PLANTS AND MEN

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 50, 27 August 1938, Page 14

PLANTS AND MEN

CULT OF THE NATIVE

MR. FIELD'S UNIQUE RECORD

Many older countries have almost completely lost their original plant covering, and would give untold money if they could restore some of it in their national parks. But New Zealand, founded less than a hundred years ago, and rich in a forest and plant life centuries old and unique in character, has been prodigal of it, wasting the forests with the aid of fire and axe and saw and browsing animals'. A native plant preservation society would have been formed many years ago had New Zealanders possessed sufficient plant consciousness. But though a comparatively recent growth, the society is now firmly established, and its members, who are not only propagandists but working propagandists, can already point to a New Zealand-wide distribution of rare or desirable indigenous plants propagated by themselves. The annual meeting, held on Thursday evening, adopted the annual report, portions of which, especially the hybridian and soil erosion features, have already been published. Many aspects of native horticulture were discussed. Devotion to indigenous wild life brings to the meetings of the society people of all'ages and stages, botanists, budding botanists, and many who never will be botanists, but who all possess zeal, and some of them are expert in native horticulture, getting results with seeds and cuttings where I results are not easy. Their individual work as well as their team work, is impressive. Their field ranges from the sea to the mountain tops, their loads are man-carried in rough country, and the harvest of their labours is seen in parks and public gardens up and down the country, in private gardens, and in important sections of the native plants exhibition which is becoming a National Museum annual feature. The interest of the younger generation was shown by the presence of the assistant botanist of the National Museum, Miss Valeric Norman, of Mr. Newcombe (Internal Affairs Department), and of others who are taking up the study of native plant life. At the other end of the age-scale was one of New Zealand's veterans, Mr. W. H. Field, who at the age of 78 years still ( climbs the wireless (Tinakori) hill to see the Post and Telegraph and City Corporation plantations, and who has led many visitors over his own forested hills near Paraparaumu and through his coastal country—sandhills carrying a type of vegetation quite different to that of the heights. While most of the members of the society have to be content with owning a native garden, Mr. Field owns acres of the original forest itself. His sturdiness today is all the more impressive when it is remembered that in 1878, about sixty years ago, he walked with his father from Wanganui to Karioi over what came to be known as Field's Track, at a time when the Karioi sheep station (managed by a brother of Colonel Macdonald) and Batley's Moawhango Station were the only inland white settlements, with outlet not to the west coast but to Hawke's Bay. Another member present at the meeing was Captain Yerex, of the Internal Affairs Department, whose conduct of the Department's field operations, particularly deer raids, brings him in touch with many important botanical regions that are difficult of access. Mr. Duncan, of Tawa Flat, was thanked for offering, for propagation purposes, the use of portions of his own land, which has the advantage of varying aspects to sun and wind, and of the presence of leaf mould and sand. Recently the society has been consulting with the City Council on the matter of co-operation between them in native horticulture, with the advancement of Otari open air museum especially in view. The presence of City Councillors Duncan and Macalister and of the Director of Reserves (Mr. J. G. Mackenzie) evidenced the progress of these negotiations. On certain botanical aspects Mr. William Martin addressed the gathering, and Mr. Mackenzie pointed out the financial and other difficulties that had retarded Otari development on Cockayne plan lines. In commenting on the annual report, which bears his signature as president, Mr. Hope B. Gibbons pointed out that the balance-sheet was a very light one, and that the society got along with very little money. It was pointed out, however, that though the balance-sheet turnover is less than three figures, the distribution of plants runs to thousands, and that the results achieved already far outshine the cost, because the members of the society are workers as well as propagandists in their chosen field. Officers for the ensuing year were appointed—Mr. Hope B. Gibbons being re-elected president and Mr. L. Haggett hon. secretary—and thanks were conveyed, for hospitality and helpful advice, to Messrs. W. H. Field, B. C. Aston, W. T. Barton, the Treadwell Estate, and Mr. Arthur Percy.