THE BOTANICAL GARDENS OF WELLINGTON.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1434, 8 May 1912, Page 4

THE BOTANICAL GARDENS OF WELLINGTON.

Sir, —I Mil surprised 1110 City Council of Wellington Jims not let Grangers know Hint there is ;i place within ji i/mnter nl nn hour's run in a ironical' wtiero can be seen some of the las'. remnants nl' bush t,i ir own? clothed the hills around the city, eujjy a pieas.mt walk (though. tno paths are ill miiiic places steep and rough), fcco n lew native tree ferns, unit enjoy lm> lirettv peeps as one wanders round. 1 should tmvu thought a notice on the tramcars could have been put up, without much detracting from (ho elegance oi tlio car's inside. Happening (o have liic (jno<l fcrhino to choose a uicc Woliinpton ucij' (Hint i.s 'jno iioin whicii tliew » J- no u.-t'a iu pioiect ove>s. par.' s , uuil tliroul, and no riskto one's list), 1. ami a ln'ly visitor took tlse Kelburno train, and on arrival at the terminus were delimited with the beautiful view. The sea in Ihe harbour and Strait was like a mirror. We entered the gardens by a track that leads to tlio Observatory, I believe it is called, lliou-h 1 am'not sure, as there were three tmnn.s handii? on a line which we took to bo t.hc Vigil of a pawnshop, but afterwards found out were lanterns. These, we suppose, are used hv the astronomers to hnd the moon and stars oil a cloudy night. We saw -i funiiv liiuit of arrangement built ot ci'ineiit, unci which looked tike n in S well, but on looking into it could not sco any water. A person striding near siiforined us that it was a disriwd gun-pit. A\o thougiit- wiiat a lot of money it must have cost to sink il. and now it is no use. hn were told that there were otiier places ot the snme kind. . , Having c.ijoyed Iho lovely view irmn Vliere, wo wended our way down, winding paths, noting some very pretty native plants on a spur, anil ramp to the roeKerv near the superiuvenucnt s house, .v - were much struck by the variety f>. plants that were growing iu it; cactus,louse leeks, oclivories, «Sc., koromikos of funny kinds, and n tot of oOicl curious plants of wliich ve did not know the names, We saw a collection ot beautiful fuchsias, and were surprised to see their wondcri'ul growth. There V*as tiuo ilno plant growing near the hon-c, with a large dark green, shining Jcaf, ami were informed that it was called P«ka by (ho Maoris, and was only ionm! lti a', few places in the Auckland district Having the good luck to see one oi the gardeners near the fern-house, 'we were shown over it. With pride, we had noinled out the beautiful J.Vince of Uai33 feather ferns; tiiose looked almost tempting enough to cut for salad, 'flie native (.4 ferns were very fine, though J am afraid t.hev will soon outgrow the house. AVe also saw a lot of other curious ternsand plants, which we thought wore natives, but wore fold they were the bird s nest fern, tho elk horn fern, and iho cycad. 'It is a pity tho house is not kept entirely for native ferns, but we were informed that there was no other placo to put them. Our informant, told us that the gully in which the fr-rn-house is will be some' time planted with ferns. This, we thought was a wise i thing to do as it seems such a suitable piece. We were sorry v.hen iold (hat a Jot ot beautiful camellia bushes and other line shrubs were to be removed in order to make room for a stable and shed?. Wo tame to the conclusion that this would be a most gross act of vandalism, and wonld destroy the whole beauty of the best gully in the Oardens. 1 think the attention of the citizens should be called to tint, and'that: they should vail upon the council, and urge the stopping of such a monstrous niece of work. I. am certain that the Resfrves Committee of the council, wlio wc were told have control of tliii work, cannot have visited the spot, and if t'iiev have, and consented to the destruction. it is. high time they were rooted out... Could not tlie stables be put in a corner of Anderson i'ark, and planted round, this would helu to take away tho bare look of the clay slopes, so prouiinentthere.* I ask the editors of the local . .miners to visit tlio locality, and see what is proposed to be 'done, before it is too late.. Enough of this stable subject. We next went to look at the fine clumps of Ilax that arc growing on the edge of the stream near the bridge, and they are certainly fine examples. 'To our great surprise wo saw a bed of beautiful hiberous begonias growing under a macrocarpa, from which the lower branches had been removed.' Personally, I had no idea that such could he done, as I was always under the impression that nothing would grow under these trees, but the result, lias proved that, plants can, and if the superintendent would only make more of (liese beautv spots, he would prove that numerous portions of the Gardens now covered with pine needles, could by his able work be converted into tilings of beautv, and jovs for ever. Those persons who complain that there is nothing to see in the Wellington Hardens like i here is iu the Chrlsteluirch ones do not know the difficult work that has to bo done in Wellington owing to the hilly naI ure of the ground and the poorness or the soil, and the cost as compared with Cliristehurcli. Even in grass-culling alone the cost is very (treat, as it has nearly all to bo done with the scythe, as airainst a horse lawn-mower.

V should like the new Minister for Tnternal Affairs, who I believe is chairman of the Chrisfehnrch Domain li'iard. to visit the Gardens here with the b'eserves Committee. V think the Wellington oiti,ze:is would urge the Reserves Committee t.i '-r."t Iho assistance of some citizens to advice them on opening up more places and planting them. Money snent iu improving the anpearance of a. cite is well spent, if judiciously done. When the citv water supply is duplicated, could not there be a fountain or two with basins in which gold and silver fish could be lint. All these things add to the aMractiveness of the place, and the increase in I lie tram fares would soon pay the e-wt. After all, the works and beauties o? Nature are. if assisted by man. far and nwav more beautiful Minn those of mail when put on to canvas. On leaving by the Tinalcovi Road entrance. we were surprised 'o see file wiv in which banana trees were growing, and could almost imagine that we 'wtre in the Iropies. We missed, however. _fhe palms, and in (lie conn* 1 of our rumblings did not see a single nikau palm, and were much surprised ot this. A\e also were disappoint:! at not seeing more tree fevns Olid other ferns in the main sully, and crr'ainiv think that fomc of Hie vegetation, which is very dense, and oi a great sameness, should be removeo, am, tree and other fern=, ~,fc,u nalms. ibe cabbage tree, and others should he tilaiiied. This guilv could be made (lie b«auty sp.V of the gardens. \\> did not see imnnibin cnhlwsc dripping-leaved cue. tl>" iiower oi wlncil is H," largest and bamls-io-osl. f saw a beautiful climber with very b"iglif, "inssv. "-pen leaves, ped was told il was the native iia?s';v.; (lower. If ii cmld be hvbridised with som" of the foreign ones, so ns tp ge 1 a variety will, large flowers, it should make a most ornamental plant. .' ~ , . 1 i"",rlv forgot to mention, wh-n in (he fern-house, my friend was much struck with a Imaging plant, which had a smol' tuff of white (lowers, swoptlv scented. ,V'd were iold it was nn orchid. Tt should lie more cultivated, and if take,, in band p.. ~ I .rrbi' , i«t o'i"ht to wove vilnnhle for the purpose of imparting scent to foreign on»«.—T am. etc., COITXHTXOHS, VISIT THE : GARDENS.