VALUE OF FORESTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 71, 24 March 1928, Page 12

VALUE OF FORESTS.

A bulletin issued by the N.Z. Native Bird Protection Society contains some very interesting articles. An extract is given from the report made to the Victorian Government by the late InspectorGeneral of Forests in India, which states: '"Planting on a large scale is costly, and it will be found, if an actual ledger is kept of the original outlay and all its incidental expenses, that artifical forest cultivation will repay the money and time spent on it under very exceptional cirmustanees." The value of natural forest is shown by the fact that it has been computed that if the afea of the Victorian and New South Wales forest reserves were cut and replanted, the cost with compound interest at 4 per cent for eighty years would amount to the enormous sum of €3.10." 000.000. Commenting on this Sir Dnvirl Hutclifns adds: "This is the sort of adventure that New Zealand has embarked upon in proposing to destroy its native forests and replace them with plantations."

The opening art id" in the bulletin or.neliides with the pregnant word": ''Wo i<nve much of our forest liiino-essru-il v in isrnoranop of economic results. \o nation can exist, let alone prosnor. vifhou sufTieienrv of forests. Po-'su'vatinn is VOljr in!s vmir l<u« ; n"s« "