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CHAPTER XXVI. 



GARDEN ESCAPES. 



INCLUDED under the above heading are chiefly trees, shrubs, and hedge 

 plants ; escapes from the garden proper occur in lesser numbers. Some 

 of them would, I believe, survive for considerable periods were mankind, 

 fires, and domesticated beasts banished from the land ; a few perhaps 

 would take a permanent place in a reconstituted flora of New Zealand. 



On Tutira the groves of golden willow (Salix alba), as well as fine 

 specimen trees, owe their origin to a stout riding-switch brought at my 

 request in '83 or '84 by Mr T. J. Stuart from Meanee. The original 

 stick placed in a corner of our first garden unfortunately had to be 

 destroyed on account of its great growth, but not before its limbs had 

 been widely distributed over the run. Although so free a grower no 

 seedlings appear : increase has been by stake, pole, or less often, by 

 branchlets carried down in slips and floods. 



White poplar (Populus alba) is another species which, although not 

 reproducing itself by means of seed, yet merits inclusion amongst garden 

 escapes. Planted in '85, it has of late years iii a small way become a 

 nuisance by reason of inordinate suckering. 



Two or three score of pines (Pinus insignis and Pinus austriaca) 

 were planted on Taupunga peninsula by Stuart and Kiernan in '80. 

 Both species have in their immediate neighbourhood spread towards the 

 south-east, their light flat seeds having been blown from ripe high- 

 placed cones during north-western gales. In the lee of the original 

 plantation a younger generation of each has arisen. Pinus insignis, 

 in addition, has managed to convey itself great distances north, south, 

 east, and west from its orginal site. 



Individual pines of this species have appeared in localities so barren 

 and miserable that sheep seldom graze over them ; sheep nevertheless 



