FORESTRY.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20021, 1 September 1930, Page 6

FORESTRY.

CANTERBURY COLLEGE CAMP. INSTRUCTION AND PRACTICE AT HOMEBUSH. Spending their vacation in a three week's camp at Homebush, forestry students of Canterbury College are undergoing an annual course of instruction ill the various branches of their work on the station of Mr James Deans, where they liave had an opportunity Of studying toreßiljr methods, and types of species ot tiees, in plantations of 148 acres in extent, containing trees up to 60 years of oge. The camp, which is being attcituea by 18 students and two lecturers, Messrs C. E. FoWeraker and F Hutchinson, is tlio largest of the SIS yet hold by the Canterbury College School of forestry. Sinco they have been held annually m Wcstland and Canterbury districts alternately—at Monna, Kimberley, Munarni, Hanmer, Rimu. and Homebush. Iho second week of this camp has now been completed, and members will return to Ch'ristchuwh on Friday next. "The estate at Homebush is untquo in New Zealand," said Mr Foweraker to a representative of The Pkess, who visited the camp On Saturday.' 'Mr Deans has been recognised as the New Zealand exponent of State forestry, and a splendid selection of many types of trees is available for observation and experiment, most worthy of note being particularly line species of Douglas fir (oregon pine), and Atlas cedar, which grows here to timber size in reasonable time. There is a splendiu stand of English oak and ash; some or the oak we have been thinning, 80 that it will in future yield rnoro timber. Then other trees which have beet Of chief interest are the poiideroea pine the Norway and Hitka spruce, the Corsiean pine, the Himalayan pine, and the Eastern white pine," A regular programme of work, covering both the degree and ranger courses, has been covered, the syllabus including forest mensuration, surveying, silviculture, arid dendrology. The camp divides into teams each day, and under instructors spends the tuu day in different areas collecting information and data, and carrying out a certain amount of practical experimenting in the plantations. Dendrology and silviculture are studied under Mr Foweraker, the latter comprising observations in the f rowing of trees in blocks for timber. U this connexion, thinning of trees has been undertaken in the oak plantations. where some of the trees are up to GO years of age, and by this means a greater length of trunk, with fewer branches, yields snore timber when the trees are eventually felled. The growing of the Douglas fir among gorse for the purpose of suppressing it has also: been observed, the fir getting above the gorso in tiiye and smothering it. A little botany among nativo Hora has been included in" _ the dendrology couise —the identification and classification' of trees —in which connexion studies have been made of the characof different types of trunks, branches, cones, and needles. Mr Hutchinson has been in charge of the forest mensuration and surveying. Practice surveying of blocks of the plantations, and topographic surveying depicting ridges, valleys, and 1 elopes has been carried out for purposes of providing for the laying out of trees when planting is to bo done. Forest mensuration or the measurement of the growth of trees, has also been practised. Calculations of the changes in the rate of growth when trees thinned are the results of this measurement, the tree being measured before, and some time after thinning, to ascertain what change of frowth has taken place, and what will e made in the future. Saturday was sports day at the camp, and wood-chopping and sawing competitions were the prominent events of the afternoon. Results of the competition were as follows: — UNDERHAND CHOP. (Vertical trunk, diameter 12in.) B. Burns .. ■ • .. 1 H. C. Collier 2 M. E. Skiyworth .-3 STANDING CHOP. (Horizontal trunk, diameter liin.) First Heat: G. H. Hocking 1, B. Burnn 2, Second hoat: L. Roberta 1, 0. Sando 2. Final. Roberts • • • • ' Hooking ■ • Burns . ■ • 3 SAWiNG-r . First, round ■ B. Burns and 'A. J• .Field beat h. Roberts and H. Collier, G. H. Hooking and M. R. Skipworth beat J. Robinson and I?. Wickett, F. E. Hutchinson •nd D. Shaw beat C, Sando and B. 'Woods. Semi-final: Burns and Field beat Hocking and Skipworth. Final. Burns and Field ' beat Hutchinson and thaw. «TUG 0' WAR. First .year (L. Roberts, B. Burns, A. J. Field, F. 'Wickett) .. 3 " 76 YARDS, A. J. Field ... •• ' L. Roberts .. .. 2 LO2TO .TUMI'. A. J. Field •• >• C. Sando .. • • • - PILLOW FIGHT. (On horizontal pole.) Final. ■ A. J. Field beat M. R. Skipv.ortL.