BOTANIC GARDENS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 50, 28 February 1931, Page 13

BOTANIC GARDENS

SOME SUGGESTIONS

A NATIONAL EFFORT

Botanic Gardens in New Zealand, their establishment and future, and tho question of a-National Botanic Garden, were amongst tho subjects touched upon in the Blinks lecture delivered recently by Mr. W. Ei B. Olliver, M.Se., of the Dominion Museum. '' Many excellent gardens," he said, "entirely or mainly controlled by municipal authority, exist in New Zealand; In all cases ' horticultural considerations' aro given j first place. In two large gardens, however, attempts are being made to exhibit collections of native plants. One is' the Dunedin Botanical Gardens, where there 'is a good display of alpine and other indigenous plants, the other is (he Otari Native Plant Museum in Wellington, whore, under the guidance of Mr. L. Cockayne, native plants arc being grouped according to tho associations in which they aro found in Nature. "Tho earliest garden to- bo established in New Zealand by Act of Parliament was tho Botanic Gardens in Wellington, an area of about 13 acres on the Karori road being set apart in 1869 for a Botanic Garden, which was placed in charge of the Board of Governors of tho New Zealand Institute. Through lack of funds, howover, ■the garden could not be adequately <leveloped or even kept in order, and since IS9I has been vested in the Corporation of the City of Wellington. It 33 now one of the finest sights of the city and of grdat horticultural interest;. A few years ago, on the suggestion of Dr. Cockayne, tho forest reserve at AVilton's Bush was planned as a'garden for tho establishment of. native plant associations and renamed the Otari Native Plant Museum. • Considerable progress has been made since then, and, provided the original scheme is adhered to, and sufficient'funds are available, a really valualjlo display of great scientific interest should'result. "The only botanical garden in New Zealand at present partly under Government control is the Christchurch Botanical. Garden. ■ Hagley Park was made a Public Domninia 1872, and. in 1904 provisioa was made for a controlling board of thirteen persons, of which four are appointed by the GovernorGeneral. Thoro is a fine horticultural display in. the Christchurch gardens, and a section devoted to native plants, but in this collection only a small proportion of the indigenous species are represented. ~ ' "In the Dunedin Botanieat Gardens, which aro entirely under municipal control, there is/besides a general exhibit, an excellent' collection, systematically arranged, of indigenous plants. This is the most successful attempt yet made in a public garden in New Zealand to gather together a namod collection of ■native plants, and entitles the gardens, more than any other in New Zealand, to be called 'botanical.' In 1878 the Dunedin. Botanical Gardens wore brought under the Public Domains Act of 1860. and placed under the control of a board of seven members. This system was abolished in 1884, when the . gardens were invested in the Dunodin City Council." FUTURE POLICY. "The question as to what should in . the future be aimed at as regards a na- i tional botanic garden, in New Zealand < • may now be considered. Quito asido from the work of plant breeding and , research carried on by the Department , of Agriculture and the upkeep of gar- J flens maintained by the various muni- ( cipal authorities, there is the question , of maintenance, a properly representafive, named, andi'Classified collection \ of plants both exotic and indigenous. That is ta say, just as a museum is considered -worth maintaining for its educational value'1 so should also a ■ collection of Hying plants bo considered a necessary part of the educational institutions of the Dominion. Hero alone is sufficient reason for the establishment of a national botanic gardea quite independent of any municipal gardens. But in addition to the display of a collection of living plants a botanical garden would perform other useful functions; for instance, the exploration of tho nativo flora, the introduction to horticultural use of both native and exotic plants, and gonerlally investigations into all phases of plant life, including genetics, ecology, taxonomy, propagation, and useful properties. Another useful service that » botanical garden should1 perform is tho distribution ■ and exchange of surplus plants and seeds. I do not moan ■that tho gardens should come into competition with nurserymen; on the contrary, it should assist them, as has been the case -with the transference of useful plants porformod by Kevr, and importations of the Nelson Bock i JGarden Society. A NATIONAL GARDEN. "The site for a national botanic garden must, of course, bo considered, ' and there may be differences of opinion. ! Accordingly I give only my own personal opinion that it should bo ;within easy reach of Wellington. Only one sito appeals to me as being suitable, and that is the area west of Tinakori Hill on either side of the road between Wadestown and Karori, and including Wilton's Bush. Here is a piece of nativo forest close to the city, and one which is, as the Otari Native Plant Museum, in process of being deyeloped as an exhibition of indigenous plants, while on tho opposite side of tho xoad is an area suitable for a collection of exotio plants. To find another piece of native bush one would have ,to go so far from the city that a botanic garden would lose much of its 'value on account of the time taken,to reach , it. "Finally must be considered the kyiaintenance of a national botanic garIrion, for the solution of this ensures the success of the whole project. Though the Government should contribute perhaps the main share, it should not be expected to stand tho wholo cost. From two other sources help should come— gamely, from the city and the people. AROUSING INTEREST. "Most important I consider for the Establishment of a national botanic garden in New Zealand will be the interest shown by the people themselves. 'There are two practical forms which ;this might take. The first is in donations and as a precedent for this I might mention the case of the New [York Botanic Gardens. Before the f.ity granted a section of Bronx Park it stipulated that the public should xaise not less than 250,000 dollars. This of course was done, and the gardens started. The other method by which tho public might help is by tho formation of a botanical society which might make annual contributions, as does the South African Botanical Society, besides forming a permanent council to maintain an interest in the gardens, and jio doubt supply members to the controlling board. I believe the time has arrived when an' active botanical society could be formed in New Zealand, one which besides research into the flora could interest itself in the maintenance of a national botanic garden. Besides the ordinary privileges of • kindred societies, namely, regular meetings, use of library, and publica-

tion of a journal, members would have tho extra advantage of receiving surplus plants and seeds for their own use. Founded with these objects in view, a botanical society should have a large number of members in New Zealand. In fact, a society with only one of the objects just mentioned, namely, the importation and distribution of plants and seeds, was formed in New Zealand and proved a phenomenal- success. I rofer to the Nelson Rock Garden Society, whoso enthusiastic secretary, Mr. A. Wilkinson, was responsible'for the importation into New Zealand of a great many ornamental ■ plants now found in our gardens."