HISTORY OF PINES   One of the features of the Wellington Botanic Garden is the number of conifers, and especially pines, seen throughout the area. The reason for this goes back to the foundation of the Garden in 1869 and the early history of this country. In 1869 there was an appreciation that there were areas in NZ that were being developed where shelter was becoming a problem because of the winds and the need to protect stock and prevent wind erosion with the removal of the natural cover. There was also an increasing problem in some areas with the reduction and removal of the natural bush where firewood was in short supply, and that the possibility of a shortage of timber can be forecast. There was a need to import trees from overseas, and to trial them for their suitability in this country, and to propagate and distribute those found satisfactory. To undertake this work the Wellington Botanic Garden was established, together with similar gardens in other areas of the country. Within the garden was established trees raised from seen for the plants natural habitats, and you can find some of the oldest conifers and pines to be seen in this country. The person responsible for the introduction and evaluation of the trees was James Hector, a Scientific Consultant to the Government of the day, and closely involved in the development of this Garden, and scientific organisations. in the developing Colony. Hector may have brought some pines with him when he came to Wellington in 1865, and records show seed of Pinus pinaster and Pinus halepensis was imported in 1969, with substantial importations over the next 12 years. Over this period, for example, over 56 pounds weight of Pinus radiata was obtained, must from the natural habitat of that species in the Monterey Peninsula south of San Francisco. By 1875 over 127 conifers had been introduced into the gardens, including 33 different pine species. . Pinus radiata on Glenmore Slope Its was quickly established that two trees were very suitable for local conditions, the Monterey Pine or Pinus radiata, and Cupressus macrocarpa, the common macrocarpa. Both these were widely distributed throughout the country, many from seed collected from the plants in the garden. In the book The Botanic Garden it is noted Pinus radiata was introduced into cultivation in the United Kingdom in 1833. The first plants of this species were imported into New Zealand by J..B.A. Acland of Mount Peel Station in Canterbury in 1859; it is interesting that it took only 16 years for this 'new' species to be found in this country. Plants from the seed introduced were grown in nurseries established in the garden, and distributed widely in the country. While Pinus radiata is now regarded as a timber tree, up to the early 1930's when its timber properties were recognised, it was grown only as a shelter tree and to produce firewood in may areas throughout the country. It is understood that early milling of radiata occurred in the 1890's in Canterbury.h milling become increasingly common and successful in the 1920's. With Cupressus macrocarpa many old stands can still be seen around farm homesteads in areas such as Canterbury and the Wairarapa.   Pinus muricata )Bishop's Pine) Pinus torryana (Solidad Pine) Pinus pinaster (Maritime Pine)