THE DOMAIN BOARD AND THE VERONICAS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume LIX, Issue 6785, 16 October 1920, Page 3

THE DOMAIN BOARD AND THE VERONICAS.

(To the Edi'or.)

Sir,—A local appeared in four Wednesday's "issue stating that the curator of the Dunedin Botanical Gardens .will be in Lawrence at the end of this week to arrange fur shifting the collection of veronicas recently donated to the City Council by Messrs Hart and Dnrton. I am given to understand that this valuable collection of native shrubs was offered some time ago to the Tuapeka Domain Board along with a donation of £5 from Air Henry Hart to prepare a plot of ground for its cultivation, but was turned down. Surely this cannot' be true ? But if it be true, there must: be a reason why the Board acted thus; and as the Board is a public body I think the public are entitled to know the reason that actuated the Board in not :ieceping the offer. Apparently the cur-' at or of the Dunedin Botanical Gardens is alive to the value of this rare and dmii-e collection of veronicas, as he is not losing any time in arranging for its transference.

You suy in youv local that this unique collection will lie an.added attraction to Dunedin's already beautiful gardens. Wouldn't this "unique collection" have been just as attractive on the local Domain as in the Dunedin gardens ? Lawrence can do with all the attractions it can possibly secure without -allowing any to be transferred. Dunedin has no end of attractions for country people ; but in return what has Laurence in a special way to attract the Dunedin visitor .' The visitor from Dunedin or elsewhere would never think of making- a trip to Lawrence alone to sec its daffodils. "We all know that it is the hillside on .Messrs Simpson and Hart's' properly at Wotherstones that is the "star" attraction so far as the daffodil is concerned. Tt is gratifying to think that private enterprise has done so much in that way to .make our district' an attraction at this season of the year; and yet it is passing strange that locally one seldom hears a word appreeiatory of what has been done by Messrs Simpson and Hart. Has the same spirit —the absence of appreciation—prevailed in tire matter of the Domain Board's non-acceptance of Messrs Hart and Dartoir's offer of their unique collection of veronicas. lam anxiously awaiting an official reply.—l am ,ctc. NEMO. Lawrence, 14th October, 1920.