ANNUAL REPORT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12856, 30 April 1912, Page 6

ANNUAL REPORT.

I have very much pleasure in recording another successful year's work. Owing to the Garden Fete Committee handing over a cheque for about £400, wo were enabled to extend the snhere of our work. Special praise must be given to the St. John's Hill, Wanganui East, and Durie Hill branches for their enthusiasm in the beautifying of their respective Teservds. St. John's ~Hill branch undertook.'special works, the carrying through of which must be very gratifying to them. Through their perseverancs they have obtained beautiful entrance-gates, a band rotunda, costing £300, and a flagstaff. In arldtion to .this, 'planting and 'path forming have been continued.

Wanganui East has also been busy, and, with the assistance of Mr. O'Leary, tho borough foreman, a flower border five feet wide was formed on each side of tho path on Xo. 1 section for a. quarter of a mile. The.display of flowers along this border has surpassed .anything seen in Wanganui, and its beauty was even referred to in the Wellington papers. No. 2 section was taken in hand and planted and paths formed. Near the rustic bridge is a plantat'on of over twenty varieties of "beautiful bamboos. Next to this is a palm grove containing over 25 varieties of beautiful outdoor palms. Then follows the native section at each end of which are 100 tree ferns. From this to the second entrance many hundreds of red, white and yellow brooms and various ornamental and flowering shrubs have been put in. No. 3 section was planted with Japanese shrubs but owing to the \v;ndy season many died or were severely cla'magecl. A pergola 100 feet long was also erected in No. 1 .section. Scats were made and placed in various positions from Durie Creek _to No. 2 entrance. Shakespeare Cliff and the esplanade in front'of it were planted with shrubs and tree.

Durie Hill branch 's to be complimonted on the result of the work1 done in that district. What was two years ago a wilderness of weeds and rubbish, n now transformer! into a beautiful flower garden giving a disnlav of flowers the whole year round. Early in tb'o se.-^on Mr. Tucker, the borough gardener, terraced the lower face. Those terraces wr.ro later tin planted with mesenibry-

anthemuni in various colours,.and along each terrace were also planted ratas and pohutufcawas. The upper face was also dug and planted with ornamental trees and shrubs and annuals, which mado a very fine show this season. Laird's Park, or, more strictly speaking the reserve on the face of St. John's Hill, was taken in hand last year. Owing to tho dense growth of willows and rubbish it had become an eyesore, but through the energy of Mr Thicker all this has been cleared away. Since then it has been transformed into a reserve for nativo trees, many thousands of which have already been planted out and paths formed. It is expected that this reserve when later on it contains all or most of our New Zealand trees or shrubs, wiil be of an educational value to our rising generation. Mr Tucker has also established a nursery here, and is raising many thousands of shrubs for future planting.

Queen's Park. —A piece of ground was selected on this park for a rhododendron bod. After iclearing, -levelling, and a hundred or so loads of soil had been carted there, 120 selected rhododendron plants were put in. When fully established these should make a magnificent display.

With Mr Jones', the railway engineer's, co-operation, Mr Tucker planted a row of scarlet flowering gums from Aramoho to the Avenue. These were all potted and raised by Mr T. Allison.

The Borough Council, at the society's request, fenced off a vacant space near the Town Bridge entrance. This has since been planted with flowering and ornamental shrubs also, and beds of annuals raised ancl planted by Mr H. Minifie.

The River Bank, town side, has not been overlooked, and a special loi* of well-rooted native trees, was put in. 1 The Castleeliff branch was alloiTfeed £14, which was expended in planting ynarram grass. The Borough Council also fenced a small reserve off Ingest re Street, near the racecourse. This will bo planted the coming season with shrubs already ordered.

Shipments of ornamental and native trees ha,ve been received from Australia, and New Zealand trees have been received from Mr Trovers, Wellington, and from New Plymouth, also bulbs from Japan. Seeds of acacias, gums, and other Australian plants were also obtained. From these seeds over 5000 plants were potted out at Wanganui East and over 1000 at the Borough Nursery. Over 1200 of these plants were sold at the Garden Fete, bringing over £'60. There will be fully 5000 potted shrubs ready for planting oirfe in our reserves the coming season. Too much praise cannot be given to Mr Gibson and Mrs Suisted, joint secretaries, and the members of the Garden Fete committee, for the splendid result of their labours in aid of the funds of the Beautifying Society. As a result of their efforts, £500 will be coming to the society. During tho past season, donations of plants and bulbs were-received Our local seedsmen donated large"collections of flower seeds, which greatly helped to make the walks to beautiful during the last six months. Our Maori friends at Paranui also sent many shipments of native trees.

The fame of the Wanganui Beautifying Society has extended all over New Zealand, with the result that many other towns are .starting societies of their own.