SEA-GOING PUNTS

Evening Post, Volume cxxiv, Issue 148, 20 December 1937, Page 9

SEA-GOING PUNTS

A LONG VOYAGE

LORD BLEDISLOE'S TEST

While c he holds the opinion that New Zealand-plants may be established in England more easily by sowing, the seed there than by conveying the growing. plants from New Zealand Lord Bedisloe has succeeded in saving a fair number of the plants given him, prior to his leaving the Dominion, by members of the New Zealand Plant Preservation Society. The following letter, written by Lord Bledisloe to the hon. secretary of the i society, Mr. L. D. Haggett. was read at the last meeting of the executive:— Dear Mr. Haggett,—lt is with much sorrow that I have learned from your letter of September 22 of the passing to his rest of Mr. J. G. Helyar, whom, of course, I knew well, and for whom I developed an immense admiration in consequence of his abounding love of New Zealand native plants and his public-spirited endeavours to instil into his fellow-countrymen the supreme importance of preserving them for posterity, and, incidentally; utilising them, so far as conditions permit, in their own gardens and shrubberies. . I was greatly attracted by the fine collection of native bush plants in his vown garden in Lower Hutt and their tasteful arrangement, on the occasion of my visit there about four years ago.

It is a pleasure to me to learn that a specimen of the beautiful Libocedrus Plumosa has been planted by Mr. Hope Gibbons in the Otari open-air plant museum and dedicated to his memory. I wish that I could have been present at the ceremony if only to bear tribute alike to the botanical enthusiasm of the late Mr. Helyar and the far-sighted vision of my old friend, Dr. Cockayne, in. establishing the museum itself, in which my lady and I developed the deepest interest. Many thanks too, for the well-expressed and illuminating article and correspondence culled from the "Evening Post" of September 18 and 20 last, enclosed with your letter, as well as the rules of the Native Plant Preservation Society which appear to me to be in every way admirable.

So far as I remember, no correspondence has passed between the late Mr. Helyar and myself during the last two years, if, indeed,' at all s-ince I left New Zealand. Unfortunately, as I indicated in a previous letter .sent soon after my return Home, a large proportion, of the fine collection of . native plan-, which your society so generously gave me perished either on. their way: here, or soon after their, arrival. I still, however, have a fair number alive and vigorous, a list of which I wity endeavour either \q enclose,with this letter or to send' to you in the early future. My general experience is that New ' Zealand, native ■;■ plants raised from seed thrive much better in this' country than those sent as growing plants from overseas. s Warmly reciprocating the kindly messages to my lady and myself from your executive.—Yours sincerely,

BLEDISLOE.

The society has.also received from Sir Arthur Hill,' Director of the Hoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, a congratulatory letter in which he wishes the society "all success in its most laudable efforts to' preserve your unique and most interesting native vegetation."