SCIENTISTS ON THE RAIL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 91, 10 January 1908, Page 4

SCIENTISTS ON THE RAIL.

[;' •.V :. ..■ ' ; TONGARIRO NATION ! AS|B^£II ' , INTERVIEW WITH DR. , • ..Two- men. of.. ; scioh4o\ dniiiyj} Wfteyor,firho leave to-day' to Iprtbej ainoi(B ;r jtKo I thrown up by tho }. v Ruapeli'u,./;are .taisingl.Wyitliv/tliem.V enough equipment to stock a .store. Dr. L. Cock- ! ayne, F.L.S., who goes to make 'a biotjgfrjjgj i. . survey of the 1 Torigariro, National * 'Park/ : which he expects s will occupy two months, is j"burdened'w'ith'twol cameras, aihalf-pia'te.Jatid : o :four-bj.-fiir;o,VTab'dtt;^qiloV-'hundftil*!;poitn'dS? -weight .of"-iiewsp'Spers,' Required-,"for r. .'..plant's,'''aijd lesb'-'tliairtwo 1 grtfes 'of b'oP ■ ..ties, ii^^lUi^:^^eei]n#^:th'ii.^it\ia t.- . preservo-inninjiirddifor.,later hiiprosaipiq ;■ ammatjpn, ..will'.be. kept/in' spirit^,. Mr«.. R.' ( - ii Spoigbt',* , y.C^.'S,v , o'{ accompany tuOr'doctor^for a 'weofri?. tfrb !; t'6' « study thW gcel6^. ; :6fitheidjst?ict,-ii_s-.,alsq;eaK i- . rying-a. cainerij, and a;,fourth is. borag taken i ; by the 'assistant who ' . will make a topographical survey of tho r great park for tho Government. Mr. Jouri ■ i dain, Secretary of tho'.Scenery'Tfpei"V'ati'6n" i' . ■ -Board) is accompanying :the : ''pjr{jf.''' if: / .personal baggage of tl^e v travellers 'and 'tji«( i;},, impedimenta of tho : survpy/camp., v v/liich. .wjll.. t!. ..add ,'foii# or.;,five-Maoris tM-ythei'rijnurober,; i- ' this latest; cspeditiop;:' on; feacinng :tho ; '.v.ol- t I'-.-v'-'cairio wilderness,whft'uldrJoote'th.Otoughly Aiii-;.

[ •, ,posing. .-. -,i ■! s • • - • Dr. Cockayne's mission; it. wa.s learned in- ■ an intorvioiv last night, is ; botli > scientific and r-.---;/Bconomic»J--jf .ttfl^.inaWdafilf^aeny'^iT-JiiSs: '■■■■■ taken "'the'''biot'airical" nibasures.' of' f:.the "^tioiiiiil','.Pi'rk l '"ho r ii'ad-'>iicyer. I. printed-'tliem,;' so. that'they arel r stj 11 p-'to aIP : ■ intents., .an, MndisSoveredPliTliol '..- Park contains arte 'huiidrVd'i;th6usand,;^cfe^''

■ so that its scientific exploration should bto ! fertile in results'. ■' An interesting- subject;rfor; t ' ■ investigation is-tho- relation „ bet weeii v the- ; . , spil;,pf, flie v.bl'c'aiiip ■ and structure,'..fp'rm,'',and'distri.bufidn.of, their• p]aiit^.&Anothqi;. '~iht,er'es'tihg ' point'; ;• ■ which' Dr: Gockayno would,-be glad; to.;, estab- »•••) lish is .this^existence-of -the lbgania;<a small shrub, resembling a veronica. This . plant, i. .. was diisc'overed.-'inV.'the distant MfbrtiHs ;-byrColenso, and a dried specimen -sent Homo "to' i Kow," where 'it was seen .and' tho great Hooker. . Since .iio"scien-' ;; : tist nas seen < the logania!- in j -and it is just possible thatvthp' : .'dried', spec,ir.i f 1 ;'; men is not a logania .at all,-but,only,.a..spe-eies i of iyveronicaj, Tho ; discovery. .of;- r thp i logania v "in New Zealaiid' %buld bo v 'aii'o'tlier L'., '■'vtween 'this .country and T .-fact is now- by.- so : great.-.a l>veiglit. K- ".of other evidence),-that : tho' loganiafis 1 npt^. needed as a witness. k n On the ■ economic side;- Dr.! Cockayne .'.will;

