c.—lo.

APPENDIX. REPORTS OF NATIONAL PARK BOARDS. TONGARI IvO NATIONAL PARK BOARD. (R. G. Maomorran, Under-Secretary for Lands, for Chairman.) Only one full meeting of the Board was called during the year, and this was held at the Chateau on the 14th May, 1938. The Manager at the Chateau advises that the number of people who have visited the park during the year has greatly increased. The greatest increase has, as usual, taken place in the winter, and with the improved facilities for ski-ing and snow sports generally provided by the Tourist Department this increase should be maintained. The Manager states that the year generally has been a good one, and with the exception of last September, when severe blizzard conditions caused the blocking of the main road below the Chateau on two occasions, the weather has been the best he has experienced since taking over the management at the Chateau. The walking-tracks surrounding the Chateau have received attention by the Chateau staff, and the Waihohonu and Mangatepopo huts were inspected and are reported to be in good repair. No great changes are reported so far as the mountains, craters, &c., are concerned, and Ngauruhoe has been very quiet for a long period. Establishment of Alpine Garden. At the meeting of the Board held on 14th May, 1938, the question of establishing an alpine garden in the vicinity of the Chateau as a Centennial feature was discussed. The correspondence with the Tourist Department, containing suggestion by His Excellency the Governor-General in regard thereto, was read for the information of members. A sub-committee consisting of Dr. Marshall and Messrs. W. H. Field and T. A. Blyth was appointed to arrange the details, and a sum of £50 was authorized out of the funds of the Board to enable a start to be made with the work. It was decided by the Board that no plants other than those indigenous to the park were to be planted. Areas close to the Chateau were selected, and pegs and hanging plates were prepared for the purpose of identifying trees and plants. The report of the Chairman of the Committee (Dr. Marshall) is as follows : —- " The Committee paid special attention to the paths which traverse the bush area lying to the west of the Chateau. Here hanging or ground labels were placed in such a way that visitors will have no trouble in identifying these plants. In most cases these labels are far apart and seem very few in number, and the members of the Committee think that duplicate or even triplicate names should be provided for a number of the plants. " The small area of bush south-east from the Chateau should be carefully preserved. We think that paths in this area should mainly radiate from the centre. At present this area is much disfigured by fallen timber. Mr. Blyth has kindly undertaken to see to the clearing of this. He has already planted several Todea superba ferns here and most of them are now well established. Though this beautiful plant occurs widely in the Ruapehu country, no plants have been found growing naturally near the Chateau. This patch of bush contains two specimens of mountain-cedar, an attractive tree which cannot be found elsewhere close to the Chateau. " The striking mountain, plant, Cordyline indivisa, is almost absent in the Chateau bush. We think that this should be planted in. some numbers on the north side of the road leading across the bush to the new huts. " A plant of Ranunculus insiynis is growing well in the border in front of the Chateau and flowered freely. There are a number of plants of this species close at hand which could also be placed in this border. There are, too, a great many plants of Euphrasia cuneata which could also be used in this way as well as the ornamental Cordyline indivisa, Pseudopanax, and Griselinia." 0 Timber trespass on the Northern Slopes of Tongariro. The State Forest Service has arranged to examine the boundaries in this locality at intervals to ensure that no further cutting takes place on park lands. The Board records its thanks for the valuable services rendered by the State Forest officers in this connection. The posts and strainers have been sold to the. Native Department. Clearing and Poling Mahuia Track. This route is regarded as one of the important outlets from the north-western slopes of Ruapehu to the main highway. The necessary funds for the carrying-out of the work were authorized by the Board at its last meeting. The work was completed in March last, and comprises poling approximately three miles of tussock country from the Ohakune-Chateau poled line at the head of the Whakapapaiti Valley to the top of the Mahuia bush and the tussock land on the lower side of the bush to the Tokaanu road, approximately another .1 mile 36 chains. The centre link traverses about 3 miles of beech bush, through which a good track about 4 ft. wide has been cut and clearcd. The poles used were silver pine of good quality not less than 7 ft. 6 in. long —some are as long as 9 ft. The poles are about 4 chains apart.

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