"THE NURSERY," STRATFORD.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 44, 26 May 1916, Page 3

"THE NURSERY," STRATFORD.

I Situated on the southern boundary of the borough on the main road, about fifteen minutes' walk from Stmt- I I ford Post Office, and facing the mornling sun, is "Tlie Nursery " where lor the past twenty-five years Mr It. MeK. iMorison has followed his profession of horticulturaiist, building up from a .small beginning a business connection I that is now a household word throughout the central Taranaki district. Air Morison originally started nursery gardens at Ngaere ajwut. thirty years ago, but .after a ,lew ; years experience decided that his garuens were too far away from the. .proper■..distributing centre, and consequently. i;empved to Stratford. A "Post" representative paid a visit to "The .Nursery" yesterf.day and found Mr Morison busily engaged} in his multifarious duties, but quite {read for a shat on the subject of his pet hobby, in the course of hdjlf an hour's walk round the grounds, I the newspaperman was shown plantaI tiqns.of hedge, shelter, and ornamental ■ trees and shrubs, in their various j stages of development ( and in such reI markable profusion that he was in no jwhit surprised to learn that the season so far had been specially favorable for plant culture. The grounds exclusively devoted to the nursery comprise '

about seven acres, and in this area the stuff is "packed on end"— Laurestinus, escallonia, claeagnus, laurel, olearia abelia, floribunda (lilac) bran fie cedar (cryptomeria elegans), Indian cedar (cedrus deodara) < Douglas Fir,' ;<'Hpressus-lawsoniana ( , retinospora, cab-

ivhugO trees, pines (murieata, lnsingnua ' ififl radihta)' and a whole host of oth- . e-r*s of endless' variety in leaf and shade, form a'collection to please 'the senses of any nature-lover, to'say nothing of a horticulturalist. Flowering 1 snrtios are in abundance on-every hand, aiftoiigst 'many ' others' H being 1 varieties 1 of rhododendrons, eiimelias • a/.alias,-- daphne, 1 myrtle,'Japanese laurel, hollies, etc' The orchardisis' wants' are. well! catered for with the best known varieties of apples, pears, peaches, nectarines arid others in their first, second and third years' growth. A visit was paid to the conservatory, orif!9pre i correctly speaking, House," -the' roof and sides of which j are all gla'ss-obscured, and the place retains an' even'temperature at all times. (The shelves and stands are crowded with asparagus and maiden hair ferns, palms and other growths o, the delicate variety, and Mr Morisonfollows the cultivation of this department on the principle of hardening 'the . plants by sticking-to the natural conditions ah far as possible. No artificial heating is applied in the green ho.ust«, the result being that the once established, retain all their vigor when, transposed to other sliolter. The property is watered by a crock running right through.the centre, and at the

'lower end Mr Morison has constructed a concrete retaining wall, by which means lie can, at will, dam the running water, and ho form a lagoon about half an acre in extent, with arrangements for overflow. About two years ago Mr Morison erected a new bungalow resi-j tlence of eight rooms and offices, and; I the honse stands on a knoll about a! hundred yards back from (the main road, surrounded by lawns and shrubberies, with an English holly hedge running right along the frontage, ivly Morison keeps a staff of gardeners employed on the place throughout) the year, and is prepared to supply bouquets and wreaths at all times. Visitors to "The Nursery" are heartily welcome, and Mr Morison is always pleased to show them over the grounds.