STATE NURSERIES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 270, 7 August 1908, Page 4

STATE NURSERIES.

AFFORESTATION AND DENUDATION, REPORT OF STATE PLANTATIONS DEPARTMENT. "The moro this subject is studied the more one is impressed-with the fact that judicious afforestation is the backbone of success in the important industries of every nation,'-' runs the report of the State Nurseries and Plantations Department,' presented. to Parliament yesterday. "As has .• been pointed out frequently the cutting and •' utilisation of the indigenous forests by the. sawmillers is proceeding at such a rapid rate in New' Zealand that it is only a matter of ' a few years (comparatively) when the greater bulk of our timber supply must be obtained from abroad. Each year sees the output largor and the resources of the Dominion smaller, although the Government has taken tho matter in hand with commendable foresight by the establishment of State plantations of timber trees, yet it must bo at least from thirty to forty -years beforo any great supply can be calculated lipon from this source. Under these circumsta.nces it appears imperative to restrict the present indiscriminate sawmilling- of all: available forests to such moderate extent as will en-' sure their gradual disappearance synchronous . with the development and growth of Stato , plantations." If this were not done the price of timber, for a time at least, would rise " to a price which would soriously embarrass ■ 1 many of the growing industries of New Zealand. ' • • :

PKOGRJSSS OF SAWMILLING... To show the progress the sawmilling industry has made, figures aro submitted.' In 1595 thcro were 299 sawmills in New Zeay <?£ i. Gm Pl°yi n g 4055 hands, and sawing 191,000,000 superficial feet. In' 1907' there were 41l mills, employing 7139 hands/ and dealing with 432,000,000 feet. The estimated quantity of feet of milling timber is as follows:— Totara, Rimu, •> and ... 1 Kauri. Kahikatea. Others. 1905 ... 1,112,019,000 28,730,500,000 12,580,431,000 1907 ... 646,041,000 22,810,000,000 12,300,000,000 The total of . all kinds in 1905 was 42,000,000,000 ieet", and in 1907 35,786,000,000 feet. Out of the total 36,000,000,000, no less than 13,000,000,000 feet, or more than one-third;: exists in the land districts of Nelson and \\ estland, and -when . it was remembered how difficult it was-for this timber.to be reached and marketed, it would be seen that the supply for practical purposes shrank to a comparatively sma.ll amount. The present supply of indigenous timbei could, therefore be reckoned at about: fiftj. years at the existing rate of consumption. AUCKLAND DISTRICT. ' The Commissioner 1 for Crown Lands at Auckland said the' demand for Kauri had been fully equal to, if not greater than, tho supply during; the past-year. Mills with adequate supplies were employed to their utmost capacity, but the growing'scarcity "and attendant delay in delivering logs rendered it'impossible for other mills to keep running up to their full power, continuously. Many Kauri mills were' cutting mixed timber. One of the features of the year was the introduction of Oregon pine, a good substitute (for some purposes) for Kauri. • Owirtg to the- scarcity and remoteness of tho latter, increasing quantities of Oregon pine could be looked for. High prices had been realised for Kauri,, viz., 3s. IOJd. per'loo and 'Is. Ojd. per 100. These prices were realised in March last. The royalty received in tho district for timber of all kinds amounted to £41,604, an' increase of £6925 over previous years. . ,

MARLBOROUGH;: In the Marlborough district it is estimated that 102,250,000 super feet of timber is still availablo oil Crown lands and 75,397,000 ft. on privately-owned lands. Of the timber cut locally 4,864,000 super _ feet was exported to 'Wellington, Christchurch', and Nelson. • jNELSON DISTRICT. • , In the' Nelson ; district eighty' mills were working, an increase of eight during the year.' The cutting capacity was 69,700,000 feet. . Fourteen of the mills were worked by water.. Reports : from other districts wero" not tohand. GENERAL. Dealing with the State nursery operations, tho report,states that tho number of trees now planted was 18,300,000. A list is appended showing tho uses to which they can bo put. In the afforestation operations, it has been . the aim of the Department to grow trees not only suitable for the carpentering trade, etc., but also of a fairly quick growth, to meet the requirements in thirty or forty years, when the nativo supply will have greatly diminished. During 1907, 1992 acres were planted'with over five million trees, and for the past year a further area of 2655 acles was planted with Gi million' trees. To date, 9465' acres, liavo been plant-od.. It is estimated that not moro than one-third will eventually survive tho repeated thinning out operations, and reach • maturity. The report says that too much importance cannot be attached to the work of afforestation.

The prison labour system had, worked most" satisfactorily. The average number employed \V - as 75.07, against 78.90 tho previous year. The average value of the work per man for the yoar was £79 17s. The foresters wero unanimous in their reports as to'tho excellent work done by tho prisoners, tho majority of whom took a considerable interest in the various duties assigned to them. With few oxceptions, tho Chief Forester assorted, the prisoners, from his personal observation over a period of some months, were obedient, willing, industrious, and careful. . , It was proposod to establish a movable camp at Whakarewarewa for discharged pati-. ents from the Cambridge -sanatorium.