FORESTRY WORK.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17401, 11 March 1922, Page 11

FORESTRY WORK.

SUITABILITY OF NELSON. (SPECIAL TO "lEB WHIi") NELSON. March 10. A visit to the pinus lnsignis plantations on the Moutore Hills was made yesterday by the organiser of the Npw Zealand Fo»6try League (Mr Will Laweon). j - Speaking of the outing, • Mr LaWsoß stated that he had been struck by several features of the plantations. The. first was the sturdy and healthy appearance of the trees. Then th 6 low cost of planting Was remarkable. Advantage. too, had been taken of the natural shelter, for young trees, which were thrusting their, heads up heartily, through the manuka and goisa. As the trees this uridergi'owth would be kilted, so-that the trees served a. dual purpose, as-timber producers-ond weed destroyers. This; was an object lesson which, he said, should be noted by the people, with a view to planting the gorse-covered hills about that city. la presiding at Mr Lawson's lecture, Professor EadterMd; 1 director .of the Caw'thron-Institute,- said that the conservation of forests wag of vital importance to New Zealand.. Had even a moderate decree otdiscrimination been observed by the early settlers, Australia to-day would bfl spending hundreds of thousands' dt pounds annually in the purchase ot New Zealand softwood timbers. Referring to, Nel* son's adaptability to ! der forest conditions, - Professor Easterfield stated that early In '1920 > Sir David- Hutchena, a most distinguished forester.' visited., Nelson and reported on the land proposed to bo used by the, Oawthron'' Institute for an arboretum, in which : tests; would be made in the growth of various exotic ; and native; trees. Sir David began his report by stating that New Zealand r was known throughout the world as the country where the»r could bo grown the great* est number of trees whose natural habitat was in the temperate'and subtropical jsones, and . Nelson was, the geographical : and natural centre, of New Zealand. He was able, after visiting Nelson to say. that if . he had to select a plaice for two growing, he could not find a Better place than Nelson. This, ProlfessOr Basterfield considered, was: one of themany reasons; why the people o» this province should , take a Very special interest in forestry. ..