HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20085, 14 November 1930, Page 9

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

TWO LECTURES GIVEN. "two lectures were given before list eveftmg's meeting of the Canterbury Etortieultural Society, one by •Mr T. Liow on the iris, and the other by Mr Jsmes Spedcn, of. Gore, on New Zealand native plants. Mr O. W. B. Anderson presided, " Mt Low said that usually irises in flower at least by the second .■weafc is but, because wore this year more than a fortnight: late. He thottght irises were rapidly be coming popular in New Zealand. Thoy would grow almost everywhere here tiecause there was plenty of sun in comparison with England, and plenty of 6Un waa an essential for iris-growing. All types of iris grew better in sunny snots, and in sunny climates and seasons,

It waa toot long ago, Mr Low reJnftrked, that people still thought that A great deal of water was necessary for irises. This, of course, was not so, &s tnost varieties grew far bettor In 4ry soil than in wet, and were also freer from, disease. Mr Low described the peculiarities and types of the more important varieties of irises and dealt with the history of the cultivation of flowers in England, France, and Hol- N land, and more recently in America. Native Plants. Mr Speden, who is well known throughout the Dominion as an authority on native plants, illustrated his lecture with lantern slides prepared from photographs taken by him in the Southern Alps. Ha advocated more 'extensive f rowing of native plantß in private garens. Any plants that could bo found round about in the district would grow wall and easily in any garden in the City, he' said, provided n few simple conditions wore observed. A' situation should be ehosen in the garden as siml» la* aa possible td that in which the plant had been growing when wild. The only manure that should be used was decayed Vegetation taken from the ue'ghbonrhOcd from which the plaht had beeu taken, and no artificial or animal manure should be used because, of course, the in Nature was not accustomed to it. Native plants liked hard) firm soil* because it was in hard soil that they were accustomed to grow. Also they must be well watered, nhd the roots well drained, and it was important that .the roots should be left cooler than the stems, so that it Was advisable to plant them in damp places. At the conclusion of the lectures a Vote of thanks was proposed to both speakers by Dr, Telford, and carried Unanimously, A competition for irises displayed in Connexion with Mr Low's lecturo was won by Mr G. T. Taylor. Dr. Telford was second and Mr F. Q. Ball third.