RE AFFORESTATION OF NEW ZEALAND

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2824, 15 July 1916, Page 10

RE AFFORESTATION OF NEW ZEALAND

Sir,—ATucli has been spoken and written 011 this vital question. A Government measure which will operate ; to assure planting from one end of New Zealand to tlio other will, iii my opinion, do much to assure in the near iiiture a reasonable supply of timber for: (a) Firewood, (b) farm purposes, (c) and later for other use. The measure—an Act of Parliament to assure it is necessary— provido that every holder of laiul in New Zealand from an area of, say, 100 acres upwards, be compelled to plant a proportion of land occupied, the kind of trees and the number to be planted depending on the altitude and local Conditions. Thousands of acres will by this means be planted with such trees as larch, pinus insignis* eucalypti, etc.; each occupier should be compelled to do the planting. Holders of bush land improve their property by cutting down and burning timber 'which perchance has taken score 3 of years to grow. It can be no injustice to call upon these men, as well as all others who owrt land, to help make nn asset .they will very likely largely benefit from, oi\ if they themselves do not, tho country will.

It will be a reasonable and logical partial solution to the great afforestation* question in New Zealand if such a measure be drawn up and made law. In other words, let each'"do his bit/' 3. am doinsr mine—l am, etc.; CHARLES HEOHNS.. Wanganui.