HILL COUNTRY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 141, 27 March 1948, Page 7

HILL COUNTRY

TREE-PLANTING AID SOUGHT Because of the difficulty, of establishing trees in the hill country, the South' Canterbury Catchment Board lias approved a remit, to bo submitted to the Catchment Boards’ conference in May, asking for a more lib. oral subsidy to encourage afforestation and, in some instances, the issue of free grants. The question was raised at Thursday’s meeting of the Board by the Pastoral Liaison Officer (Mr C. J. Kerr), in. whose report it was stated that a few applications for tree planting subsidies were coming to hand and were well spread. “I have had approval from the District Soil Conservator for subsidising cyclone netting as a permanent fence round planted areas,” said Mr Kerr. “As the lack of fencing material lias been a deterring factor in this scheme not being more generally applied, the use of cyclone may help some farmers over that problem’. Pinus insignus trees are plentiful for planting, but other desirable varieties, such as oregons, lawsonias and macrocarpa, arc hard to obtain in any quantity.” Mr Ken- recommended that the following- remit be submitted to the conference: “As compared with the North Island, conditions! for the establishment of trees in the hill country of the South Island are difficult. Therefore, to encourage more afforestation in the South Island hill country, a more liberal subsidy should he available for the planting of approved varieties of trees and in some cases free grants may need lo be made. The soil conservation conditions governing the granting of subsidies should be more liberally interpreted to meet Ihe bill country conditions, whore the establishment, of plantations would encourage bird life lo increase, as well as helping to conserve soil.”