SELWYN PLANTATIONS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18676, 27 April 1926, Page 6

SELWYN PLANTATIONS.

MONTHLY MEETING OF BOARD. Yesterday, members of the Selwyn Plantations Board met. Present:, Messrs J. Stewart Commissioner of Crown, Lands (chairman), R. Nairn, W. T. Popple, G. Hall, J. A. Adams, R. M. D. Morten, J. Storry, S.' A. Staples, C. Wolff, and the Hon. G. Witty, M.L.C. ... A progress report (ending April 24tb) was made by the superintendent (Mr. R. G. Robinson) who stated that satisfactory progress had been made with the various work carried out during the past month. The milling of the DarScld plantation was now well in hand, although records of output of pine and sales would not be available for about ft fortnight. From the Racecourse Hills plantation' the following timber was sawn and disposed of:— 46,830 sup. ft, pine, 2170 ft gum, 1980 ft Oregon, and 50 cords of firewood. The milling records for this stand Were still incomplete, but would slightly exceed the estimate originally formed. At Turnbull's gum plantation thinning work was proceeding slowly, and the number of wood-cutters here would require to be increased to : permit tha desired clearance to be effected by planting time in August. At Joblin's reserve some 55 cords of gum- and 1000 stakes were cut and disposed of. Messrs Staples, J. F. Scott (who apologised for his absence), Storry. Nairn, and Morten were elected a Finance Committee. The rest of the Board members were elected to form a Reserves Committee. It was agreed that the matter of calling tenders for lease of a Cashmere reserve be left to the Reserves Committee with power to act, the term of. the lease to be live years. Tree Planting, A request from the Canterbury College Board of Governors that the Plantation Board supply and plant ICB acres of trees at' Burnham was received. Some members of the Board were of the opinion that the College students would derive a great deal of benefit by doing some of the work of planting the 168 acres themselves. It would give the students and masters practical experience in tree planting. The young men would, at least, then have a better idea of how it should bo done. There were only six students at the College, JTr Dalzicl, Inspector of College Re-serves,-who was present, told the members, and a professor and an assistant. The chairman told Mr Dalziel that the Board could uot say definitely whether it could supply the trees. Another speaker was of the opinion that until the Board knew how many trees it had it would be ; bettor to let tho matter go to the Reserves Committee for consideration. For, if the Board gavo the .College all the spare trees, what would the counties do when they wnnted some? »Eventually, the matter was referred to the Reserves Committee. 1 It was stated that the Board was in a better financial position to-day than it was twelve mouths ago by about £9OO or £IOOO.