A FAVOURED FIREWOOD.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20862, 23 May 1933, Page 4

A FAVOURED FIREWOOD.

EAGER DEMAND FOR WATTfcE. One of the firewoods most in 4emand is wattle, and the work of the Selwyn Plantation Board in exploiting plantations of this wood in Canterbury has met with remarkable success. Wattle is favoured because of its clean burning properties and the amount of heat it gives off. Good headway is being made with the exploitation of the Selwyn board's wattle plantation near Sandy Knolls, from which 206 cords of wattle Tiave already been cut and stacked this season. Much of the season's fuel has been disposed of and favourable comment on its burning qualities has been received from! many consumers, the annual report of the board's superintendent states. A good deal of trouble has been experienced in the removal of the timber from the interior of the plantations, but this difficulty has been overcome and considerable amounts of the wood are being disposed of. ' ■ "Although a comparatively short-, lived tree, the life-term of wattle generally is very much influenced by the growing conditions." states the report. "Thickly sown on poor, andl land m i exposed situations, the wattle win rarely produce timber of a merchantable size, whilst the spindly trees quickly assume an unhealthy appearance and prematurely die. # This is exactly what has happened in many of the board's stands, the present condition of which has been partly brought about by the absolutely parched state of the surface. The*exploitation of the woods should result in a fair margin of profit being shown on the operation of the board. Tne reafforesting of cut-out wattle Plantations is an easy matter if conducted before suckering becomes too far advanced."