Expedition gathers alpine plants

Mr D. Tannock, superintendent of the city reserves, in company with several other expert botanists, has just returned to Dunedin after a very successful collecting trip to the Garvie Mountains.

They left Gore on New Year’s Day, and on account of rain did not get further than Switzers, where they spent the afternoon hunting round the old workings, with the result that a number of very interesting shingle plants were secured. They changed from cars to pack-horses at Mr Pinkney’s station next day and that afternoon reached the Titan hut, about 4000 feet up on the Garvie Mountains. After refreshments they climbed up to the Titan rocks, 1000ft further up, and botanised round there as long as the light lasted, finding many interesting cushion plants. At the Titan rocks there was abundance of eidelweiss, and they found also several species of celmisias, two or three veronicas, and several geums, among which was a particularly beautiful one — geum uniflorum. This one Mr Tannock had not seen before. Celmisia lanigeria, a very woolly variety, and probably a hybrid between C. verbascifolia and C. coriacoa, was found in abundance, and they soon had a sack filled with it.

The Garvie Mountains are particularly rich in celmisias, both in number of species and in quantity and the party walked through miles of the, all in full flower. It was a wonderful and memorable sight, a sight unfortunately seen by very few, for not many have either the energy, desire or opportunity to climb the heights that must be surmounted before such a display can be seen. Altogether, they collected 17 species and varieties of celmisias. "People who don't go out on the hills," declared Mr Tannock emphatically, "have no idea of the beauty of New Zealand flowers." One of the reasons why this part is so rich in flowers is that Mr Pinkney is most careful to prevent fires.

The party reached the hut at dusk, weary and footsore. Next day they sorted out their plants, packed them up in the least possible space, and took them by pack-horse back to Mr Pinkney’s run. There they were transferred to cars to Gore and Dunedin, which was reached on Monday. They are now being lined out in the nursery under shelter, whore they will get an opportunity to recover from the shock and make new roots so that they will be in good order for transferring to their flowering position by the autumn. Some will be added to the Gardens collection, and some will adorn the Exhibition.

A courteous defendant

When Thomas Kadama, a diminutive Japanese, was charged with having brought into New Zealand a single-shot rifle without first obtaining a permit, and further with being unlawfully in possession of an unregistered rifle, he entered the box smiling broadly and pleaded guilty. Senior Sergeant Mathieson said the man was a member of a circus and came to New Zealand in September 1924. He brought the rifle with him, and the Customs officials had not seen fit to stop him. To the Magistrate, Kadama said the last time he used the rifle was over two years ago in Australia, and that was for shooting rabbits. He did not use it in his work.  The Magistrate: "How were you found out?"  Defendant said he was going shooting in Arrowtown when some person told him the gun should be registered. He at once went to the police about the matter.  The Magistrate convicted and fined him 10 shillings for having brought the rifle into the country, and convicted and discharged him on the second charge. 

No order was made in regard to the rifle. Defendant left the courtroom after smilingly thanking the magistrate three times.

— ODT, 7.1.1925 (Compiled by Peter Dowden)