22 
rounds and acting in the capacity of ex- 
positor of the wonderful collection of plant 
life there to be seen. We judged it to 
be among the most interesting collec- 
tio. of native plants of the smaller 
types that is to be found in any of the 
public or private gardens in New Zea- 
land. lts owner has demonstrated 
what an added charm may be given to the 
public and private gardens of the dominion 
by a cultivation of the taste for our native 
plants, prominent among which may be 
placed for private gardens the smaller kinds 
of veronicas, the various species of celmisias, 
the ranunculi, ourisias, aciphyllas, ete. I 
shall not readily forget the pleasure given 
to me by this visit to Gore and the inspec- 
tion of the plant collections of the two 
gentlemen who have largely helped to 
awaken an interest in the indigenous flora 
to be found on the slopes of the mountains 
of this part of the dominion, 
Public-spirited Work of Mr H. Hart 
and Mr H. L. Darton. 
Splendid Veronica Beds at 
Wetherstones. 
And now let me pay tribute to the fine 
work that has been performed by two gen- 
tlemen who have for the past seven years 
been engaged in gathering from all parts of 
the Dominion, and cultivating a collection of 
veronicas which may now be said to in- 
clude specimens of practically every species 
of the genus that has been found in New 
Zealand from the period of Darwin’s visit 
to the present day. Messrs H. Hart and H. 
L. Darton, of Lawrence, began their 
commendable and public-spirited work 
in 1915. ‘Ihey were led to it prim- 
arily by a conversation between Mr H. 
Hart and the late Mr Peter Barr (the well- 
known member otf the London firm of Barr 
and Sons) when on a visit to the Dominion 
some years since. After expressing his 
unqualified admiration for the New Zealand 
flora on account of its intensely tmlerest- 
ing though puzzling yarlety of form, ne 
conchiced by asking Mr Hart why New 
