NATIVE FLORA

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21715, 24 February 1936, Page 12

NATIVE FLORA

GOVERNMENT ACTION URGEP

REMITS TO HORTICULTURAL, CONFERENCE

Several remits affecting the preservation of native.bush in New Zealand will be dipcussed at the forthcoming conference of the New Zealand Institute, of Horticulture. A remit from the Canterbury district council proposes that the institute should suggest to the Government the inclusion in gardens at tourist resorts of well-kept gardens of the indigenous plants of each district. It. is suggested that suitable places to start this project would be Hanmer, Queenstown, Waitomo. Rotorua, and Tongariro. It is claimed that the advantages of such gardens would be that overseas visitors could see in cultivation many of the rarer species which at present can be seen only with difficulty in their native habitat; that New Zealanders would become betr ter acquainted with the native flora and would take a greater interest in its preservation, and that perpetuation would then be assured qf species at present liable to become extinct.

Further remits on these lines have been received from the executive and the Auckland district council. If they are carried the Government will be again urged to set aside the Waipoua Kauri Forest as a sanctuary for all time; to reconstitute the Scenery Preservation Board and to appoint an inspector of scenic reserves.

National Botanic Garden The consideration by the Government of the establishment of a national botanic garden will again be sought, and the Government will be urged to make a classification of all land in New Zealand at present covered with standing bush, with a view to prohibiting further clearing (a) in all cases where it would be detrimental to surrounding areas and (b) in all other cases except when satisfied that land thus cleared could be economically utilised. A remit is also included in the agenda asking for recognition by the Government of the work done by the citrus committee of the institute by the provision of adequate support for the investigations carried out under its direction. Ragwort and other noxious weeds are also included and the Government will be urged to deal with the control and elimination of the pests as a national effort. The conference at which these remits will be considered will be held at Auckland on March 4, and in the evening the Banks lecture will be given by Mr T. Waugh, of Wellington. His subject will be "A Brief History of the Royal Horticultural Society."