NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19149, 4 November 1927, Page 5

NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN.

♦ FORMULATING A SCHEME. [THE PKESB Speelal Serrio*.] WELLINGTON, November 3. A National Botanic Garden for the Dominion is a proposal which the New Zealand Institute of Horticulture is now considering. j The proposal was first made at a small meeting of members of the Institute held in Dunedin during the Dunedin and South Seas Exhibition, but in that form was merely that such a garden should be established in Dunedin itself. It soon became apparent that such a proposal was not likely to meet with.favour from the rest of the Dominion and now the Institute has formed a Botanic Garden Committee to collect information as to what the lme of action in forming a National Garden should be. The first step was to request the formation of local committees in ea"ch of the four centres, but it is understood that, so far, Auckland is the only city which has responded effectively. Two courses are felt to be op'en to the Institute, to choose a spot considered suitable for the creation of a garden, or to allow each of the four centres to follow its particular bent. The latter is the proposal which is gaining support. Certain localities lend themselves better to the growth of some kinds of plante than others, and it is felt that the Institute might set out itself to develop plants to form sections of the National Garden, or have at its command a sum of money which it might vote to the municipalities for them to carry out the work. This development t would naturally be superintended by | the Institute, which would construct j the whole scheme. Academically, the National Garden should be in one centre, actually it is felt that the plants should be grown in the spots best suited to them.

The claims of the smaller cities have no.t been overlooked and sufficient information is expected before long to enable a comprehensive scheme to be framed. Meantime, it is recognised that as the Government will have to be approached for the money to commence the development work, its opinion as to the location of the Garden will have to be considered.