STATE AFFORESTATION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1221, 1 September 1911, Page 3

STATE AFFORESTATION.

THE ANNUAL REPORT. The report on afforestation states that during tho year- the operations were very satisfactory. In the four nurseries 8,951,045 trees were raised from seed, and 7,588,285 trees were sent to tho_ plantations. Tho acreage uiulcr plantations was increased by 2GOO, making a total of 16,310 acres planted. since the commencement of operations. Tho stock of trees in the nurseries at March 31, 1911, was 21,r5G,740, and of this number about nine million were to be transferred to the plantations during the winter, Fewer prisoners were employed in planting than last year. An average daily number of -11.2 prisoners performed work to the valuo of JZSiU, and since prison labour was first utilised for this pu-posa tho total value of work done was £32,265. Mr. Kensington, who, as Under-Sacretary for Lands,' is responsible for the report, recommends that the scheme of employing prisoners should be extended, if opportunity affords. The result of the first season's planting r.car tho Naseby reservoir justifies tho opinion formed regarding the suitability of tho land. It is evident that more surface moisture is obtainable on the new area, and meteorological records will be taken and coin pared with those of the Mauiototo Plains. . Preparations are well in hand for dealing with considerably over half a million .trees at Naseby during the approaching planting season, a number greatly in excess of that operated with in any previous ycari.in Central Otago. The average cost per. thousand of raising trees in tho nurseries from 15!IG to It'll has been .£2 Is. 9d., but during the period three of. the nurseries, Starborough, Ivurow, and Ruataugata, where the climate was unfavourable, were closed. At tho two largest nurseries, Tapanui and Rotorua, the cost has been about .£1 per thousand. Tho average cost of planting a. thousand troes in plantations during the whole period was .S3 6s. 5d., and the cost per acre was ,£7 lis. The value of prison labour, where employed, has been conntcd as an expenditure for tho purposa of working out these averages. At the principal stations no.v in existence the wo.-k is being carried out on coonoinicnl lines, and the cost for forming the plantations, including raising the trees and planting them out, varies frcm «£6 to XT per acre.