CENTRAL PARK

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2692, 11 February 1916, Page 2

CENTRAL PARK

BEAUTY SPOTS IN THE MAKING

TREES OF TO-MORROW

Prior to Christmas it was mentioned at a meeting of tho Citizens' Carnival Committee that a visit should be paid to Central Park—that beauty spot in tho making which is bounded bv the two roads to Brooklyn. As is well known, the committee was successful in raising some £1800 three years ago for' City beautifying purposes, and the whole of that sum, augmented by a grant of nearly as much again by the City Council, has been spent on the park, and tho committeemen were interested in ascertaining the show which has been made there. This visit was paid to the park yesterday, those present including the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), Messrs. G. Frost (chairman of the Reserves Committee), C. G. Wilson, A. Marryatt, and T. Bush, and the Rev. Father - Hickson. Those who know what the place looked, like prior to its being taken in hand cannot but be impressed with the great improvements which havo already been made, and which give a very fair indication of the future appearance of the park. Entering the park from the new Brooklyn Road (off tfairn Street), the iirst feature to strike the eye was tho new and substantial double iron gates, which have been presented by the Mayor, and which bear a plate to say so. The new gates, which are refreshingly plain and solid-looking in design, are swung from massive square concrete posts, with a rough-cast finish harmonising well with the low concreto garden walls that define the entrance to the park. Proceeding up the western valley is a winding path, flanked by a white-painted post-,and-rail fence, which crosses the little stream by moans of an arched b'ridgo about halfway up, and. continues on round the different spurs on the Qhiro Read side of the declivity, right to the top end of the park, near The whole of the hills have been liberally planted, , and all the trees are doing ■well, the pines, in particular, finding the conditions entirely favourable. Ten years, hence should see the slopes a perfect forest of beautiful trees, affording a grateful shade to visitors and picnic parties. The. children's playground, on the northern part of the central spur, is roughly Some of the members of the were of the opinion ■ that it might be enlarged a • little by cutting away more of the hill behind. The bank below the ground that follows the tramway track for a couple of hundred yards or more has been well planted with climbing roses ("Dorothy Perkins" mostly), and at the lower end have completely hidden the bare clay face, whilst in the ljigher parts, the roses are sending up jfiig healthy shoots, which will make a very •charming display next summer. Under the scheme adopted by tho council, it was decided to lill in the eastern gully. This section of the park is now a beauty spot, and some of those present yesterday ventured the opinion that it would be little sliort of vandalism to fill the glade up with earth from tho adjacent hill, for the purpose of creating another recreation ground. This sylvan spot is now planted with well-' grown blue-gums and wattles, and has quite a park-like appearance. Here, too, ■ has ■ been established, a splendid nursery for shrubs, trees, and hedgeplants that are at the proper season planted out in the various reserves. Sir. Bourke, the caretaker, mentioned' that there were upwards of 100,000 plants in the nursery, and it only needed a glance to realise how splendidly they are flourishing. Here, set out in straight rows, were lines of karakas, coprosinas, Scotch firs, laurestina, pittisporam eressifoliwn, pinus insignis, pinus muricata, rangioras, golden wattle, ngaios, kowhais, elms, etc., whose fate it is to do their part in creating the city beauitiful in the years t-o come. There were-other bedding plants in their juvenile stages, and a cluster of Scotch heather, gay with purple blossom, smiled out from a sheltered spot. At present nothing is being spent in any ( work at Central Park, save the attention that is being given , to vthe trees and the nursery, but when the time J comes for another forward movement it might be worth considering whether it would be aesthetically profitable to bury 1 what is certainly the prettiest corner of 1 the park. [ At the conclusion of the visit the < party adjourned to the Wellington ] Bowling Club's green, where a game of ] bowls was played between teams skipped by the Mayor and the chairman of the Reserves Committee. Tho result was as follows• ' . G. Osborne, C. G. Wilson, T. Bush, J. P. Luke (s.), 14; A. Marryatt, I'ather Hickson, H. Plimmer, and G Frost (s.), 7. As four or five of the players had never handled a howl before, the p.inie was as amusing as it was intorestiin'. One spectator remarked that the Mayor was a better bowler than a 6wimmor. The game proved a very enjovable windup to an interesting afternoon.