A NATIONAL FLOWER.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 November 1916, Page 4

A NATIONAL FLOWER.

The Victoria League of Auckland have for some time past hud under conniderfition the advisability of adopting a National Flower for Kew Zealand, for the purpose of stimulating national sympathy, and in order to ascertain what particular flower would most generally be favored the various branches of the League throughout the Dominion havi: been circularised to offer suggestions on I the subject, though a decided lead is given in the circular in favor of the yellow kowhai as being the most suitable flower to adopt, and this opinion U back-id up by Mr. T. P. Cheesemsii, curator of the Auckland Museum, who states:—

"The question as to what flower should be adopted as a national symbol for the Dominion of New Zealand is very much a sentimental one, and no several plants will find supporters. Personally I should favor the yellow kowhai. It is eminently a graceful and beautiful plant, and has an appearance so distinctive and characteristic that it cannot be confounded with anything elss. This latter peculiarity renders it an easy plant to portray or to make use of' in symbolical or other designs. Another advantage is that it is abundant throughout the whole of the Dominion from the North Cape to Foveaux Straits, and is therefore -universally known. Another advantage may-be claimed for the kowhai in the fact that it has already received much, attention from the writers of both New Zealand prose and poetry, from Domett and Bracken to the present time."

Apparently, the idea is to provide for New Zealand a flower that may be distinctive and serve the same purpose in the Dominion as does the wattie in Australia, a special day being set apart in honor of the flower selected, and utilised for stirring up patriotic feelings, especially among the children. Now that the matter has been brought to a practical stage it is advisable that the opinion of experts should be obtained as to the most suitable flower to be selected, and the League may well devote attention to the matter. It may we'd be that those who are in a position to give expert advice will be only too pleased to do so. So far as Taranaki is concerned there is the question of other flowers equally as fitting as the yellow kowhai. What is wanted ;s that the flower shall be appl-'enbb to the whole Dominion, and th -| r. must b; borne in mind, otherwise it would be impossible to have a national demonstration as proposed. We have bi en asked by tuo Mayoress (Mrs. Burgess) to make this project known, so that anyone who has a suggestion to make can forwaij the same to her. r