TREE PLANTING.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18544, 20 November 1925, Page 12

TREE PLANTING.

♦ SELWYN PLANTATIONS I BOARD. THE ANNUAL REPORT. The fourteenth annual report of the Selwyn Plantations Board states that for the past yoar a aum of £2048 36 lid wa. 3 received by way of rent 3 from the reserves under the Board's contro!. From the sale of firewood, stakes, polea, etc., a sum of £1179 Is 2d waa received. The credit balance at March 31st, 1925, was £1192 3s 7d ' The Board received a sum of £1345 14s Id from milling contracts, carried on by Mr J. Marshall, on a royalty basis. The varieus operations carried out during the year resulted in a satisfactory condition of, affairs generally. The projected planting and exploiting schemes, with slight modifications, are being adhered to at a lees expenditure than was anticipated, whilst it was pleaeing to note that the eource of revenue from rentals remained practically unaffected. The decision to continue improving sparsely planted or wattle reserves in addition to afforesting low grade agricultural lands will dispense with the, necessity to rapidly resume revenue-producing properties. Contrary to expressed opinions that the opening of the Otira Tunnel would sound the death knell to the local sawmilling industry, the Bacecourse Hill pinus insignia and Oregon stand is being cut out as rapidly as possible by the contracting miller, who is experiencing no difficulty in disposing of the whole of his output on a profitable basis. Frequent enquiries for pine stands arc now being received, and it is very probable that, with the gradual depletion of Canterbury's matured and eemi-matured pinus insignia plantations, the demand for this softwood will, for some years ahead, become increasingly keen. Hilling and Timber-Cutting. In view of the comparatively small profits accruing from the sale of the pine firewood, all the better class timber has bpen reserved for milling. As occasion demanded, however, sufficient firewood was cut to meet the needs of regular clients. During the past two years, some 825,000 superficial feet of P. insignia have been milled at Coalgate and Racecourse Hill. Good headway has been made at Res. 3749, Racecourse Hill, from which some 346,486 super feet of pine, and 174 cords of firewood have already been felled and disposed of. Influenced by the gradual decline of the bluegums, a complete clearance policy has been adhered to. Fortunately it has only been necessary to cut into firewood some 292 cords, whilst all the better quality boles were acquired by the Public Works Department, Beban and party and others for temporary poles, piles, and mine props. In addition, some 20,225 fencing stakes were split to order from Joblin's .and Page's reserves. Some 110,000 super feet of pine at the stump at Sollitt's and Darfield was sold for transportation in the log to ■ the City. ' The value of timber on Tail cut during the year amounted to £7024, which, increases the amount to £38,200 over the last seven-year period. Planting and Catting. The season's work includes the afforesting of 355 acres, with 347,440 trees of the following varieties: P. insignis, P. ponderosa, Oregon pine, cup. macrocarpa, and various species of eucalypts. In addition. some thousands of trees were used in under-plant-ing reserves requiring greater density. It was possible without affecting the plantation extension scheme to dispose of 73,200 pines and gums to Canterbury schools, public bodies, etc., althongh general applications for the purchase of trees by private persons were declined. The recently-initiated system of recording all transactions associated with each of tho 117 plantations and reserves is now working smoothly. Generally theso records disclose a very favourable position of affairs, although the exploitation of several of the | plantations reveals a hitherto ovor-assessment in Canterbury timber values and returns. Whilst the financial position at the present time is undoubtedly sound, a gradual slackening in pine milling operations is nevertheless advisable. A general survey of planta- j tions will show that the milling of soft- | woods at the present rate of cutting would i only be possible for about 25 years, thus ' creating a breach of inactivity for about 10 years in the local sawmilling industry. On the other hand, the hardwoods call for almost immediate attention, and efforts might be more wisely concentrated upon the profitable disposal of gum timber and Teafforcsting of the cleared area with woods more immune from present-day pests. Protection of Plantations. The presence of coarse vegetation along railway and roadlines last summer insisted upon more rigid measures being adopted to safeguard plantations, and a fair sum was devoted to fireline cultivation over some 17 miles in length. Fortunately, no damage whatever was done this season to growing trees through the fire agency. Following up last year's proposals, about 100 printed "Fire Notice" boards were erected at conspicuous places on plantations, and it is pleasing to add that not a single placard has suffered the usual disfigurement of such notices from irresponsible persons. Experimental Work. There is no appreciable change in the matter of tree pests. Australian entymologists have secured no positive evidence of natural enemies of the Gonipterns beetle, and it can onlv be hoped that some insect, native to New Zealand, may gradually find the larvas or eggs of the destructive leaf-eater congenial to 'Fortunately, gnm seale is less prevalent this vear, which can be accounted for by the fact of an increased numbeT of ladybirds present in. affected plantations Arrangements have been made to distribute a f«w small colonies of the ladybirds to private plantations where the scale is causing damaee - General. In consequence of increased business conducted at Darfield and little facilities provided for office work, the constmction of a suitable office building and installation of electric light throughout arc worthy of favourable consideration. fS By special request, the Canterbury School „f Forestrv is being allotted small observation plots in plantations in various stages of development, and any further assistance required will be freely given.

Christian reunion is surely becoming a real thing. There is a Methodist Church is an eastern suburb of London which displays a poster containing the following notice, in Jarge letters:— •Tf it is more convenient or more helpful to vou to attend some other church than this, there are several m this immediate district." Then follow the addresses of six churches—An^ican, Baptist. Congregational, United -Methodist, Presbyterian, and Primitive Methodist.