STATE AFFORESTATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 77, 31 March 1928, Page 21

STATE AFFORESTATION.

remarkable strides. steady increase in planting records. (By Telegraph.—Special to " Btar -") WELLINGTON, this (lay.

Kemarkal.lo strides in State affores♦atnn have been made in New Zealand umlcr the control of Mr. L. Macintosh Fllis director of the State Forest Service'who retires from that post to-day. Between 1896 and 1021, the year in which Mr. Ellis took tip his post at the Lad of the newly created Forestry Dertment, less than 40.000 acres of forest hTd J** lll P lantp(l in 11,0 I)oniinio »- I" t ho six succeeding years a further 00000 acres has been sown, and a further 2.1,000 acres will l»e planted this year. This will put tho Service well on the way to realising its objective 0 f 300,000 acres by 1933. At the same time, improvements in forestry control lmve reduced the cost of sowing one g cro of Wtate forest plantations from about £10 in 1921 to less than £•> in 192<i and 1927. Another important feature of his work has been the creation of an almost perfect record for lire-prevention in State forest domains. Last year the total losses in the 7.»>00,000 acres of Stateowned forest in the Dominion amounted to £12. The present policy of tho Servjce tho establishment of soft-woods supplies in eaxih province, the creation of major State plantations, the obtaining of wider uses for indigenous trees awl introduction of the best spe«ies of other countries which lend themselves to the New Zealand climate, investigation in timber mechanics and physics, wood-preservation and tho search for derived products —is practically the creation of the director. At the 9ame time, the Department liaa been run on business lines, and in the last three years has shown a net trading profit of £128,50(1, £152/)')0, and £101,4(10 from timber sales, royalties and leases. The planting record has been steadily rising. In 1021-5 20,000 acres of forest were sown, in 1925-ti 18,000 acres, and in 1920-7 20,000 acres.