HORTICULTURE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 144, 19 June 1926, Page 13

HORTICULTURE.

NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE

At a meeting of the executive commitjiee of the New Zealand Institute of Horticulture held in Wellington, Dr. Cockayne gave a resume of the work of the Education Committee of the institute, which has just completed its deliberations on the preparation of a syllabus of examination for the New Zealand Diploma of Horticulture. The committee consisted of Dr. Chilton, of Canterbury College; Dr. Cockayne, Wellington; Professor Thomas, Auckland; Mr. Tannock, Botanical Gardens, Dunedin; Mr. P. Black, Botanical Gardens, Palmerston North; with DrJ Marsden, Assistant-Director of the Education Department, as convener and chairman. The report, which will be published shortly, embrace* every phase of the BUbject of horticultural education, scientific and practical. The holder of the diploma of the institute will be a thoroughly trained professional man, eligible for tlje highest positions in the horticultural world. Dr. Cockayne also presented his report on the New Zealand Botanic Garden, which the Wellington City Cojmcil- is establishing in Wilton's Bush. The plan, he said, will require some years to complete, but will be of absorbing interest to the general public, to students, and to scientific men alike. The garden will be one of the beauty spots of Wellington, and indeed of the whole of New Zealand. An additional point of interest is found in the fact that it will be the first of its kind in the world. It 'was reported, too, that other public bodies in New Zealand are working in the same direction, each specialising in part on a phase which is most suited to its geographic position. A short time ago, the institute requested the Department of Agriculture to convene a conference of bulb growers and importers to consider the questions of eel worm and bulb mite. This 'Was acceded to, and a report of the conference was received from the Director of Horticulture. The conference resolved, unanimously that the Department of Agriculture should be requested to suspend its regulations with regard to these pests, and that exhaustive experiments be carried out to determine the exact influence of the pests referred to, and further, that the Department, in consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture (Great Britain), should decide Upon seasons for each class of bulb, during which only export of such i bulbs should be made to New Zealand.