STREET PLANTING

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 58, 30 October 1931, Page 4

STREET PLANTING

NATIVES SUITABLE MR. F. TSCHOPP REPLiES TO RECENTLY VENTILATED CRITICISMS LOS ANGELES' EXPERIENCE In an interview with a "Post" representative yesterday, Mr. F. Tschopp, the Iandscape architeet at present eng'aged in drawing uxp beantification plans for the Rotorua Borough Council, replied to recent criticisms which have been ventilated regarding the type of trees it is proposed to use for street planting operations in Rotorua. "Contrary to general opinion that New Zealand native plants are unsuitahle for town planting purposes, a good majority of indigenous trees ancl shrubs have all the qualities one may expeet of any ornamental tree. Very often they are superior to the alien plants, both in sturdiness and symmetry of form," stated Mr. Tschopp. "The fact that New Zealand plants have a sombre tone is no disadvantage whatever. The enealypts have heie eonsiderable support as being ■veiy fine trees, yet their foliage texture is the acme of sombreness and the flowers of most varieties are less attractive and conspicuous than the flowers of many New Zealand native trees-" ' Support Local Products. A great number of the indigenous trees were noted for their symmetrical growth when planted as single specimens, as well as the luxuriant yerdure of their evergreen foliage. Th's seems to be much more appreciated abroad than it was in New Zealand, Mr. Tschopp stated. • With exotic and native plants it was just like buying Dominion made goods — people were too often inclined to buy the imported stuff, when the local product was just as good, if not better. Recently, Mr. Tschopp stated, he had read in a Los Angeles paper that a great number of New Zealand trees were being used by the Los Angeles City Council in connection with an extensive street planting scheme that is at present being carried out in that city. "It may be of interest for people in Rotorua to know that several varieties of pittosporums have been selected for planting in this scheme," continued Mr- Tschopp. "These are the very species which are being condemned in some quarters here as being unsuitable. A short analysis of the conditions in which the New Zealand plants in Los Angeles streets are growing and thriving- should be a convincing test in their favour as being most satisfactory street trees." Los Angeles Comditioixs. "The average park strip in which the trees are planted in Los Angeles is only four to five feet wide, as against the average 10-foot park strip in Rotorua. The average rainfall in Lcs Angeles is 13 inches per annum. Rotorua has about 50 inches or more. Besides that, in the southern part of California it does not rain for six months, while here the dry spell is a comparatively short one, broken with occasional showers. "Here you have a great amount of humidity in the air, an element which is most conducive to plant growth. The humidity in Los Angeles is very low, due to the long absence of rainAny heat reflected from the street pavement should be negligible compar" ed to the heat they would have to stand up to in Los Angeles' streets, which may reach a shade temperature of over 100 degrees. Most plants of your native flora are quite dust resistant; proof of this may be found along any bush bordering a dusty read, as the Mamaku, for instance. Any smoke in Rotorua, which is claimed as being deterrent to the growth of New Zealand plants, wonld be equally deterrent to most of the exotic varieties; however, in my opinion there will never be enough smoke in this town to kill any plant whatever. "Like all living organisms, plants have a remarkable adaptability for adjusting themselves to new environments, bo it climatic or physical. Naturally there are always elements present which are a handicap to normal plant growth, such as excessive wind, frosts, droughts or lack of drainage. However, even exotic trees would have to be carefully selected to meet these conditions and proper care will have to be assured to any fcrec-s and shrubs if they are expected to leok herlthv. Comparing and summarising all these factors one can readily sce that the New Zealand plants, or the great majority of them, are suitable for street planting and have as good, if not a better, chance of growing under local conditions, as the foreign plants." Easily Transplanted. The safe transplanting of largesized specimens of native trees was something which might be considered new in this country, but in California it was a common practice, MrTschopp stated. It would came as a surprise to many people in Rotorua to know what a great majority of their indigenous trees lent themselves to the transplanting process, providing this operation was skilfully and intelligently carried out and the transplanted plants received a reasonable amount of care until it was established in its new location. Ineidentally, most of the pittosporums were very symmeterical in growth, provided they were growing as single specimens with full exposure to the sun and air. Every species of this plant was particularly suitable for transplating as large speci- , mens under normal conditions. They i were, like most of the soft-wooded , plants, exotic or indigenous, subject to wood-boring grubs, after pruning, ■ but only if the after-treatment of the ■ euts was neglected. ; "In Los Angeles I have personally , supervised the transplanting of large . New Zealand plants in the summer . months, without previously having - wrenehed the plants, and these plants . had a "money refund" guarantee to > the client who bought them," stated > Mr. Tschopp. "Now it is perfectly ; obvious that an American firm would i certainly not go to the risk and expense of transplanting plants whose

susceptibility to the shifting operations was questionable." Experts' OpinionsIn conclusion, Mr. Tschopp stated that he had obtained the opinion of experts who enjoyed a Dominion-wide reputation in regard to the Rotorua street planting operations. Dr. L. Cockayne, the eminent New Zealand botanist, who was universally known for his books on New Zealand plants. He had also to his credit over 30 years of praetical experience in the cultivation of New Zealand plants. Dr. Coekayne's views on the idea of planting the streets with native trees were as follow: "I know Rotorua quite well and I am greatly in favour of New .Zealand native plants being used as far as possible for all town planting, so as to stress the purely New Zealand character of the borough and especially to interest visitors from other lands." Another valued opinion on the use of indigenous plants in the street planting of Rotorua had come from Mr. V. C. Davies, managing director of the firm of Duncan and Davies, nurseryment and New Zealand plant specialists in New Plymouth. Mr. Davies' firm had an international reputation for the many native plants which it exported annually into many different countries. Mr. Davies, in a letter, had said: "I am very pleased indeed to see that you ai-e using your endeavours to get native trees planted in Rotorua and in my idea there is only one kind of tree that should he planted largely in your town and that is native trees. Tourists come to New Zealand to see our wonders, also our flora; they can see common bedding plants anywhere in the world, but there are very few places where they can see beautiful trees such as the kowhai, rimu, etc.." A favourable opinion had also been received from Miss E. F. Kibblewhite, who was also a botanist with praetical experiences. Miss Kibblewhite was an outstanding authority on New Zealand ferns and plants generally, and was well known to all readers of "The Smallholder" for her regular eontributions on these subjects. To quote her testimony to the native trees planting scheme: "I was very pleased to see that you have decided to use native trees in your street planting scheme. As you say, tourists are not very likely to be impressed by avenues of elms, larehes, oaks, etc., but well planned areas of native trees and shrubs are bound to add to Rotorua's natural attraetions. When Mr. Lancaster (Professor of Botany, Auckland University) returned from a tour abroad, he said that he had in some places seen finer collections of New Zealand native shrubs than any which had been planted here — surely a reflection on those responsible for the planting of parks in our own country." "After perusing these three testimonials which unanimously favour the extensive use of native plants for street plantings, and which come from the highest authorities, one cannot help but come to the conclusion that the indigenous plants are suitable for the purpose for which they are intended," concluded Mr. Tschop.