ARBOR DAY CELBRATIONS

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 22 July 1915, Page 2

ARBOR DAY CELBRATIONS

—AT HELENSVILLE—

Arbor Day was celebrated at the school by an attempt to beautify the grounds, practically the whole day being spent in clearing away stumps, etc., and planting shrubs and flowers. The new flower beds, laid out by Mr Hopmeier, had been dug over by the boys, and were planted out in roses interspersed by annuals, including anemones, stocks, candy-tuft, snapdragons, daisies, lobelias, and dimorphothica. A number of marcrocapa were planted on the western side of the footpath to act as a main shelter for the gardens. Shrubs and ornamental trees (donated by Mr and Mrs Hopmeier, Mr and Mrs Hill, Mrs Sewell, Dr. Meinhold, Messrs D. Stewart, C. Rawson, J. McEwin, Murphy, Mascall, A. Bishop, McKinnon, Tucker, Walters and C. Sandin) were ' planted out in various parts of the garden. One was planted in honour of the King and Queen another in memory of the old boys of the school who had fallen at the front, another for the New Zealanders fighting for the Empire, another to commemorate the landing at the Dardanelles, and others for the Red Cross heroes and heroines, Lord Kitchener, Admiral Jellicoe, Sir J. French, and Lord Roberts. In addition to the above a large number of native trees and hedge plants were put in in various parts of the school ground, including plane trees, privet rimus, totaras, etc. These were sent along by Messes G. W. Sim (Wharepapa), T. W. Hooper (Makarau), S. F. Scott (Rautawhiri), and A. J. Skelton (of Bennett and Green's nursery), to all of whom the thanks of the committee and teachers are due for their kind gifts.

Mr A. Becroft also procured a number of Native shrubs from Mr J. Hand's bush, which were duly planted in the

new ground