THE CULTIVATION OF THE PLANTS. 167 



CHAPTER XIII. 



THE CULTIVATION OF THE PLANTS. 



Indigenous giants suitable for school-grounds Difficulty of growing native plants 

 much exaggerated Methods of collecting and propagating Plants suitable 

 for growing from cuttings or from seeds The school-garden List of native 

 plants suitable for schools Cultivation of alpine plants List of easily grown 

 alpines. 



THAT the plants of New Zealand afford rich material of a most varied 

 kind for nature-study in our schools should be fairly manifest to 

 readers of the previous chapters. Many facts, of course, can be best 

 learnt in the field ; but most of the centres of population are far from 

 the virgin vegetation, while the plants of the neighbourhood will 

 generally be interlopers from abroad. In order, therefore, to become 

 really familiar with the indigenous plants, and to watch them at 

 various stages of growth and at all seasons, they must be cultivated ; 

 and almost every school in the Dominion might have, at any rate, one 

 bed, even if quite a small one, of the native plants. The gums, oaks, 

 " macrocarpas," and other foreign trees now grown for shade or orna- 

 ment in the school-grounds may be seen everywhere, and each school 

 throughout the land might gradually replace or supplement them by 

 those New Zealand trees best suited to the particular locality. Thus 

 would the schools as a whole become sanctuaries where the native 

 plants, one of the peculiar features and special glories of the land, 

 would be safe for all time. 



But it may be urged that such planting would not be feasible, since 

 every one knows "the native plants are particularly difficult to grow, 

 and when removed from their home in the forests or elsewhere will 

 die." Such an opinion, although widespread, is quite erroneous. 

 It is the rough treatment so frequently accorded to the specimens, 

 first on their being collected, and afterwards when planted, that causes 

 failure, and not any special difficulty in their cultivation ; indeed, 

 many are quite as easy to grow as the rank and file of garden plants. 



There is no reason why, for instance, the kowhai, manuka, lace- 

 bark, ribbonwood. lancewood, totara, large clematis, Coprosma robusta, 



19 Plnnt.c 



