THE DOMAIN TREES.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7518, 7 April 1890, Page 3

THE DOMAIN TREES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir,—l have for the past few weeks read very carefully the letters and reports which have appeared in your paper re the sale of ash and other trees by the Domain Board to Mr G. Watson last June. Now, dr, from my knowledge of the whole transaction, I must say that Mr Sanderson, who, by the way, has set himself up as a great authority on the size, quality and price of timber and forestry generally, would make it appear that I had not looked after the interests of the Domain Board while in charge of their plantations, and that the Domain Board had lost greatly by the above sale of timber, which was let by public tender. Now, sir, the Board gave mc instructions to thin the plantations in Hagley Park, not Domain. I accordingly went carefully through the plantations and marked the whole of the trees to be cut down and taken away, except that those near the bathing place. My first consideration in condemning the trees was eheir proximity to other trees, and also the quality and size of the trees., always sparing the best and most valuable trees, and I am quite sure that the ash trees, which were a small proportion of the trees sold, did not average more than 2ft 6in cube. And also as regards the price. I have made Inquiries, and find that you can buy in Christchurch the best wide, dry ash for 8d per foot super, or 8s per cubic foot. But, Sir, there is no comparison to be drawn from these prices, because the Domain Board sold growing trees. Before these can be put in the market they have to be cut, carted and sawn, the latter process wasting about 20 per cent, in such, small trees. Now, Sir, my only reason for. troubling you on this matter is from the fact that I haye been so long in charge of the garden and plantations in the Domain and Hagley Park that many of my friends have asked mc my opinion about this controversy re the trees. 1 have given it here, but I do nob intend to take any further notice of it again.— lam, &c, John F. Abmstkong.