ESSAY 
ON THE 
CULTIVATION AND ACCLIMATIZATION 
OF TREES AND PLANTS. 
Bx A. LUDLAM. 
[Written for the New Zealand Exhibition, 1865.] 
Ix contributing the following paper on the cultivation and acclimatization of 
trees and plants in New Zealand from different parts of the world, I wish 
to guard myself from its being supposed that I-do so otherwise than as an 
amateur, with the object of imparting to my fellow-settlers who are 
interested in gardening such information as I have gained from several 
years spent in the introduction and cultivation of trees and plants of the 
more rare and beautiful kinds, and with the hope that many who now look 
upon the culture of plants of this character as difficult, if not impossible, 
in this climate, may be induced, after reading this paper, and learning what 
plants are actually growing in one garden, to make an effort in the same 
direction. It will be a great point gained in a new country like this, where 
so many of its inhabitants have a taste for gardening, if they can be 
induced to substitute for the present growth of blue gums, poplars, and 
willows, plants of a more ornamental, and, I may say, durable character, 
such as are to be found among the coniferous family. It must not be 
supposed that I despise for one moment the usefulness of such trees as T 
have mentioned. For forming outside plantations, as a shelter to young 
trees, they are easily and quickly grown, which is a matter of some moment, 
partieularly in an open eountry, where, perhaps, without such a shelter for 
a time, it would be difficult to get the more ornamental, and, in some 
instances, tender varieties to thrive. Such shelters may be made to serve 
two purposes: Ist, to protect the young trees until they are grown sufficiently 
strong to bear exposure to the wind; 2nd, when done with they would be 
found very useful for firewood; but care must be exercised in cutting away 
such shelter by degrees, so that the plants that have been sheltered by them 
are only exposed to the wind from time to time—too great an exposure at 
one time would likely be very detrimental to their future growth. In 
forming my garden, I planted the places I intended for groups of trees and 
