbricata). The seed of this tree was procured and carefully tended till it was fit to bo transplanted in the garden of the lucky person who had a chance of procuring one of tho species in those good old days of long ago. Away went the enthusiasts to the Himalayas for another specimen, the sacred tree of India, known as the Cedrus Deodara. FROM ALL POINTS OF THE COMPASS. “ Not content with the /possession of the Deodara alone, the old-time nurseryman secured the cedar of Lebanon, and still continuing his search for new plants traversed the hot, burning sands of Africa for the seed of the Cedrus Atlantica. The countries of the East } Japan and China, were also called upon, and many of our beautiful trees have come from those lands, such as the Cryptomeria Elegans, the japonica, the retinosporas. wisteria and the beautiful golden lilies and irises. Still unsatisfied with the results of the qnept for novelties, the planters sought the snowy mountains of Canada and brought back therefrom the seeds of that most useful class of trees, the Abies Menziesii and Douglasii, which, ax© now to be found in all the shelter belts throughout tho hills and plains of Canterbury- They, too, wore the means of introducing that useful trio, tue pinus insignia, tho Austrian pine, and the Norway spruce. The enterprising nurseryman, in fact, introduced the beauties of the garden from the Frozen North, the Sunny South, the Silver East, and the Golden West. A SUGGESTION. “ The names of such men Canterbury should honour for tho great assets which _we possess to-day in our valuable collection of trees, flowers and shruos. Their skill and labour have meant thousands of pounds to tho country. Whilst I am on tho beautifying subject I would like to suggest that more

MEM WHO BEAUTIFIED GUY AND PROVINCE. OLD-TIME NURSERIES. NARRATIVE BY MR JOHN JOYOE. (Specially written for the “ Star.”)

encouragement should be given to tho school children to learn gardening in a practical manner by the appointment of an experienced _ man to superintend and instruct them in the work. I think money spent in this direction would be verf profitably invested. When those children grow up to be men and women, and had homes of their own, of wnat great value would such teaching be! MR WILLIAM WILSON. “ Now let mo .commence with a few biographical sketches of those pioneer nurserymen who have done so much in introducing plants for our gardens. leading nursery in Christchurch in tho early days, and on© of the first established was that of Mr William Wilson, which was situated in the block between Manchester and Madras Streets, and Lichfield and Cashel Streets. Here Mr Wilson raised a largo stock of trees by importing quantities of seeds and seedlings from all parts of the world. He had in his employ a large staff of men in the nursery under the superintendence of tho general manager, iMr Hislop. That was in 1870, when I first worked for him. Mr Wilson was a large supplier of trees to tbo Government, and also grow many trees tor the Park and _ the belts of Christchurch, in addition to supplying all the quick hedges to the Railway Department- Another venture of tliat gentleman was the establishment of a largo orchard at Chaney’s Corner, which is still to he seen to-day. He also carried on a large seed business in Cashel Street, at the spot where The Bristol music depot now is, and the general manager there at that time was Mr D. B. M’Laren. PUBLIC MAN AND GENEROUS GIVER “ Mr Wilson took a' great interest in the public matters of the day, and was the first Mayor of Christchurch. He was also the first president of the Horticultural Society of Christchurch—the society waa first formed in 1868—and exhibited largely at tho shows. This pioneer nurseryman was also a member of the Provincial Council, representing Kaiapoi for three years, and the city of Christchurch for four years. Naturally he took a great interest in agriculture, and was a life member of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association. In fact, he was a member of mebt of the public societies which existed in Chistchuroh at the time, and'was very generous in his donations to the city, presenting those two triangle areas, one opposite the City Hotel and the other opposite Hallenstein’s buildings, now such beauty spots of ChristchurchMr Wilson arrived in Canterbury in the ship Marner, in August, 1850, before tho arrival of the first four ships. He was of Scottish birth, and before coming to New Zealand filled the very important position of overseer to the Earl of Ross’s estate in Ireland- Prom this very brief outline it can be ssaeui that Mr Wilson was a busy man, and did a great deal in assisting the building up of his adopted country. THE EXOTIC NURSERIES. “One of the most up-to-dat© nurseries of the early days was known as the Exotic Nurseries, and was situated in Nursery Road, off Ferry Road. The proprietor of this establishment was Mr A. Duncan, seedsman, of Cashel Street. Here Mr Duncan did a very flourishing business, and he had a very fine collection of well-grown nursery stuff, also a considerable number of glasshouses where a good collection of all the available novelties in the plant line were grown. Mr Duncan was a very large exhibitor of specialities at the old-time horticultural shows. Mr T- Turner was his general foreman manager and Mr J. Gray was his general propagator and plantsman. Later Mr Duncan removed his nursery to Opawa. Wlien he died his nursery soon also disappeared, and is now a thing of the past. ALONG PAPANUI ROAD. “ Mr Thomas Abbot was the premier nurseryman of the Papanui Road, and a very successful man. indeed was he in his day* He jeept his establishment

