RARE NATIVE FLORA

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 146, 22 June 1934, Page 7

RARE NATIVE FLORA

STEPS FOR PRESERVATION^

The New Zealand Alpine and Bock Garden Society-, in its annuaZ report states that it' has: evidence of the danger of some of the rarer forms of native flora becoming extinct,, and it has set up a special committee to ascertain what stops can best be taken to guard against such a possibility. ; In response to a circular letter of inquiry to various experts asking for their opinion on which plants require immediate protection to prevent ,them from extinction, upwards of eight hundred plants were named. These were examined in detail by three expert members of the New Zealand Bock Garden Society's special committee, and were reduced to a list of just over eighty. The committee is now considering how best to deal with the problem, and at a meeting recently held it was decided to deal .wUh about ?5 or 30 varieties for a beginning. She method to be followed is to secure seeds or cuttings and propagate from these, thus minimising the destruction of the native bush by removing plants and setting an example to ruthless collectors. Becords are' to be kept of localities or districts where the rarer species are found, and the young plants raised will be planted in public reserves.