NEW ZEALAND FLORA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2087, 22 February 1894, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND FLORA.

It is satisfactory to note that the deputation from the School Inspectors' j Conference which Avaited on the Premier on Thursday afternoon to urge the publication of the neAV edition of the New Zealand "Flora" made some distinct progress. To those Avho wish in a practical way to study the botany of NeAV Zealand the subject is practically a sealed book. It is true that the admirable handbook written by Sir JosEPn Hooker 30 years ago is still in existence, but copies rarely come into the market, and then at the price of two or three guineas— quite beyond the means of the ordinary inquirer. That, however, is not all, for when that book was published a large part of NeAV Zealand Avas quite unexplored, and a great deal more Avas not yet botanically examined. Mr Petrie, one of the best authorities on this subject, says that since the publication of Hooker's book 450 or 500 new plants had been discovered. The descriptions of these are hidden aAvay in 25 volumes of the "Transactions of the New Zealand Institute " (possessed by f eAv) and in numerous other publications. The records are the work of many hands — often of crude observers — and the specimens on Avhich the descriptions are founded are Lost, All this requires revision and verification by competent hands. Two or three things which came out at the interview give grounds for a feeling of satisfaction among those interested in such work. The first is the interest shown by tfae Ijon. Mr Seddon in its execution. It is something to find the head of a Government admitting that "Governments in the past had been neglectful with re^ gpecfc to the flora and fauna of the colony." The action of the late Premier, the Hon. J. M'Kenzie, and the Hon. J. G. Ward in connection with the institution of permanent reserves for jiafeiye birds at Little Barrier and Resolution lelands has done much to redeem the Government of New Zealand from this stigma, and Mr Seddon seems to -be in a fair way to complete the redemption. Then the proposed inclusion of a list of the nonindigenous plants which have escaped in the colony will add greatly to the value of the book. It is almost necessary for the purpose of people without scientific training that they should have this list to aid in determine ing whether any given plant is a natiye or not, while to farmers and others the list would prove of gx'eat value. That it would greatly increase the sale of the work is manifest. It is almost beyond the scope of a handbook to have engravings, which would add to the bulk of the work, and if badly done would spoil it, though we must admit that if well done they would add greatly to its practical value. Coloured plates, such as Mr Sedpost spoke of, are mow appropriate to a flora in the fullest sense — i.e., a large quarto book such as Hooker's rare and expensive work, of which the handbook i» an abstract. We |have always understood that

Professor Kirk had done the greater part of the work required, and held it in manuscript almost ready for publication. In the final revision of the publication Government may possibly see their way either to associate with Professor Kirk some active worker in the botanical field or to submit the work for revision to European authority, so that risk of error may be reduced to a minimum. Such a work as that in contemplation would scarcely be complete without a slight sketch of the lives of some of our botanists of past and present times. The roll would be a notable one, including Banks, Solakdeb, Anderson, Hooker, Colenso, Ralph, Lindsay, Sinclair, Kaoul, Dieffenbach, HEcroii, Buchanan, Haast, Berggren, Kirk, Trayers, Cheeseman, Pe'jrie, TnoJisoN, and many others of almost equal note. Seldom has any one area been trodden by such a troop. To the student of botany the flora of New Zealand is of supreme interest ; to the casual student of all things scarcely lees so. To the biologist and the geologist the handbook has become a necessity. Dividing the whole world into a few botanical provinces, JVew Zealand occupies one to herself, so different is her flora from that- of other regions; yet the student readily recognises its affinity Avith that of both South America and Australia, while many survivals are seen which are consistent onty Avith the idea of a lost southern continent of Avhich perhaps New Zealand — perhaps some of its outlying islets — formed a fragment. He who will in the future solve the problem of the elevation and disappearance of a great area of land in this quarter must attempt it with this book in his hand — and must Avait for the book. Few Avho have the privilege of entering the alpine regions of Otago and Canterbury are robust enough to penetrate to the recesses of the main chain. While our Government are doing admirable work in the direction of facilitating this by means of roads, it should do a little more to induce a study of what is there. Explorers tell us that our remoter mountains are clad with flowering plants of surpassing beauty. We have heard of the Norwegian alps, where the gentian blooms in azure sheets : such a region is just beyond our doors, cumbered' too with ranuncuhis of many species, and of size and beauty surpassing everything of the kind in the Avorld, while the white asters of countless variety make the dark flanks of the alpine gorges gleam like snoAvfields. The mysterious land which is marked blank on the maps of the province is known to contain myriads of these plants of surpassing beauty, many of which it is suspected are still tmcatalogued. While discussing the artistic aspect of the question, Aye need not quite overlook the more material. It is well known that a considerable trade is done in these plants. Orders have been executed for England, for Japan, and doubtless for other countries. The possibilities of this trade are simply unlimited. Only a feAv of our noblest flowers have been shown in illustrated catalogues; these few have at once attracted notice. Every successful effort that is made to find a market for such unconsidered trifles adds a few families to the population of New Zealand ; and this is a demonstrable gain. We hope that when the handbook does oome out an effort will be made to make it cheap enough to be placed in the hands of intelligent school boys. And Aye may say here that we have as get heard no valid reason for the suggestion that jt may be necessary to go abroad to publish it. Without illustrations the work can be aSAvell done jn the colony. Any incentive to study is of value, apd this kind of study, even if not directly profitable, js as valuable an exercise as any. It may, however, have a direct and distinct value. To begin v/ifh we hold that everything which takes our town-bred youths into the country helps to keep the race robust. We have grave reasons for thinking that this is actually necessary even in our small toAvns. Then the study of botany is a branoh of the study of biology. The extermination of noxious weeds must be preceded by the recognition of their identity. At this moment the so-ca}J.ed (Jajifoynian thistle ig occupying the serious and anxious attention of small farmers in the districts where it grown. Tl>4> destruction of invisible pests in the shape of germs of disease is even more import* [ ant. To the student of botany these things come with increased facility, We only hope that Government -will keep up, or be kept up, to the mark,' and if the present Government brings this work to a head — and this requires something of the spirit shown by the provinces in olden times — we shall only be too ready to give it full credit for so doing,