np-to-dato in all the branches of horticulture, and his greenhouses were well stocked with all the plants which, are usually to be found under glass. Such was the case with Ids nursery, too. Mr Abbot died a few years ago, and the premises are now run by Mr W. Jones, a. gentleman who has been very energetic in forwarding the cause of horticulture in New Zealand. Another very successful nurseryman of the Papanui Road, nearer to town on what was then known as Whatelev Road, was Mr J. Greenaway, in premises now occupied by Mr Unwin’s general store. Mr Greenaway also had a seed shop on the premises- His nursery was situated between Bligh’s Road and Hawthorne Road, Papanui. Nursery Road was so called through the nursery being situated in the locality. Mr Greenaway also carried on business as a landscape gardener, and many of the old gardens of Christchurch owe their existence to hie taste and skill in the laying out of their designs. FOR LOVE OF THE ROSE. “ Mr was one of the first to meet with a fatal accident on the Papanui trams. The melancholy happening occurred through the beauty of a rose. Tire old nurseryman was coining from his grounds one day with a freslily-picked nosegay of ruses, and with the little treasured selection of his favourite flower boarded the tram. Presently be noticed the Hon E. C. J. Stevens in another carriage, and IMr Greenaway, knowing tho admiration of the honourable gentleman for the rose, tried to cross over into the other carriage. Most unhappily he fell between the two carriages and was killed instantaneously. Thus the desire to have a chat with another devotee on the beauties of some specimens of England's floral emblem was tho cause of the death of an ardent gardener. A TREE-PLANTER. "Another well-known nurseryman on tho Papanui Road was Mr A. Stewart, whose nursery was situated opposite the present parsonage. Mr Stewart followed the business of landscape gardener and was continually occupied laying out grounds, and planting trees throughout Canterbury. Ho was one of the principal tree-planters in Canterbury in those days. YOUTHFUL AMBITION. "The next nursery to be established was that of Naim and Sons on tire Lincoln Road. Their nursery first came into being on Park Road, Addington. Here tire Nairn boys after school hours employed their spare time in the cultivation of their little garden plots, and from that acquired so pronounced a taste for tho beauties of Nature, that, with the increasing years, their ambitions grow to such an extent that they achieved a foremost place among New Zealand nurserymen. I remember the Nairn boys well in the early days of horticulture in Canterbury for their energy and perseverance. They competed with their favourite flowers at many of the horticultural shows in the province, and especially strong were they on the exhibition of hand bouquets and table decorations, "KINGS OF BOUQUET-MAKERS.” “ As tho bouquet was made in those now distant days in form it was like a fair-sized In style a table decoration was a pyramid of as many varieties of flowers as could be packed together, and usually the Naira boys gained first honours in both classes. My services at the time were much in demand as a judge at tho horticultural shows in the country townships and at all those shows I generally had te : ,-ate the premier ticket to the_ Nail a boys. Such formidable exhibitors did they become in after years with their bouquets that thev were known by tho title of the ‘Kings of Bouquet Makers.* THE LATE MR D. NAIRN. " As time went on the Naim nursery grow to such dimensions that the scene was shifted to the present position in Lincoln Road, and there it has steadily grown in size year after year. Mr D. Nairn was a very old identity, and wellknown throughout Canterbury. He was a leading light in the agricultural and horticultural societies for many years. He passed away a few years ago, and his son, Mr Robert Nairn, who walks in his father’s footsteps as a lover of horticulture, controls the establishment. Guntrip and Sons’ nursery was in former times next door to that of Naira and Sons, but iu the passing of the seasons it became merged in the latter business.” (A farther instalment of Mr Joyce’s narrative 'null appear on Tuesday next.)