ARBOR DAY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2818, 8 July 1916, Page 2

ARBOR DAY

TREE-PLANTING WITHOUT FLOURISH. Few people in Wellington knew that yesterday was Arbor Day.- The day, lioivover, was not altogether ignored—npr should it:ever 1)6 if -New Zealand is in the years ! to be to retain its reputation for scenic beauty. Though yesterday was not a proclaimed holiday, many of the senior scholars, in somo 01' the schools were allowed an hour or" bo "oft" in Order to assist in troerplanting operations in the schoolsgrounds-OE^in-availatila-areas •near-by. ■ H l%e'-Ktr ; t!<)uncil;'witfcttu ; «ye' to the'beautifying of tlie , "cify3'n i ang<;d to give away to the 6=hools-a.' lnrg(rnumber of suitable shrubs tmOffieOrom' its nurseries. These iuclnded4moh-slirubs as veronicas, kowhni, taupata (coprosma), ake • ake, pittisporum, etc. Messrs.- P. Cooper, Ltd., also' gave twenty, oak. trees (10 years old), some, of them 7 fr6m;'loft. to isft." in height, -for transmuting. in some of the ";xheso' frees were dug round tho roots, and lifted bodily up with a largo quantity:- of their native earth adhering to their; rootsraiul transferred at the cost of a good,deal of lalxjiir to some suitable spot in somo of the city school grounds, where it is hoped they will flourish., The schools which busied themselves with treo-planting yesterday were the following:— I Te Aro, Mitobelltoivn, Brooklyn, Island Bay, Kilbirnie, Maranui, Bcrhampore; Northland, Normal, apd Eoseneath.

A good start was made at Mitchelltown School in. an 'endeavour to beautify the bare slopes of'the grounds, the children seeming to take a delight in digging the holes to receive the shrubs, etc., received through tho Education Board. The two principal trees (oaks) were placed in prominnt positions by Miss Woodward and Mr. H. A. -M'Kenzie, chairman of the Te Aro School. 'Mr. J, ;H. Malcolm, headmaster, was also Numbers of shrubs were put in the ground, and the balance in hand.will .be planted durr. ing the coming week. The chairman briefly addressed,,the children, requesting them to take every caro of the plants, and treat each'likofa"'cherished' growth in their own gardens, and 'they would be amply repaid by the results. -Three hearty cheers were- given to the chairman by the whole school, and the chil-' dren were then' dismissed. • Afternoon* tea was enjoyed by the teachers and visitors. ......