i:. make, a special study of the grasses 'dfy the. , ; mountain pastures. Such, pastures;: ore' an' t.- important asset 6f' Ne , ,v : .Zealaiid; ,, a'na a knowledge* of their grasses arid of how thtf I■■ . can^bo^improyedj^is.of f the [.utmpst j--:. importance 'to'the Dbmihimi?' 1 , The party'will jjo as far as Waiouru; hy ! train, and then driveft&tW, Half-way >.h<ius.o£' !* , where horses are .changed on- tli6 _4oa'd Taupo. From ihero'tnejfwill proceed'\vi£H X:-: pack-horses,.'and'a fixed camp will''be'estab-' i , lished the''hut 'ofl"Ruhpehuf l- Flying camps will be pitched in the' : Snr- ! r- rounding district during ; theprocess of its s r 1 Burvoy, and"' when the arid' district on the U ' east sicßTof-'tho 'mountain 'lias 'bfeen'-'thor- 7 5-.' oughly: explored, r .to tho'.wdst; side',, jvlierb the\'■vegetation-' is much • "more luxuriant,. ;^htl.' ?4 searches. 1: will •ha.v'o special 'interest, 'sincethi.s : i district :; lies iri'-tha-'-route o : f the Main'Trurik Railway, which will.sopn be largely .used, by •, tourists.".;'|Tlie '-Natibnal . Park bids . fairs. to',fe one', of' .tho most' importantJUaris: p "of Now'Zealari'd from'the' i now, f.-:. deal- td.makd: it..bot'tervktibwn.•???"•' v . .' 'At. tlie same. time..'ll''r..'Philli'ps..liirnerwilC ; map; ou^-Jjie; <• '■ which Has ne;yer;.yet:ljjeen purveyed'"'; v •" . -The work as. ■ ! Dr. Cockayne' is' doing ;for '•the..Government; is recognised byM'The /'Pjailt'. ' American scientific journal, of'liiglr'standing, • ' which,, in ' a recent issue, says,;—"At the instigation of Dr. known New • Zealand i Governors of Canterbury. fto ■ establish a sub-alpin'e station fX Southern Alps of Now . Zealand, where the I /•« mountain flora fcan be 'studied rinder infetu'ral; > conditions. VThis : , it'-may bo'bchevpdyiis-'tho'' ;7; most iiripbriarit'. step- 'iii' li&tanical' teaching y and'investigation which has yet been taken *;• in. Australasia.. Dr.. GisckUviie : . is'-tho author ■ . of a report on the botany of ICapiti 'Island, rightly ..regarded as 7 a-.natural sane- , tuary in that part'.irf-'tfiß'jiorJd.'oJtis-.DlUifli" s .to bo lipped,that,,ivorJ$ t go.. : will be extendod to' the wholo '.of. Ndw-.siea!:' land, and that the Government witt'exercise'

'wisdom and foresight in affording-means-for-the continuation of tho survey. :.s active interest on tho part of i: in enabling a large body qfVcienifsy'tojisiV' I ' otherwise. • more .or. less l 'jn'a'fdessibl£." parts, [ such ok th& Auckland ' arid Campbell Islandsf" I indicates a real and proper concern on the I Government's. part. in ,:tlier progress ■of :puroscience,'"which, :,w.e beliove!'and hbpej.Vwill be ! productive of 'sustained effort along'the lilies indicated.-r-New-iZealand'cOntain's'.so many; .secrets.''^which,-the f .scientific world :; isfic'ager.; for, and ; th"efe''must ; bp'.sp! vQij.V' great' . economic" importanco to lie . (jiscpveilpd,., t%t r no effort should be sparetl 'for' their::'disclosure by competent men:'-'—-- -—