NEW ZEALAND FLORA.

Otago Witness, Volume 1851, Issue 3809, 15 March 1927, Page 58

NEW ZEALAND FLORA.

PRESENT ATION CH ALLEN G E CUP. GIFT BY MR G. W. E. LODER. LONDON, January 12. The Prime Minister of New Zealand is taking out with him an interesting trophy, the gift of a private donor, Mr Gerald W. E. Loder, LL.B., J.P., D.L., chairman of the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway Company, president of the Royal English Arboricultural Society, and a member of the Council of the Royal Horticultural Society. Not long ago Mr Loder went to see the High Commissioner, but not in connection with the trophy. Indeed, it is doubtful whether the idea of presenting a cup was in his riiind at all prior to the interview During the course of his chat, Mr Loder happened to tell Sir James Parr that he had once been in New Zealand, that he was a great admirer of the Dominion’s native flora and bush, and that it was to be regretted that with the necessity for settlement so much of it was being lost. Was there anything he could do to encourage its preservation and cultivation by the people? Would a challenge cup be helpful? Sir James thought it would indeed be a great incentive, so Mr Loder lost no time in ordering one from a well-known London firm. It is this which has been entrusted to the care of Mr Coates. Upon the cup is the following inscription:- - Offered to Lovers of Nature in New Zealand, To encourage the protection and cultivation of the incomparable FLORA OF THE DOMINION, Bv GERALD W. E. LODER. President of the Royal English Arboricultural Society, 1926. On arrival in New Zealand, the Prime Minister will hand the cup over to tlie Minister of Agriculture (Mr Hawken), to be competed for on conditions to be arranged in accordance with the wishes of the donor. The Minister of Agriculture will be one of the trustees of the cup, and he will have associated with him a recognised botanist, or possiblity two botanists. It will rest with these to draw up the rules regarding the competition. The cup is not to be won outright. The main purpose of the donor is to encourage the cultivation of native flora, alike by the private individual and by societies—botanical and others. The Government of New Zealand has from time to time reserved certain areas, the aim being to preserve native trees ana shrubs and flowers from extinction. Owing to the clearances of the ground for settlement and for other purposes there is real danger of the beautiful native bush disappearing. . Mr Loder’s object is to prevent this risk, and to encourage a forward movement for the growth and cultivat,On native flora, particularly in the public gardens. Here, of course, increasing efforts are being made in the same direction, and it is .hoped by the institution of some form of competition at public snows to stimulate the cultivation of native plants in private gardens. Ihe flora of New Zealand is not only of extreme interest to botanists on account of its long isolation and consequent distinctiveness, but owing to similarity of climate especially of th e South Island with the western and southern parts of tlie British 'lsles, is capable of furnishing British gardens with more shrubs and flowers than is generally supposed. One has only to mention the veronicas, of which something like a hundred species are to be found in the Dominion, nearly half of which are sufficiently hardy'to be grown in the open at Kew, mid of course many more can be grown elsewhere—they flourish extremely well, for instance, at Scarborough, an attractive seaside resort on the Yorkshire coast. Most people know of the fine and representative collection of New Zealand trees and plants at Tresco, in the Scilly Isles, belonging to Maior Dorrien Smith. The collection was made partly by his predecessors, but largely by -himself. Conditions in the Scilly Isles are very favourable. Again, one of the “show” places near Falmouth is known as “Enys.” It was for many years the home of Mr John Enys, who had lived previously in Canterbury. _ The garden there is worth going long distances to see. The Rev. Arthur Boscowan, too. is an indefatigable collector and successful cultivator, at Ludgvan. Devonshire and Cornwall generally are favourable to the growth of many species, while in Ireland, too, a number of gardens contain fine and varied collections. In his own garden in Sussex Mr Loder has some good specimens. His chief interest at the moment, however, is to foster local interest in the Dominion, and especially of those species that are rare or are in danger of extinction.