Thanks, Chadwell ji On 13 Dec 2016 6:34 am, "[email protected]" < [email protected]> wrote:
> I meant to say that 500 of the 1000 printed of Series II of 'Wild Flowers > of Kashmir' were sent back to India (with the intention, of being > distributed amongst high schools - there is a strong educational element > within these books), thus Series II is hardest to obtain. I do not > have a copy myself. > > On Monday, December 12, 2016 at 3:57:43 AM UTC, JM Garg wrote: > >> Thanks, Chadwell ji >> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- >> From: "C CHADWELL" <[email protected]> >> Date: 12 Dec 2016 2:36 am >> Subject: Ex-Situ CONSERVATION OF KASHMIR FLORA - a lost opportunity. >> To: "J.M. Garg" <[email protected]> >> Cc: >> >> B.O.Coventry is known for his 3 Series 'Wild Flowers of >> Kashmir' originally published >> in the late 1920s and early 1930s illustrating with remarkable quality >> colour photos for >> the period, a selection of Kashmir Flowers. >> >> Bernard Coventry was Conservator of Forests in Kashmir for a period (as >> well as other >> places in the NW Himalaya) between the World Wars. >> >> In addition to his duties and keen activities as a photographer (his >> glass plates were donated >> by the family to the Natural History Museum Botanical Library in London), >> he had an interest in >> seeds and the cultivation of Kashmir wild flowers in Kashmir (though >> never pursued this on his >> return to the UK). >> >> He had hoped to published a Series IV and V (at least) to add to Series >> I, II & III >> of 'Wild Flowers of Kashmir'. But by the late 1940s/early 1950s it was >> too expensive to publish >> more. >> >> Last time I was in Kashmir I came across a dreadful version of 'Wild >> Flowers of Kashmir' printed, >> very poorly in black & white. *Do not be conned into purchasing any!* >> >> Copies of Series I-III are available second-hand. 1000 of each were >> printed but it seems 500 were >> lost when sent back to India for sale. >> >> Returning to Coventry's interest in seed. He produced a List of Kashmir >> Plants showing when their >> seeds ripen and Descriptions of the seed of some species. >> >> Most importantly, in terms of "Ex-situ" Conservation of Kashmir Flora, >> particularly those which grow in the >> mountains, he compiled from 1932-34, a 'Calendar showing Dates of >> Ripening of Seed of Kashmir Wild >> Flowers'. >> >> Interestingly, he had a garden (no doubt near the hut he rented) at >> Gulmarg and was able to flower a >> wide range of 'alpine' plants native to Kashmir. >> >> *I strongly recommend that much greater success would be had with Ex-Situ >> Conservation Projects* >> *covering mountain plants if they are:* >> >> *FIRSTLY, raised from seed, rather than having living specimens **dug up >> - which is far more ECO-FRIENDLY**, * >> *as INTELLIGENT SEED-COLLECTION DOES NOT DAMAGE **THE POPULATIONS OF >> PLANTS. Transporting* >> *the plants down thousands of feet to conditions they stand little (in >> most cases zero) chance of be grown in,* >> *is wasteful and if it concerns species which are supposedly 'Rare & >> Endangered', questionable.* >> >> *SECONDLY, very few truly mountain species from 3600-4000m in Kashmir, >> can cope with being cultivated at much* >> *lower elevations such as at **Srinagar (including the Kashmir >> University Botanical Garden). Thus, a STATION at * >> *higher elevation, manned by **staff skilled in **the cultivation of >> more unusual and rock-garden species, is required for * >> *successful ex-situ **conservation of said species. This >> principle would apply in other parts of the Indian Himalaya* >> *(and in Nepal, where the conditions at the Godawari Botanical Garden are >> unsuitable for the cultivation of most* >> *mountain plant species). To attempt to do so is a FUTILE waste of time >> & resources.* >> >> *It is a great pity that the authorities did not take advantage of the >> considerable expertise of Prem Nath Kohli, formerly* >> *of the Kashmir Forest Service (who collected, on behalf of the Maharajah >> of Kashmir, seeds & bulbs of Kashmir* >> *plants to be grown in the Royal Parks & Gardens). He established >> P.Kohli & Co. in 1928, with two nurseries in Srinagar,* >> *cultivating bulbous species for export. He had un-rivalled knowledge in >> the cultivation of Kashmir and other Himalayan * >> *plants, writing in journals and as a freelance journalist**raising >> concerns about conservation decades before it became* >> *fashionable to do so.* >> >> *The same applied with one of his daughters, Mrs Urvashi Suri, who took >> over as Proprietor. She studied for an M.Sc. in* >> *Botany being in the first class at the University of Kashmir.* >> >> *There was a plan for the family to establish a small botanical garden in >> the honour of P.N.Kohli (who passed away in 1986)* >> *at either Tangmarg or Gulmarg, where mountain plants could be grown >> better than in Srinagar but this had to be abandoned* >> *after a terrible event 3 years later.* >> >> *Then there has been my own expertise in the study, conservation and >> cultivation of Himalayan flora since the 1980s. No interest has been >> **shown. >> I have been ideally placed to help advise upon and supervise Conservation >> Projects, providing the necessary training* >> *to counterparts. Specialist gardeners and societies have unique >> knowledge in the cultivation of Himalayan plants (albeit in the UK but* >> *the expertise can be applied including back in the foothills of the >> Himalaya). The new rules & regulations that have come into force mean >> that increasingly, such skills and expertise will be lost. Genuine >> conservation projects will suffer as a result.* >> >> *In 1984 I was a Consultant to The Royal Government of Bhutan on 'The >> Cultivation of Medicinal Plants for Traditional Medicine* >> *Project' funded through the European Union.* >> >> *More than 80 years ago, Coventry successfully flowered Primula >> elliptica, Saxifraga pulvinaria, Waldheimia tomentosa, Cremanthodium >> decaisnei, Aquilegia nivalis, Paraquilegia anemonoides, Primula >> macrophylla, Codonopsis ovata, Meconopsis* >> *aculeata, * Gentiana venusta and many others, in his Gulmarg Garden! >> >> Just goes to show what COULD BE DONE. >> >> Could Mrs Suri (with some input from me) have ensured such projects >> worked in Kashmir in the 1980s? Yes. >> >> *What a wasted opportunity. Though a terrible event meant she had to >> flee the Valley in 1989. She has been able to visit Kashmir* >> *in more recent years but ill-health means her expertise (and what she >> picked up from her father) is now lost.* >> >> *I am still available but my expertise will, at some point, also be >> lost.......* >> >> >> Best Wishes, >> >> >> Chris Chadwell >> >> >> 81 Parlaunt Road >> SLOUGH >> SL3 8BE >> UK >> >> www.shpa.org.uk >> >> >> >> >> -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "efloraofindia" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
