TREE-FELLING AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1421, 23 April 1912, Page 4

TREE-FELLING AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE.

-* GARDENS LAID WASTE. The laying waste of some of the loveliest portions of the old Government House grounds is still going on rapidly in preparation for the new Parliamentary Buildings, which, also are being hurried ahead. Yesterday afternoon the silver birch tree, which was planted by tho "resent King when lie visited New Zealand eleven years ago, was removed to its new place in the hollow near Lambton Quay. Its original station was in tho •Sydney .Street hollow, which is now being filled up. Tho inscription on the board under the tree is n> follows:—"Bctula alba. Planted by K.R.11. the 'Duke of \ork, June 21, 1911." It j s a perfect specimen of silver birch, .as graceful as any of its kind, and upwards of 20 feet high. A copper beech, also presented by his Majesty near (lie birch tree, has already been transplanted. Threo out of • four other trees planted on tho samo day : will have to be removed, as they stanil '. too near tho course of the 'projected now ' carriage drivo on tho Molesworth Street : frontage of the proposed buildings. Sir. Mackay, tho' head gardener, who is superintending the transplanting operations, has pleasant recollections of tho afternoon when a future King shovelled earth according to his instructions.

Another meinoriil of .1 humbler kind suffers badly from the alterations. A small •imirble slab, inscribed to the memory of "Huuiish, Lady flanfurly's Faithful Dog," lies far from the grave, and broken in two across the middle. The grave, itself will shortly be buried under the floors of the new building. The ground is now being cleared along tho Museum Street side to prepare for the continuation of Wellington Terrace along that line. ,