TREE PLANTING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 754, 1 March 1910, Page 3

TREE PLANTING.

EFFECT OF LAST ARBOR DAT. The burst of enthusiasm in the direction of tree-plauting in the reserves which characterised last Arbor Day and the few , weeks which succeeded it, resulted in several thousand trees being planted. An inspection of the various localities planted shows that although the trees have apparently been left to struggle along without any particular coaxing they have flourished. The greater portion of the plants have taken root and are growing, but a good many of them appear to have made excellent progress up to a certain point and then to have pined away and died. The dry weather appears to have played havoc with certain species of pines , which, it. would seem, are not suited to dry porous soil. ■ Throughout tho new plantations .there are, of course, tho usual number of gaps wliicli might be expected in such an : . extensive planting scheme, but in some placea whole groups of a particular class of plant, have died off whilst the trees on either sido of them are flourishing. It is this fact which' would lend one io believe that these trees wero not suited' to the locality or the soil." On. the.slopes of Kclburno.Park, for instance," one species ■■ of; pine has suffered very severely, many being, dead and others apparently dying by, inches even now. On one ridge tweiily-onp speci-j mens of this particular class of ti'co were found dead in an area, of about 40ft., and a considerable number were dying off slowly. Want'i of water may account for the decrease of many of these plants which appear to have come on -well to a certain point and then to have been gradually done to death- in the dry sun-burned ground. In one damp gully on the north-eastern slope of Kelburne Park the grass, which everywhere else was, until a few days ago, so brown ind parched, is green.and-healthy looking and a number of trees of the willow family aro sprouting vigorously. On tho sides of the same gully, however, death-dealing drought has left its mark, even trees four and five feet high standing brown and dead. These trees, again, are of a particular class, apparently not hardy enough to battle along without being .nursed. Some attention has been given to some of' the young plantations by tin- corporation staff, but the area of ground to bo covered makes it an impossibility to tend the trees thoroughly and get the very best results. As things stand, however, the result of the Arbor Day labours may be considered as satisfactory, and when • the dead are replaced by the quick .during the next planting sfason there will be little more to desire. . :