SELWYN PLANTATION BOARD

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24403, 1 November 1944, Page 8

SELWYN PLANTATION BOARD

OREGON TREES DAMAGED BY FIRE AT HORORATA More of the 44-year-old Oregon pines in a strip near the northern end of Thwaites % plantation at Hororata were destroyed by fire on October 8, the superintendent (Mr E. A. Cooney) reported at a meeting of the Selwyn Plantation Board on Monday, Two firewood cutters employed by Selwyn Sawmills, Ltd., burnt a pile of branchwood there, and thought the fire was out when they left in the evening, but a north-west gale blew some of the ashes into adjoining heaps of branchwood, and when the fire was discovered at 6 a.m. damage had already been done to the standing trees, and the fire was burning on the surface in the cut-over area. About 300 trees were scorched very badly. The seasonal ploughing of firebreaks had begun at Burnham, Mr Cooney reported. At present there were 271 acres of firebreaks and 42 miles of roadline firebreaks. In making the ,one circuit from Darfleld to Burnham-Southbridge-Bankside-Hororata and back to Darfleld the tractor and implements had travelled 97 road miles. The Oregon pines planted last year at Watsons, Coalgate, had suffered considerable damage by nares, the report continued. Almost 60 per cent, of the trees were partly or totally defoliated, and of these between 10 and 15 per cent, had had their leaders nipped off. The hares over the area were trapped and shot, and 20 were accounted for. The Minister of Internal Affairs had issued the board with a special permit to destroy opossums during the three months ending on December 28.