FOREST CULTURE.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20881, 14 June 1933, Page 3

FOREST CULTURE.

MEETING OF INSTITUTE. Papers relating to forestry problems were given at a meeting of the Christchurch section of the New Zealand Foresters' Institute, at Hanmer during the week-end, by Mr C. E. Foweraker, lecturer in charge Qf the School of Forestry at Canterbury College, and Mr F. E. Hutchinson, lecturer at the school. . Mr Foweraker in his paper dealt with the importance of soil content in forestry, analysing the essential elements and treating of the chief characteristics of the poor soil which was usually left for forestry purposes. He emphasised the importance of nitrogen, which he said was the chief controlling element, and he also explained the ways in which it could be -'conserved in forest -soil without expense. The greater part of the nitrogen content of the tree, he said, was to be found in the needles and twigs and, if they were burned following logging, the greater part of the nitrogen was lost. If however, the tree could be left to rot the I soil would benefit. From this it could be seen that it was important to maintain the litter on the forest floor for this was the principle source of the nitrogen content. It was not often realised that dead twigs and needles from trees played an important part, and that j they should be left wherever possible ana not burned. The farmer could top-dress his soil, but the same process , could not be adopted with a forest. Mr Hutchinson dealt in his paper with the development of forestry knowledge and practice among the 1 Maoris from the time of their colonisation of New Zealand , about 1350 until 1

the coming of the white , man. He dealt with the Maori nomenclature and the use the Maoris made of the different trees, their methods of working] timber, and their attitude toward the conservation of forests. He showed that the Maoris had a system of reselling areas for forests and for restricting cutting and the snaring of birds in such a way as to ensure the perpetuation of their forests.