that withstood the severe Winter of 1878-79. 63 



other trees and shrubs described in Sir J. D. Hooker's "Hand- 

 book of the Xew Zealand Flora:" — At least ten Leguminosae, 

 six Saxifragese, four Myrtacese, eight Araliacese, twelve 

 Eubiacese, thirty Compositse, twenty Ericese, five Cupuliferag 

 (evergreen Beeches), and ten Coniferae. One palm, the 

 Arcca sapida, found on the higher parts of Banks' Peninsula, 

 and above the lower glaciers on Mount Cook. Herbaceous 

 plants in immense variety and many of them of great 

 beauty; while for the quantity and elegance of its ferns, 

 New Zealand is not surpassed by any country of like extent 

 in the world. 



In 1850 Mr John Jefi'rey, and in 1S63 Dr Eobert Brown, 

 were sent to North-West America as botanical collectors by 

 an association which originated in Edinburgh. Could not 

 such an association be now organised for sending an 

 efficient botanical collector to Xew Zealand ? And if so, 

 it would be well to secure the co-operation of proprietors on 

 the western and northern coasts and islands of Britain, 

 where the mildness of the winters would be most con- 

 ducive to the success of the introduced plants, and where they 

 might be extensively reared and grown on private estates ; 

 or by public enterprise, as in botanical gardens having 

 judiciously selected sites, for of all botanic gardens now 

 in Britain, only one of any importance, viz., that of Liver- 

 pool, is situated within the influence of the west coast 

 climate, and even compared with it many much more 

 favourable situations could be got along the western coasts 

 of Scotland. As showing that this notion of introducing 

 the hardier plants of Xew Zealand has been one of some 

 standing with me, I may mention that, at a meeting held 

 in 1863 to consider the best place for sending Dr Eobert 

 Brown to as a collector, on the question being put to me 

 by George Patton, Esq. of The Cairnies — afterwards the 

 Lord Justice-Clerk — I unhesitatingly replied, " To the 

 great western mountain range of the Middle Island of New 

 Zealand ;" which was met by the objection " That place has 

 never been thought of; and besides it cannot be got at, as 

 there is no shipping or trade connected with it." The 

 finding of gold has since, however, brought both shipping 

 and trade to it; and yet its native flora is almost as little 

 known to British cultivators as ever. 



