THE CORNWALLIS RESERVE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 307, 29 December 1931, Page 9

THE CORNWALLIS RESERVE.

A correspondent calls attention to what he considers a waste of city funds at Cornwallis afforestation reserve. While I must agree that this plantation does not appear to look so promising as many other areas in more favoured places, yet his criticism is .unfair, and apparently made without full knowledge of the facts, or not having taken the trouble to make a complete survey. The plantation comprises some 600 acres, a great deal of this being, well . enough sheltered for much lees hardy trees than pine; indeed, in the most exposed parts the native second growth has choked the pine. This, in some opinions, lias been tlio cause of the less vigorous look in those areas seen mostly from the road. A calculation made a few months ago showed that on a safe estimate there are 400,000 living trees, of which 75 per cent have a seven years' life, and will come into profit well within the time estimated when the forest was set out. There were.'many complaints made in the manner in which the first planting was done —this is all too evident to-day —but as the general result over the whole area will under ordinary circumstances bring back a substantial profit, it would he financial suicide to talk of abandoning the project. The annual upkeep on the plantation can be taken only as a form of insurance against lire destroying other parts of the city's reserves, so that nothing could be saved in giving up the work of maintaining the lire breaks. The whole question of planting exotics within our public reserves, especially near to native bush, has caused many of us who have the preservation of the native bush first in our minds, great concern, as to what would be the outcome of mixed planting. The result, so far as can be seen now, is that few, if any, of the imported trees will survive where the second growth native bush has been left to fight it out alone. I mention this fact, as at the time Cornwallis was proposed to be planted with pine, great concern arose as to the possible effect of the surrounding 'busli reserves being, wiped out. The council of the time wisely instructed their superintendent of parks (the late Mr. Pearson) to obtain any evidence that such a misfortune would result. So far as the Waitakeres were concerned, no sign was found of the pine taking charge even where considerable belts had been established over 40 years before. H. J. ATKINSON. Titirangi.