THE NATIONAL DAFFODIL SOCIETY

Hutt News, Volume 6, Issue 16, 14 September 1938, Page 6

THE NATIONAL DAFFODIL SOCIETY

8 (By H. J. POOLE)

Of all branches of horticulture practised in this country, the cultivation and hybridisation of daffodils has always taken, pride of place in popularity with ' horticultural enthusiasts. Daffodil Shows have for many years been held in almost every town and village throughout the Dominion, and with the wonderful improvement made iu t"he ' flower in recent years, a very high ex- | hibition standard is now general. The National Daffodil Society of New 'Zealand was formed at Lower Hutt in j 1926, at a meeting of daffodil growers from all parts of the Dominion, called for this purpose. The objects of the Society were to encourage growing, raising, from seed, and exhibition of daffodils in New Zealand, to undertake registration of new varieties, and to 1 grant certificates and awards to new seedlings. The Society was enthusiastically received on its formation, Sir E. Heaton Ehodes accepting -the office of .president, and a representative committee was set u,p to further its objects. Mr. W. A. Grace, of Wanganui, the first secretary of the Society, must be credited with having performed the 1 valuable initial organisation work, 'which was the foundation of the So'ciety. He was succeeded in 192S by Mr. Herbert Poole, Lower Hutt, who lhas acted as secretary since that time. The Society's first Shows were held in 1927 at Lower Hutt, in conjunction with the Hutt Valley Horticultural Society, and at Oamaru in conjunction with the North Otago Horticultural Society, the result of each Show proving to be most encouraging. Mr. A. G. Bull, Christchurch; undertook the organisation of the fiTst South Island Shows, and devoted much ..time and energy in forwarding the Society's interests in this part of New Zealand. Further encouragement was given to the Society when a number of donors came forward with valuable trophies | for competition at the Shows. Permanent challenge trophies now in possession of the Society are: —The Bhodes Clial lenge Cups (2), presented by Sir R. Heaton Rhodes; Gibson Challenge Cup presented by the late Robert Gibson, Martin Challenge Cup, presented by Mts. John Martin; Oamaru Challenge Cup, presented by. residents of Oamaru and North Otago; Canterbury Challenge Cup, presented by the Canterbury Horticultural Society; and N.Z Seedling Challenge Trophy (South Island). Trophies have also been presented by the Auckland Horticultural Society, Wellington Horticultural Society, M. L. Marchland, Auckland, and others. In addition, the Society awards its own special medals, and also conducts in each island an Amateur Daffodil Championship, which provokes keen competition, and for which a specially struck medal is provided.

In 1928 tlic daffodil growers of Great Britain presented a handsome gold cup ,for coin-petition in British-raised daffodils, and a trophy was also Teeeived from Australian growers for competition in Australian-raised daffodils,, while in 1930 Mr. Guy L. Wilson, Broughshane, Co. Antrim, Ireland', presented a trophy for British-raised white daffodils. The above three trophies, which are competed for in alternate years in the North and South Islands, greatly stimulated interest in the Society's Shows. The visit to New Zealand in 1929 of Mr. Guy L. Wilson, the noted British hybridist, was another event which created much interest among daffodil growers, and gave further encouragement to the work of the Society. The policy of the Society has always been to arrange its Shows to be held in conjunction with local horticultural societies, with a view to assisting them to maintain local interest, also to cover as wide a range of districts as possible; thus Shows have been held at Oamaru (2), Lower Hut): (2), Auckland (2), Wanganui (2), Christchureh (4) Eltham Hamilton, Palmerston North (2), Wellington, Tiniaru,, Dunedin (2), and Invercargill. The Society also is affiliated with the New Zealand Institute of Horticulture and the Royal Horticultural Society (London), and works in co-operation with these bodies in all matters relating to the daffodif. The distribution of the Koyal Horticultural Society's Classified 'jDaffodil names and the Annual Dacoeni Year BooJj has been, undertaken, and is of valuable assistance -to daffodil growers. The Annual Report and Schedule of the Society provides a valuable record of the Shows, containing as it does' comprehensive accounts of all flowers exhibited, together with ether items, of interest which arise from time to time. The Society's progress in its "ten years of existence cannot be 1 denied, and its Shows have resulted in bringing together wonderful exhibits of daffodils from all the principal g-rowers in the Dominion, until -to-day these Shows "are the Mecca of all daffodil enthusiasts, where the world's finest creations of the flower can be seen.