We do not attach much importance io the reports which reach us from The Wellington as to whether the Opposition. Opposition will or will not coalesce with Sir Robert Stout during the next session. It is quite premature to speculate what the Opposition will do, seeing that it has not met since the general election. The Leader of the Opposition having been thrown out, its first duty will be to elect a new one. It will then endeavour to find out its own strength and constitution. It is quite evident that it must be remodelled on a new basis. Some excellent men, who would not have joined it on the old Atkinsonian line?, will now be glad to escape the tyranny of Government control, provided the Opposition will only meet them in such a way that they will not have to sacrifice their democratic principles. This the Opposition will have to recognise. Wbat Sir Robert Stout's position in the new Parliament may be it is impossible to say. It is evident that he is not going to kneel down complacently to a Government which has hitherto exacted implicit) obedience from supporters in exchange for a vast superfluity o£ legislation. We will not venture to predict what will happen, but the course of events will be watched with much interest. At present the Government nominally command overwhelming support ; but we suspect that it is top-heavy.

Rating: on Unimproved Values.

The first note of intended legislation preparing for the still distant session is of a vicions character. It is said that GDvernment intend to reint roduce a clause in the Eating Act giving local bodies power to rate on unimproved values. This alone would not be disastrous provided that it were backed by some easily enforceable power to rate fully in support of local indebtedness ; without this the finance and credit of our local bodies would be in peril. The objectionable feature of it is that it is merely a phase of the general attack made by Government on local bodies, their powers and their independence. There are, moreover, many instances in which it would be grossly unjust. There are even small dairy farms in places like Green Island and North-East Valley which would have to stand a crushing tax were all buildings exempted. One of the planks of the Labour organisations of which we approved in principle was the proposal gradually to extend the powers of local bodies. Of course we did not think that it really meant anything, as it emanated from an organisation which included but few local taxpayer*. Of the sincerity of those who formulated it we have had several samples since. The Government which they supported, however, will for all time have the credit of having done more than any predecessor to destroy local institutions. We do not believe that any adequate inquiry has been made into the possibility of rating in this novel fashion.

A Successful Coal Company.

Again we have to congratulate the Westport Goal Company's shareholders on a good year. And it is n ot alone the shareholders who may be congratulated. This company now takes it* place as one of our great colonial institutions. A company which pays £70,000 a year in wages deserves to distribute 9 per cent, in dividends. This does not, however, represent nearly all the wages earned through the mine, as no doubt a large part of the item of railway haulage, £25,000, also goes in wages, while the working of so great a concern employs numerous trades. Id is much to be regretted that the directors are obliged to epeak in such depreciatory terms of the Gre ymouth mines, which the chairman says " are in a very bad way." After all that has been spent on the Greymouth harbour and the success that it has proved from an engineering point of view, it would be a pity to see the place go down.

The Kenrsage anil the Alabama.

The good old Kearsage has gone to her rest. As she was the nearest approach to a national naval monument that the Americans possessed it was a pity to send her cruising in her old age. Ifc is just frhQrb cf 30 years sinoe Bhe earned her fame by sinking the notorious Alabama. Tfcat vessel had scourged the American mercantile marine ior several year?, burning numberless vessels. She could not take prizes a.s tbs Southern ports were blockaded, and there were consequently no prize courts in which captured vessels could be condemned. Her captain's practice was to take the ship's chronometers and any otber valuables belonging to the ship, remove the crew with their offects, wait until night, and then set the prise on fire. Vessels within sight oame up to the rescue, and if any of them happened to be Americans they got burnt in turn. Once the Alabama met a small gunboat and sank her after a short engagement, Her captain was a plucky man, though his occupation was piratical. He was chased at sea in vain for years, dodging from port to port, easily keeping away from the slow American oruisers. At last when his ship was gettiDg worn he was run to port at Cherbourg. There Captain Winblow, of the Kearsage, sent him a challenge to fight. This he accepted, The Kearsage was partly proteoted by anchor chains put round her water-line. The fight was a very short one. In a few minutes the Alabama was in a sinking condition. Her captain and many of her crew were rescued by an English yacht. Many ra.en went down with her, and others were picked up by the ICearsagtf,

Not

The trial of Monson no doubt surpasses all modem trials in dramatic interest. Its surroundings are all romantic— fcbe names of the actors, the place, the mixture of queer characters, and the method of the murder. In some respects it resembles the trial of Risk Allah Bey for the murder of a young EagI'stoman named Reapy in 1868. This Turkish adventurer had married Ready's mother and had an interest in his death. Ready was dissolute and Bisk Allah was cunning and polished. Ready was shot in his bed, and whether this was a case of suicide or murder exercised many experts and a Brussels jury for many days. Very mn,ch

the same sort of evidence wasgi^en as in thia case. Risk Allah was acquitted, but the English newspapers had their correspondents at Brussels, who wrote descriptive scenes with a free hand. Those were the days of G. A. Sala and the "lurid" school of Daily Telegraph writers. Risk Allah came to England to have a talk with these Rentry. He first had it out with the Daily Telegraph, and recovered £2000 damages. The other papers wisely paid a hundred or two Into court. Against one of these Risk Allah had a tilt, bat the jary found that enough had been tendered with the apology. That was the last of the Ready-Risk Allah sensation, save that once more it appeared in print when it was announced that the worthy Turk had married another English widow.