NATIVE BUSH.

Evening Star, Issue 23381, 26 September 1939, Page 9

NATIVE BUSH.

TO THE EDITOR, gj r Having read the article under tho ileading ‘ The Bullock Track ’ m your issue of September 25, I am now more than surprised—in fact, shocked —to learn that tho Amenities Society will listen to such untrue statements rather than investigate for themselves the destruction of tho native bush in our reserves. ” Certain sections or the general public ” who are accused of being “ more prone to words than thoughts ” as least do not need to stray from the truth to prove their case, that the City Council is allowing large numbers of native trees and shrubs to bo destroyed. The evidence is there in Duke street, and) untrue statements will not convince the public that only muhlenbeckia is being removed.—l am, etc., Ekzeddek. September 23, TO THE EDITOR, Sir,—ln answer to protests against the destruction of the native bush above Duke street, Mr Taunock says that only dead trees and those in the way of the new road were cut down and the muhlenbeckia cleared away. This is not the case, as numbers of lovely native trees that were neither dead nor in the way of the new road, nor yet overgrown with creepers, have been cut down. Native shrubs also have been ruthlessly destroyed. Mr Tannock also said that “ some fuchsias may have been'cut back.” Without exaggeration, dozens of fuchsia trees have been rooted out, not only in the lower area of bush, but in the high part also. There is scarcely a tree left in the high part, and all the ferns, too, are gone. As previous writers have said. “ tho muhlenbeckia is just an excuse to effect a clearance,” and ” the place for the moment is a ghastly shambles.” The pity of it—practically tho last area of native bush left to us in the north end, and now it is completely destroyed, the pictureequeness and naturalness of the locality gone, and no amount of artificial replanting will compensate for the loss of its former natural beauty. In a very short time, too, tho hillside will bo covered with a growth of noxious weeds, the usual sequence to tho clearing of the bush, several examples of which can be seen in the north end. Mr A. C. Cameron said that no ferns have been touched. This, also, is not the case. There were numerous lovely ferns, and in places the ground was carpeted with them. Now there is not a fern or other plant to be seen, tho hillside is as bare of plants as the road below. Even if the ferns had been left in they would soon die, as the trees and creepers gone, they would have no protection from the sun and no moisture, It is to be hoped that the Amenities Society will keep its word and plant kowhai, pohutukawa, ribbonwood, and other flowering trees in preference to native beech. Native shrubs would be preferable to the alien shrubs that have already been planted beside the Bullock Track. “ Enzeddor ” will have my support in his effort to preserve our native bush.—l am, etc., Rata. September 25.