ROMANCE OF THE NEW ZEALAND FLORA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18536, 22 April 1922, Page 3

ROMANCE OF THE NEW ZEALAND FLORA

No. 111. MR T. F. CHEESEMAN, F.L.S., AND DR L. COCKAYNE, F.R.S., Ph.D. By Sir George Fenwick. Of Mr T. F. Cheeseman, F.L.S., R is not an easy matter to obtain from his “Manual” any reference to himself which will assist in recording the great value of his services to botanists and those of vthe public who have had occasion to call upon him for information. He modestly says of himself in the preface to the “Manual” : “I do not propose to say anything in regard to my own researches into the flora, beyond stating that they have extended continuously from the year 1870 to the present time, and include an examination of almost the whole colony, from the Kermadec Islands and the North Cape to Otago. A list of my papers on botanical subjects will be found in Mr Hamilton’s Bibliography, Printed in Vol. XXXVI of the Transactions of the New Zealand Institute (pp. 312-72).’’ The Bibliography referred to shows that Mr Cheeseman had, prior to 1904, contributed to the Transactions no less than 43 articles on botanical matters. The information contained in these papers was (lie result of widespread travelling throughout the colony and in some of the outlying islands—the ’.t hree Kings and the Kermadecs, —and bears high testimony to the splendid work of Mr Cheeseman in the scientific realm which he has so long adorned. Of ■ his “Manual of the Flora of New Zealand” it is hardly necessary for me to write. It is a text book of the very greatest value to anyone in this dominion who takes an interest in its botany, and no work of the kind has been, and continues to be, so largely consulted. The many additions that have been made to the flora of the dominion since, the ‘'Manual” was published have rendered a new edition necessary, and Mr Cheeseman has been engaged in the preparation of this for some time past... Its publication is looked forward to with deep interest, and it. will prove of great use to scores of people throughout, the dominion who take practical interest in its flora. The book will be a fitting copestone to the patient ond valuable labours of a distinguished scientist, whose name will live for all time in the scientific world, not. only of this land, but of the central domains of science in Great Britain, the Continent, and oilier lands. * • • * Leonard Cockayne in his early days was a teacher under the Otago Education Board, and while stationed at Allanton in the Taien waff led to the Study of botany by the perusal of a book on New Zealand ferns. Circumstances enabled him to leave the teaching profession, and he settled in Christchurch. In pursuit of his botanical studies, which soon became a hobby with him, and which he followed with characteristic energy, he started a collection of native plants in a small property he acquired in the southern alpine district. IVhen Dr Diels published Ids paper on the botanical oecology of New Zealand in 1896. much of his information and material was derived from Mr Cockayne, who had travelled extensively in the Canterbury Alps. This branch of biological work, which deals with the habits, modes of life, relation to their surroundings, and distribution of organisms, was new to British botanists, and Mr Cockayne was practically the first to apply it. though his example has been greatly followed since. His first paper on a botanical subject was on the freezing of alpine plants, and it appeared in the “Transaction of tbe New Zealand Institute” in 1897. This was followed by three valuable and original papers “On the seedling forms of New Zealand Phanerogams and their development,” in which, among others, he discusses the development and origin of the species of veronica. His first oecological paper, read in 1899. was “Plant Geography of the Waimakariri River Basin.” and it was followed by many others which dealt with a large portion of the country. Altogether, he has contributed some 35 papers to the Transactions of the Ins)into, has produced several important botanical surveys and reports for the Government, and has published the most interesting book ever written on New Zealand botany—“ New Zealand Plants and Their Story.” The first, edition appeared in 1910. and the second—much enlarged and well illustrated —in 1919. A further groat, work on New Zealand botany, Ibo manuscript of which was sent, to Munich in Bavaria before the war. has just recently been published, though not available yet- for New Zealand readers. The University of Munich granted Mr Cockayne the honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy in 1903, while he received the greatest distinction- open to naturalists in the British Empire liy being elected a Fellow of the Royal .Society in 1911. ‘ LOCAL COLLECTORS AND THEIR TREASURES. THE LATE MR H. J. MATTHEWS. MB J. W. MTNTYRE, AND DR HUNTER During the time the late H. J. Matthews occupied the position of head of the Forestry Department, of the dominion, his interest in its native flora, early implanted in his nature, increased and developed. He made cons! ant excursions to the mountains and forest areas of both Otago and Canterbury, accompanied by his faithful private gardener. Mr J. W. M'lntyre, who had been brought up and trained as a practical gardener by Mr Homy Matthews’s father. Mr George Matthews, of the Hawthorn Hill Nurseries, Moruington, The collections made by Mr Matthews and Mr M‘lntyre were planted in the grounds of Mr Matthews’s mother. Mr George Matthews having died many years before. The plants in the shrubbery, borders, and in the rookery which had been constructed for their rccention, were zealously cared for, and the large collection of veronicas which had been got together formed a specially valuable feature of the whole. After Mr Matthews’s death and that of his mother, the house and the portion of the property in which the native plants were located passed into the hands of Dr Hunter, who took a warm interest in the native-plant treasures he had acquired. Mr MTntyre’s services were retained, aftd needless to say under his assiduous care and that of Dr Hunter, the collection increased from the accretions of their botanising expeditions and the skilled propagation of the rarer plants. The veronicas received their full

share of attention, and selections from them have time and again been exhibited at. the Dunedin Horticullnral Association’s shows. The late Mr Matthews and his skilled co-adjutor Mr MTntyre. have been instrumental in fostering a taste m recent years for the cultivation of those of . our native plants which are suitable for rockery and shrubbery and flower border. Contemporaneous with their efforts, however, in this part, of Now Zealand have been those of other enthusiasts, among, whom may be placed in the forefront lilr Poppehvcll and Mr fjpedon, of Gore, and Messrs Hart and Darton. of Lawrence, the latter two gentlemen confining their work entirely to gathering together what, it may safely be affirmed is the finest and most complete collection of the genus veronica to be found in New Zealand. Mr W. A. Thomson, of Half way Push, is another intelligent, enthusiast in the same field, and in the charming grounds of the family home there are to he found many interesting and attractive forms of our nalivc vegetation. * * * * MR POPPELWELL AND MR SPEDEN. I have already mentioned Mr Poppehvcll and Mr Spedeii, who have both been industrious collectors in the Otago and Southland mountains. Recently I had Ihe pleasure of paying a visit to their respective gardens and of inspecting their treasures. Mr Poppehvell’s' rockery contained many interesting plant"—cel mi sias, veronicas, and nciphyllas predominating. Mr Spcden was absent on one of his favourite excursions—this time far afield: no less than to the valley of the Hpllyford, in that little frequented bush-clad region which stretches away to the West Coast traversed by the famous expedition of the late Mr Vincent Pyke in the early goldfields days. Mr Poppelwell courteously undertook the duty of showing our party over Mr Speden’s grounds and acting in the capacity of expositor of the wonderful collection of plant, life there to be seen. We judged it to be among the most interesting collection of . native plants of the smaller types that is to be found in any of the fiublie or private gardens in New Zeaand. Its owner has demonstrated what an added charm may be given to the public and private gardens of the dominion bv a cultivation of the taste for our native plants, prominent among which may be placed for private gardens the smaller kinds of veronica*, the various species of celmisias. the ranunoulj. ourisias, aciphyllas, etc. I shall not readily forget the pleasure given to me by this visit to Gore and the inspection of the plant collections of the two gentlemen who have largely helped to awaken an interest in the indigenous flora to be found on the slopdsof the mountains of this part of the dominion.