WONDERFUL GROWTH

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 122, 16 February 1921, Page 8

WONDERFUL GROWTH

THE STATE PLANTATIONS MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT IMPRESSED Bv Telecranh— Special Correßoondent. Rotorua, February 15. Great surprise has been expressed by many of the visiting members of Parliament at the wonderful growth which has been made by the State plantations between Whakarewarewa and Waiotapu and on the Kaingnroa plains. To-day a statement on the forestry activities was made by Mr. A. H. Goudie. the officer in charge. The plant at the Rotorua nursery, He said, was sufficient to produce five million trees annually. The present stock in it was between 11 and 12 million trees, and probably half of these would be fit for permanent planting next winter, a work which would, be commenced towards the end of April. Most of this stock would te transferred to the local plantations, but a considerable quantity would be available for farmers. The total number of trees raised in the nursery was estimated at 74 millions, of which number 60 millions had been planted in the local plantations. The principal species were Douglas fir or Oregon, pinus lancie. pinus strobus, Weymouth pine, and pinus insignia. A very large number of species had teen experimented with, but, generally speaking, the kinds enumerated were the most, adapted for cultivation in the district. The Californian redwood, a very valuable tree, was also being grown to some small extent. Owing to difficulties in the past over getting reliable seed it had not been possib e to plant large areas, but.supplies of seeds from trees which had teen grown were now becoming available. After referring to the "great awakening” among farmers to the necessity of tree planting and the quantities of trees and seed supplied to the Department, Mr Goudie said lhat the total area under plantation in the district was 25,000 acres, and the scheme mapped out for the next five to seven years provided for the extension of the area by about 10,000 acres. Quoting Captain Ellis (Director of Forestry), Mr. Goudie said that it was estimated that the total expenditure involved by 1926 in the planting and maintenance of the forests would be .£531,000. Captain Ellis had said; "The point with regard to these State plantations is this: that cheap transportation facilities must be provided within five to seven years if the State is to secure profitable and economical results. ■ Thinning operations should be'begun at once over many hundreds of acres, and each year of delay in providing transport facilities must result in the loss of thousands in money and in valuable wood products.” The speaker emphasised l the grave and urgent need for a good arterial road for 25 miles or for a railway. The director estimated that the output in timber from 1930 would grow from 121 million feet to 31J million feet. Cheap and adequate transportation would bo necessary, however. Mr. W. Veitch, ALP., remarked that if for the expenditure of half a million pounds the State was to get 35,000 acres of timber-producing plantations, it would be tho cheapest asset the Dominion possessed. Mr. G. Witty, M.P.. who is a member of the. Canterbury Plantations Board, said that he had never seen such successful planting, there apparently being not a. single' failure.