GROUSE COUNTRY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2004, 11 March 1914, Page 9

GROUSE COUNTRY.

PBOSPEpTS AT WAIMAEINO. When in charge of the Auckland district, as Inspector of Police, Commissioner Cullen's district extended as far south as tho Mangatoto viaduct on the Main Trunk line, arid ho had occasion to visit the central portion of the line periodically. During his visits trains only ran every few days, and it was his custom to do a little exploring to fill in time. In that manner ; ho made acquaintance with much of the'area now known as tho National Park, the block that encompasses Mounts, Tongariro, Kuapehu, and iNgauruhoe. Whilst there lie conceived the idea that Scotch heather mif;ht be tempted to grow on the pumice lands, to bo treaded shortly by the new Waimarino-Tokaanu Road. He wrote to a Scotch friend in the Waiapu district for some plants, which were duly forwarded and planted twelve mouths ago last July. To his/intense pleasure tho heather found the soil congenial, nnd since then a Rood deal more planting has taken placo with the same successful results.

AVhen hohday-makiuK in tho district during January Mr. Cullen was pleased to find some healthy patches of heather, that looked like spreading over the country. He also learned, much to his surP"se, that there was a 40-acre patch Ot heather at Opipl near Taupo, which he beheyes must have originally been planted by members of the old Armed Constabulary who may have had seed send out to them. So encouraging aro the prospects that the Commissioner considers it well within the bounds of possibility that a fine- grouse country could ~bo developed from what aro now practically waste grounds. But for the hawks and weasels, grouse, he said would be practically free from natural enomies and would nourish in a country where their natural food abounded :AT>ar,tDirom that, the heather ''would' ■convert a-waste into a glowing garden that, in tho autumn, would add considerably to tho picturesqueness of tho colourless scenery of the National Park