DAMAGE TO TREES.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19732, 24 September 1929, Page 4

DAMAGE TO TREES.

RESULT OP SEPTEMBER GALE. The heavy losses experienced in the plantations of the Selwyn Plantation Board during a recent gale were the subject of a report to the Board at its meeting yesterday morning. The report of the Superintendent, Mr R. G. Robinson, stated that the gale experienced on Monday morning, September 2nd, caused the uprooting of thousands of matured and semi-matured trees throughout the Kirwee-Amberley district, and at Darfield hundreds of P- Larieio, oregons, etc., that had been allowed to remain on the milled area have had to be cleared away, thus delaying the shifting of the mill to the new site. Several plantations of pinns insignis between Hororata and Windwhistle suffered considerably, and a good deal of labour will be entailed in cutting the fallen timber into firewood sizes. In reviewing the report of the damage done in the plantations by the gale, the chairman asked as to the possible cause or result of the damage. The Superintendent, Mr B. G. Robinson, stated that the losses were all in huge strips, and it had been amply proved by this last gale that the Board must not take away their outer lines of trees. Where this had been done, the gale had torn through the weakened interior, laying waste thousands of trees. At Windwhistle a strip about five chains wide had been levelled right through the plantation. At Hororata, too, another whole strip had been swept down. The trees, at Windwhistle were 26 to 36 years old. There were thousands down as a result of the gale. He added that he would supply a fuller report at the next meeting of the Board. The damage had not been assessed as yet, but it was certain that there would be a tremendous amount of work in clearing up the damage.