INTERVIEW WITH MR J. H. VEITCH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2058, 3 August 1893, Page 22

INTERVIEW WITH MR J. H. VEITCH.

Mr James H. Veitch, of the firm of James Veifcch and Sons, nurserymen and seedsmen, of London, who has been staying at the Grand Hotel, was yesterday interviewed by a representative of this paper with the view of obtaining Some information as regards the object of his visit to this colony. In replies to questions aboub the matter, Mr Veitoh said:— "ln the course of ( a two years' tour, visiting various countries in search of seeds and plants, I have come to New Zealand to see if there are any plants that can be added to those we already grow from this country. Although we have had for Borne years several, many have proved but half hardy and unsatisfactory to the planter. Notable exceptions are, however, Veronica traversii, Olearia haastii, and some others. I find here, more' especially in Dunedin, many of various genera— notably Celmisia, Olearias, and Senecios— which would prove ornamental even when planted amongst the various collections of plants obtained from the colder regions of America and Japan. It is, however, an open question whether these will prove sufficiently hardy to render them' of general decorative value to the ordinary gardener. This remains •yet for us to prove. -It seems beyond question that plants indigenous to the North Island will not succeed in the colder climate of the British

Isles;' though suitable for the warmer temperature of the south of France, Italy, &c. Of all New Zealand towns, 1 the cultivation of ' the native "flora, both by amateurs, and the trade, has received most consideration in Dunedin — the quantity of plants annually shipped to E urope being by. no means inconsiderable. On various occasions and by various growers two of New Zealand's finest flowering* plants have been tried unsuccessfully in England. The two in question r are Ranunculus lyalli and the Myosotidium nobile. Their dislike to anything approaching stagnant water, and the necessity for their cultivation in an open porous soi^of peat and sand saturated with moisture, being points possibly not too thoroughly understood, is a cause of the undoubted failure. Australia

offers a field for the utilisation of certain New Zealand plants which we cannot hope to ' cultivate in England. The suburbß of such cities ,as<, Adelaide and Melbourne, largely planted-' < as they are with Pittosporum hedges, offer ;a striking example. The genus ' is. more 'in vogue than the favourite and common Californian Cupressus macrocarpa. It seems fair to predict that when men in Australia obtain more leisure to devote to their gardens , the New Zealand flora— more particularly that from the North Island— will occupy much attention. The large forest trees of New Zealand, confined as they are, to a great extent, -to the North Island, prevents their being cultivated in England, by reason of which we lose objects of great beauty and timber of great value. To an English lover of ferns one of the most .interesting features in the huge kauri -forests of Auckland is the thick carpet of, the kidney fern— Adiantum reniforme— ever present. -..No more lovely sight can be imagined than the thiok masses clustering round the stems of these huge denizens of the forest. In Jtfew Zealand, w Jo England, despite out long

horticultural experience, even fern specialists have as yet been* unable to cultivate this striking species with any degree of success. The umbrella fern— Gleichenia cunninghamii—one of the commonest along the high banks lining the roads of both islands, is also rare in the old country on account of the difficulty of transport. A somewhat extended tour, confined to the Bouth-western points of Western Australia, amongst the magnificent karri (Eucalyptus diversi color) and jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forests .suggests a comparison, as regards their relation to each other, between the kauri (Agathus australis) and totara (Podocarpus totara J. ' The timbers of all are of exceptional value ; but while that of the karri and the kauri are invaluable for most every purpose, yet they will not withstand the action of sea water arid the ravages of the toledo, to which the timbers of the jarrah and the totara offer such signal rt sistance. Considering the high estimation in which the wood of the jarrah is held in Western Australia, and the excellent manner in which it has stood in the pier at Albany, I was somewhat astonished on my arrival in the North Island to learn that, on its being tried with totara, it fell far short of that wood."

On being asked if he had obtained any rare plants during his stay in New Zealand, Mr Veitch informed our representative that when he leaves the colony by the Ruuhine on September 7, he intends to take with him several cases, amongst the contents of which he has every reason to believe are plants not yet in cultivation in Europe. Should these arrive in good condition and prove hardy, they will, he says, be an undoubted acquisition of great value to the gardens of the old country. He has been naturally hindered from personally visiting the unbeaten track in search of seeds and plants in New Zealand on account of the season. Nevertheless the work has been, and is being, done so thoroughly by various amateurs and nurserymen — notably by Mr G. Matthews — as, to a large extent, to obviate the necessity of a visitor undertaking the work. In reply to a question as to what he thought of New Zealand, as compared with other countries he had visited, Mr Veitch said: — "The general aspect of some parts of New Zealand is by no means unlike the landscape of Japan, though its flora is totally different. Low ranges of hills, open plains, and water courses of unusual breadth characterise the formation of both countries. Both are volcanic, though Japan is naturally much more active ; both are island countries, broken by bays and harbours of great beauty ; and both are countries extending over a considerable latitude and present great climatic differences, which, however, are certainly more marked in Japan than in New Zealand. The northern portion of the north, island of the former mentioned country is frequently- in winter under snow to a depth of from,' 4in to Bin, whereas the extreme south is subtropical. In another aspect there is an unfortunate similarity, thiß season the rainfall of both countries having been exceptionally heavy. In general, however, the climate of New Zealand would be undoubtedly preferable, as the heat endured in the middle of summer in Japan is most trying, and is, to many Europeans, almost unendurable in the plains."