E.—2a.

1899. NEW ZEALAND.

ARBOR DAY.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

Education Department, Wellington, 30th August, 1899. Memorandum fob Teachers op Native Schools. The following reports from some of the Native-school teachers, respecting their observance of Arbor Day, together with the departmental circular on the subject, are circulated for information. Many of the teachers report that the weather prevented any planting being done. It is proposed to introduce cane-weaving and basket-work as manual occupations into some of the Native schools. Teachers are recommended to bear this in mind in future, and in suitable localities to plant osiers for basket-work. Fruit-growing is another industry having an obvious relation to Arbor Day, and simple practical lessons on planting, grafting, pruning, &c, and on the natural history of the pests injuring fruit-trees, would form a very suitable course for older scholars in Native schools. George Hogben, Secretary for Education.

Education Department, Wellington, 17th June, 1899. Circular to Teachers op Native Schools. I send herewith a Gazette notice with regard to observing the 19th July as Arbor Day. I trust that you will be able to impress upon your scholars, and upon their parents too, if possible, the real significance of the occasion, and that some organized effort will be made in the direction of planting suitable trees, either native or introduced. I shall be glad to hear from you after the holiday what measure of success has attended your efforts. George Hogben.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 7th June, 1899. Wednesday, the 19th day of July next, will be observed as a public holiday in the Government offices throughout New Zealand for the celebration of Arbor Day. In order that the movement may be made as successful as possible, the Government hopes that the Mayors of the various municipalities and Chairmen of local bodies will place the matter prominently before the people of the colony, and do all they can to encourage the planting of public reserves and other available lands, both public and private, with trees suited to the locality W. C. Walker.

From Mr. J. F. Capper, Te Matai, Tauranga. On receipt of your circular of the 17th June, with reference to Arbor Day, I several times addressed the scholars of my school on the subject of planting trees —the need and good of it—and dwelt, in simple language, upon the benefits accruing to all therefrom. I pointed out that twelve years and a half ago this school land was in fern; that now, for eight years, we have every year been making quantities of all sorts of jam and preserves ; that each year our income of fruit has increased ; that last year we had many hundredweights of several kinds of fruit—apples, plums, peaches, oranges, lemons, shaddocks, citrons, quinces, figs, pears, grapes, passion-fruit, gooseberries, &c. That in addition to this, for the past three or four years, the schoolroom and teacher's residence have burnt nothing but firewood cut from trees planted by me on the school land, which is only three acres in area. That some of these trees measured 50 ft., 60 ft., 70 ft., 80 ft., and 90 ft. in height. That we have an orchard, shrubbery, flower-garden, and firewood-bush, all planted by myself, consisting of pines r acacias, gums, willows, plane 3, macrocarpa, &c, flowering shrubs, and fruit-trees. That, as certain trees were cut down,, others were planted to take their places. That, taking all this into con-