344 



JOUBNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENER. 



( May 7, 1888. 



The Bsme gentleman had also brought the first Pear tress 

 into Canterbury ; and although some difficulty had at first been 

 experienced with regard to them, his perseverance was rewarded 

 by a good crop of large-sized Pears. 



Mr. Deans was also entitled to the credit of being the first to 

 bring Plums into the province, and now the finest and best 

 sorts were to be found in it. 



The Bishop-designate Jackson first imported timber and 

 forest trees into Canterbury ; but as he did not remain here he 

 gave the plants of the Elmi Ash, Beech, and Oak to Mr. Deans, 

 who planted them in his grounds, where they were doing well, 

 and where he (Mr. Wilson) hoped that in process of time a 

 forest rivalling those of the old country would arise. 



Another important importation had been Keens' Seedling 

 Strawberry ; the honour of bringing this delicious fruit here 

 was due to Mr. Guise Brittan. He (Mr. Wilson), had himself 

 brought some from Auckland — in fact he had procured 3000 

 plants, and they were now distributed throughout the length 

 and breadth of the province. Mr. Cotton, an English clergy- 

 man, had first brought them to Auckland ; and it might be 

 added that the same reverend gentleman was the first to intro- 

 duce bees into that province. As the Strawberry plants were 

 being brought here, a number perished, and only fifteen sur- 

 vived the voyage. From this sprung, as he had remarked, all 

 those now in Canterbury. 



Another importation which had greatly added to the beauty 

 of our gardens was the Searlet Hawthorn. It was a peculiarity 

 of this tree, that although it produced abundance of haws they 

 were generally barren, and it was necessary to propagate the 

 plant by budding it on a common Thorn. They originally 

 came from Auckland, and the large trees now in Dr. Stedman's 

 garden were some of the original stock. 



The useful timber tree, the Pinus pinaster, was introduced 

 by the Rev. G. Cotterill, who gave some seeds brought by him 

 from England to Mr. Davie, who planted them where Cookham 

 House now stands. Some still survive in a garden near that 

 spot, and are the largest in the province. 



Dr. Earle, of the Grange, had been the first to cultivate the 

 Blue Gum ; tbis had sprung up accidentally from some seeds 

 from Hobart Town, sown in his garden. He had carefully 

 tended it. thinking it was a plant of the old English Honey- 

 suckle, until an Australian settler suw it, and he recognised it 

 as a Blue Gum, and this was the parent of all the Blue Gums 

 in Christchurch. 



The Norway Poplar and the Black Italian Poplar were 

 brought here by Mr. Phillips, of Rockwood, in the year 1851. 

 These were most useful woods for building purposes, as the 

 wood can scarcely be destroyed by fire ; it may smoulder, bat 

 it scarcely ever blazes. 



The Eibes sanguineum, or common Bed-flowered Currant, 

 was introduced about the same time ; as was the Passiflora, or 

 Passion-flower. He had brought this plant from Auckland, 

 where it grows to a large size ; the berries are esculent. At 

 the sime time he had introduced the Akiaki from Akaroa. 



The Portugal Laurel and the Common Laurel were accli- 

 matised by Mr. Guise Brittan, who had planted them round 

 his house, now the Lyttelton Hotel ; and although the original 

 plants had long since perished, some offshoots from them 

 were still flourishing luxuriantly at Englefield. The same 

 gentleman had also first planted the Arbutus — a fine orna- 

 mental tree, now growing in beauty also at Englefield. 



The Clianthus, or Parrot's-bill, had originally come from 

 Auckland ; the original tree was now growing around Mr. 

 Slater's house in Lichfield Street. 



The first Ehododendrons were brought by Mr. Phillips, o£ 

 Rockwood, who planted them in Mr. Jacobs's garden. 



Holly was introduced by Mr. Richards. Mr. Webbe had 

 planted the first Cypress — a mcst valuable tree, whilst Mr. 

 Vigors had sown the first lawn with English Grass. 



■The Huntington Willow had been introduced by himself, as 

 had also the common Double Daisy, Cowslip, and Primrose. 

 The first Daisy in the province had been found growing in the 

 street, where Mr. J. D. Macpherson's store now stands ; whilst 

 the first Lily of the Valley had been brought by the Rev. W. 

 Aylmer. 



The lecturer concluded by alluding to some plants which New 

 Zealand had in turn supplied to England, whence had been 

 derived so many fruits and flowers, mentioning amongst others 

 some of the native Ferns and a species of Ranunculus — the 

 Einunculus Traversii (so called in honour of Mr. Travers), 

 which he said now commanded a high price at home. To the 

 late Archdeacon Mathias was due the credit of first forming 

 those Gorse hedges which had proved both useful and orna- 

 mental — useful in sheltering the plants in the gardens, and 

 ornamental from their luxuriant blossoms and growth. He 

 must claim for himself the honour of having brought the 

 ordinary and the Cape Broom into use for the purpose of 

 fencing. 



FLOWER-GARDEN PLAN. 



In reply to " Maxwell," we approve of the north and south 

 groups — namely, those to the right and left of the three beds 

 7, S, 8 ; but as you have a uniform edging of blue Lobelia for 

 the six outside clumps, it would much improve them if there 



were a narrow string of Cerastium next the grass. Then of 

 the three clumps, 7, 8, 8, the central one, 7, planted with 

 yellow Calceolarias, would come in line with Mrs. Pollock Pe- 

 largonium on each side. To make the whole very effective, if 



1, PelArgonium Conntess of Warwick, edged with Amar-iotbus. 

 '2, PelargoDium Bijou, ediieci on the outside with blue Lobelia. 



3, S, Pelargonium Fluwer of tbe Day „ „ 



4, 4, FelargoDium Mrs. Pollock „ „ 



the climate is^good enough fill that clump with Coleus Ver- 

 schaffelti, and^ring it with Cineraria maritima or Centaurea 

 candidi3sima."^lf this cannot be done, Purple King Verbena 



5, Pelargonium Cloth of Gold, edged on the oatside itith blue Lobelia. 



6, Pelargonium Golden Fleece „ „ 



7, Calceolaria, yellow. 



8, 8, Calceolaria Prince of Orange. 



and variegated Alyssum will do very well. Then of the other 

 two beds, one on each side. Prince of Orange Calceolaria might 

 be outside, and a blue-coloured Verbena or dwarf Ageratum in 



