JOUKNAL 



OF THE 



Royal Horticultural Society. 



Vol. XXXIV. 1908. 

 Part I. 



BULBOUS PLANTS IN NEW ZEALAND. 



By Edwin White, F.R.H.S., of Kingsland, N.Z. 

 [Lecture read March 3, 1908.] 



By way of preface to my remarks on the bulbous flowers of this beautiful 

 island I would like it to be understood first, that I do not use the 

 term bulbous in its strict botanical sense but include allied rhizo- 

 matous plants, and, secondly, that this paper only deals with those 

 parts of the island comprised in the Auckland district and the district 

 known as the " Waikato," about a hundred miles south. The latter 

 district, though only about a quarter of a degree different in latitude, 

 is considerably colder than Auckland, which is known as " the Corinth of 

 the South," and during the winter months severe frosts occur, preventing 

 the successful growth of many of the more tender varieties of plants. 

 The soil of the " Waikato " is very variable. On a farm of one hundred 

 acres on which I lived for a number of years almost every kind of soil 

 could be obtained, from pure peat to heavy clay, and I look upon this 

 district as an ideal one for the successful cultivation of almost all kinds 

 of Liliums. These are very extensively cultivated, and may be seen 

 growing in profusion without any care being taken of them ; all the 

 forms of Lilium speciosum and the various forms of L. auratum and 

 of L. elegans may be seen in quantities in the various gardens dotted 

 about the district. One family who came to New Zealand about twenty 

 years since brought some L. auratum, and they have increased each year 

 and bloom splendidly. The Gladiolus thrives admirably in this district, 

 and I recollect seeing a large plantation of these charming flowers in a 

 farm-house garden about thirty years ago which would delight the eyes of 

 many modern gardeners and enthusiasts ; but these flowers have gone out 

 of favour of late years, and, except where grown by some ardent admirer, 

 are not seen in such profusion as formerly. This is probably due to 

 some extent to the difficulty that is experienced in perpetuating the better 



VOL. XXXIV. B 



