C.- 13,

4

monanthus (bladderwort), Hypolmna laterifolia, Thelymitra (blue-flowered orchid), Euphrasia cuneata (eyebright), Herpolirion. Many of these plants are indicative of wet, boggy soil, and the imported ling heather was abundant. It is hoped that subsequent visits to this spot will enable your committee to determine whether on this type of soil the imported heather is spreading in an aggressive manner likely to compete and occujjy the place at present occupied by the indigenous vegetation, which contains some beautiful flowering-plants. On the road to the Whakapapa and Haunted Whares your committee inspected many thriving patches of the introduced heather, but all were growing in somewhat, damp, flat land. The track to Mount Ngauruhoe was next visited. Leaving the main road, the track led members to the summit of a small mountain, Pukeonaki (4,018 ft. above sea). On leaving the main road at a point 350 ft. above the National Park Railway-station, a few isolated mature plants of the ling heather were seen on the track, but the soil appeared much drier than where the heather was abundant round about the Haunted Whare and the Whakapapanui Stream (main road), and it was noticed that there were no young plants or seedlings. Few other heather-plants were seen until near the summit of Pukeonaki, and near here several mature plants were found, the product, according to Mr. Salt, of seed sown nine years previously. These were found to be well established in a primitive association of what might be called snowgrassDracophyUum heath which comprised the following plants : Danthonia Raoulii (snow-grass), Dracophyllum recurvum, Celmisia spectabilis, Euphrasia cuneata, Gaultheria antipoda (snowberry), Coprosma depressa, Wahlenbergia saxicola (bluebell), Olearia nummularifolia, Veronica tetragona, V. Salicifolia, Dracophyllum Urvilleanum, Schcenus paucijiorus, Epacris aipina, Leucopogon Frazeri. The only exotic other than this heather observed was the capeweed, Ilypochceris. It will be interesting to visit Pukeonaki at future Board meetings and endeavour to form some opinion whether the introduced heather can compete at this much higher, drier, and colder habitat with the natural vegetation to the extent of damaging its physionomy. On the actual summit of Pukeonaki only one mature plant of the heather was observed. Mr. Salt took a number of photograjjhs for record purposes. Your committee was much indebted to Major R. A. Wilson, D.5.0., for motoring members over the park.

ACCOUNTS. TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK BOARD. Statement of Receipts and Payments for. the Year ended 31st March, 1927. Receipts. £ s. d. Payments. £ 8. d. To Balance, Ist April, 1926 .. .. 3,637 15 7 By Road-construction —Bruce Road .. 866 12 9 Government grants.. .. .. 409 19 11 Ohakune Track improvements .. 137 5 0 Miscellaneous receipts .. .. 16 12 0 Expenditure on park buildings . . 364 3 8 Interest on Post Office Savings-bank Expenditure on park equipment .. 56 4 9 deposit .. .. .. .. 93 5 9 Telephone-line construction and purInterest on Government debentures .. 31 4 8 chase of telephones .. .. 5 0 10 Park fees.. . .. .. .. 471 16 5 Maintenance of telephone-line, &c. .. 35 12 10 Sale of lithographs .. .. .. 11 2 6 Expenditure on surveys .. .. 139 19 11 Expenditure on tracks, drains, and bridges .. . . .. .. 71 010 Expenses of Board meetings.. .. 19 16 2 Miscellaneous expenditure .. . . 40 4 3 Maintenance of park buildings . . 6 12 7 Maintenance of park equipment .. 4 3 10 Horse-feed, shoeing, &c. .. .. 39 14 3 Fuel, oil, &c. .. .. .. 38 1 0 Travelling-expenses . . .. 19 8 5 Printing .. .. .. .. 33 11 9 Postages .. .. . . . . 12 5 9 Insurances .. .. . . 13 2 1 Ranger's salary .. .. .. 270 0 0 Purchase of maps .. . . . . 10 14 0 Progress-payment for copyright of handbook .. .. .. .. 83 0 0 Secretary's honorarium .. .. 25 0 0 Treasurer's honorarium .. .. 12 0 0 Advertising .. .. .. 14 13 0 Balance, 31st March, 1927— £ s. d. Cash in Bank of New Zealand .. .. 478 17 8 Cash in transit, 31st March, 1927 .. 26 2 6 Cash in Post Office Sav-ings-bank .. 1,848 9 0 — 2,353 9 2 £4,671 16 10 £4,671 16 10