N.Z. Institute of Horticulture.
Report of Representative.

The work of the New Zealand Institute of Horticulture has been carried on during the year along the same lines as in previous years, and monthly meetings of the Executive Council have been held and have been attended by your representative.

Financial considerations have dictated that the Journal of the Institute, which is only published half-yearly in March and September, should be supplemented by the publication of a mimeographed news letter and distributed between the above dates, which will keep the members in touch with current doings in the local world of horticulture.

Loder Cup.—The conditions attending the award of the Loder Cup are, in the opinion of your representative, far from satisfactory, and the Executive has asked the Minister to re-establish the Loder Cup Committee, with a view to determine the existing conditions. The Hon. the Minister of Agriculture has consented to this course, and has appointed a committee consisting largely of the original committee.

Arbor Day.—The matter of re-instituting Arbor Day in New Zealand has been discussed, and it is hoped that it will be possible at no distant date to re-establish the observance of this day throughout the Dominion.

Hortioultural Information.—A committee, of which your representative is a member, was set up to consider and report on the preservation of seedsmen's and nurserymen's catalogues and other horticultural literature. As a result of the committee's deliberations, a report was furnished to the Institute, and a scheme was adopted whereby the Turnbull Library will receive as many individual catalogues, etc., issued in the past years as possible, and in future will receive from all New Zealand nurserymen copies of their catalogues. At the same time, a copy will be filed by the Institute of Horticulture. By this means it is hoped to endeavour to remove the existing ground for reproach that there is at present no readily available means by which the history of the horticultural development in the Dominion can be studied.

The Institute is taking an active part in making representations with regard to the preservation of the various examples of typical New Zealand forest life. It is also corresponding with the Commissioner of State Forests on the protection of forests from plant-eating animals.

The Institute is also endeavouring to obtain the consent of those owners of representative gardens to enable the public to visit them under certain conditions. The Institute has lent its patronage to the usual shows during the year, especially to the National Flower Show, held at Palmerston North in January, 1934.

B. C. Aston,