FOREST BOTANY.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17806, 4 July 1923, Page 7

FOREST BOTANY.

, $ | A SERIES OF LECTURES. | The first of a series of six lectures 011 ; "Forest Botany" was delivered last night in the biological laboratory, Can- ; torbury College, LyLMr C-. E. Foweraker, lecturer in forestry and botany. Tiieir j was a fair attendance, j Mr Foweraker said that the subject i Or forestry was now ail important one, and especially so in New Zealand. One might consider the tries alone or within groups. The subject of plant structure and growth might be called forest botany, but there were other branches of tho subject—forest protection, forest geology, the study of animals, and in- ' sects of the forest. Forest engineering considered the question of roads. There were niany -other specialised branches. Ono principle which had to bo recognised v.-;:.s thai the forest was a eiop, although tho forester could not discover his mistakes for many years. This required, therefore, specialised knowledge to> avoid mistakes. * Forestry might bo defined as the production of tho largest amount of timber on a given area and utilising thj s to the best advantage. Forestry was', essentially placed on a. | commercial basis. Ho intended to con- ; sider in the course of lectures tho lifo I history, the make-up, and structure of [ the tree, dealing rather with principles than specific eases. The members of the tree consisted of tho root below | ground, and tho stem or trunk above [ ground. At the end of the stem w?.fi the crown, consisting of tho_. branches and leaves. There were various types of forest trees, but the main division was into conifi rs and broa i-li aved trees. ; The rinui, white, pine, and kauri were i conifers, and among tho broad-leaved; I trees were tho common plants in tho garden, and also the oak, tho ash, tho | elm, and many others. Botanically ; speaking, the fruit of a tree was a ! seed-case containing seeds. The eom- | moil bean was a fruit, so that the fruit ! was-'not necessarily succulent. Taking I tho broad bean as a typical example, Mr Foweraker proceeded to show the structure of the seed. The bean wasi kidney-shaped, with a hard seed-coat within which was the embryo. At the ; one end of the fleshy cotyledons, or seed leaves, was tho plumule or young . shoot. The acorn, which mignt be ' taken as a typical forest tree, was similar in structure. The first requirement ' for germination was moisture, and thesecond was heat, which varied with difI ferent plants. A certain amount of .air.'was also necessary. The radicle grow towards tho centre of tho earth and tho stem towards the zenith, tho food necessary being obtained from the cotyledons or from tho endospemar or surrounding tissue. In tho pino there were a number of cotyledons which were, too small to hold sufficient food, and the food supply camo from tho cndospemar. Tho seed in general was an i embryonic plant containing roots and shoot with a sufficient food supply, \ whether in cotyledons or endospemar, to ensure germination. The germination and selection of seeds' were importantproblems.'

Tho lecture was ful'ty illustrated by specimens, and lantern slides. Among the latter were specimens of blue gum, rimu, white pino, pinus insignis, "totara, and New Zealand cedars.