THE PARKS OF SYDNEY. 25 



tree guards, and also by loosely twisting barbed wire around 

 the first fork. Insect pests are a constant source of anxiety 

 in parks, and frequently require a spraying plant to cope 

 w r ith them. 



While many trees in our genial climate grow more rapidly 

 than they do in Europe, one must not lose sight of the fact 

 that they attain maturity quicker and then show signs of 

 failure. In applying remedies to unhealthy trees, one must 

 carefully distinguish between those which are suffering 

 from the effects of accident or from a passing ailment, and 

 those in which the real cause is senile decay. 



The question of the establishment of wind-breaks is a 

 matter of importance to all custodians of parks which are 

 not blessed with a sheltered situation. This is one of the 

 most difficult problems those in charge of parks have to 

 face. The problem is to establish the first line of defence 

 which, in its turn, may protect the second, and so on. 

 Each man must work out the problem for himself, and he 

 of course considers the contour of the land and the direc- 

 tion and force of the prevailing winds. Those interested 

 in the matter may be inclined to study the methods by 

 which wind-breaks are being established at the Centennial 

 Park. 



I do not propose to enter into details in regard to methods 

 of tree-planting, for no intelligent local authority will 

 entrust the planting of trees to a person other than a 

 gardener, any more than he will entrust the repairs of his 

 watch to anyone who is not skilled in that particular kind 

 of work. Let me, however, point out that a large part of 

 Sydney, including some Sydney parks, consists mainly of 

 sandstone or of pure sand. To plant trees in the former 

 requires extensive blasting and much good soil ; to plant 

 trees in pure sand without the admixture of good loam is 

 not only a waste of time, but is a misappropriation of public 



