NATIONAL GARDEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 79, 3 April 1928, Page 18

NATIONAL GARDEN.

OR. HILL'S SUGGESTION. SITE AT WELLINGTON. BRANCHES IN OTHER CENTRES. Telegraph/—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, this day. In a report to the Government, Dr. A. W. Hill, Director of the Royal Botanio Gardens, Kew, says it appears to hint' that a great need in the Dominion ia< fair ft < Dominion or national botanic garden, but, owing to the differences in climate between the North and South Islands, he does not think any one spot could ba'chosen adequately to represent the fiora'of New Zealand to full advantage. further, there ii the difficulty that each of the four main centres naturally regards, its own botanic gardens as a place of considerable importance, and he itare that, were, any one of the gardens JloW fn existence chosen ait& seat of the natioiial botanic gardens, considerable: Jealousy and friction,, might be aroused. What he would regard as an ideal arrangement would be a national garden in two parts, one at Dunedin, where the high alpine plants can be ao well grown, and the other at Wcllingr ton 6t Auckland, since either would be suitable for the growing of the more sob-tropical plant* to be found in the North Island, and which* cannot be grown ,-successfully at Dunedin. The director should have general control of both .gardens. A further suggestion is to select Wellington is headquarters, and consider the gardens at Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin as branches, under the general sujwrvlsion of the director. / World Collection. doctor should be a good systemhorit^ n * ' w i th ;* keen interest- in that rea,on be Wclthutai. Dominion herbarium - .therefore suggests be I '. Tib V ** Wellington will made on ec ° l ®- UMlvtl*^*°P OT ly-**ranged ir g * t ? en , could be tifie t T en * "to*t>l«b£' x knowledge of 6 under -

■'"tituk, 0»rto.» Oaty 1. Km,. '®^;,»^eiiklom' v to. his report, Dr. ill a»y» botanic gardens do not exist z ®»J»nd, except in title and bv A# df Parliament. They are really gartens. He incf dentally criticises the "sad waste of money" i n gome centres, in the housing I y **Y poor collections of plants of no

botanic interest, and of very little horticultural value. A small museum in connection with the Dominion garden, he thinks, would be a good thing for th«* displaying of economic products derived from native plants. Dr. Hill considers it essential,* if the proposals he makes are to be of any value, that the curator of the Dominion main garden should be allowed to devote his whole time to the garden and the Otari Open-air Museum (Wilton's Bush, Wellington), and that another officer, the Superintendent of Public Parks, should be appointed to take charge of street planting, public parks and pleasure gardens.