ARBOREAL COMMITTEE

Waikato Independent, Volume XXII, Issue 2577, 27 July 1922, Page 5

ARBOREAL COMMITTEE

PLANTING OPERATIONS.

MEETING YESTERDAY.

A meeting of the Cambridge Arboreal Committee Avas held at the Council Chambers yesterday, Mr H. D. Dallimore presiding. Mr Dallimore reported the result of the deputation that had waited on the Leamington Town Board and Cambridge Domain Board re planting waste spaces. The Chairman of the Leamington Board was to inspect suitable sections. The Board was short of funds, but it was thought that a sum of £lO might be devoted towards the purpose. The board was sympathetic to the proposal. Mr Dallimore stated that the Cambridge Domain Board had also be.en favourable to the proposal, and Mr Souter had kindly offered a sum of £lO to assist in the work. Since the meeting the chairman of the Board (MiFerguson) had informed the speaker that the Board would grant an additional £lO towards the work, provided the money were spent in planting the steep face at the rear of the tennis courts, on the Domain property, an area of two to three acres.

The report was thought satisfactory. Mr Souter was heartily thanked for his liberal donation, and Mr Bell was deputed to confer with Mr Ferguson re having the site cleared of gorse, etc., at once, in readiness for tree planting.

Mr Dallimore was deputed ,to confer with Messrs Roche and Reynolds preparatory to ordering trees for planting in various localities.

Mr H. Allan Bell reported that the willow trees on Victoria Square had been felled and sold for firewood, the nett proceeds of the sale being about £l4.

It was reported that Mr Souter had offered to allow a riverside section leased by him to be planted with trees, he offering to give the Council the right to any such trees planted. — Mr Souter thanked for his offer. The Treasurer reported that the sum of £26 had been expended in wages for clearing land in readiness for tree planting, felling trees, etc. It was decided to engage returned soldiers to do certain clearing work, thus expending Cambridge's share of the money raised by the Poppy Day effort, one of the conditions attaching to this effort being that the money must be spent in the employment of returned soldiers seeking employment. The committee reviewed the list of ■sections of land on which it was hoped to plant trees in the near future. The pruning of trees on tho streets Other than the main street —which have already been attended to —will be in hand almost immediately.

The improvement of the Triangle • T ardcn was again mentioned, but left over, pending tho re-adjustment of the gardens as a result of the completion War Memorial. Forestry Expert's Report.

A lengthy report has been received by the Arboreal Committee from Mr P. M. Page, forestry expert, who recently visited Cambridge at the invitation of the committee.

In the course of his report, Mr Page stated that, in his opinion, nothing could bo done with the willows dying in Victoria Spuare. The weeping willows of the district 5 had been attacked by a fungoid disease, and it looked as though in a short time this graceful and well-known 4ree would be - a thing of the past.

Mr Page strongly recommended the planting of the tulip tree (liriodendron tulipifera) and Oriental plane (platauus orientalis), as both would do well in Cambridge.

For killing out gorse and blackberry in the Domain, eucalyptus would be found most suitable, and if some of the hotter varieties were planted the thinnings would be of value when the time came for this to be done. Californian redwoods, Douglas fir and cupressus lawsoniana were also suitable for planting, and would add beauty to the scene. It would be an advantage if our native trees and- shrubs could be introduced, as they would give an educational value to the reserves.