FORESTRY CONSERVATION

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 105, 19 January 1923, Page 8

FORESTRY CONSERVATION

VALUE OF PINUS INSIGNIS. A paper was read at the Nurserymen’s Conference on Wednesday by Sir H G. Kingsland, on forestry Conservation,” with special reference to pinus insignis. Theme was <‘i>ouub timber, he said, in New Zealand to supple U.S.A. with timber tor lo rears vet wo talked of importing timber from that country With regard to the timber of which ho wished paiticularlv to speak, the fact was we did not know how desirable it- was: it had not been in use long enough. Ihe timber from pinus insigummade the best and strongest paper. Timber was a vital factor in the economic lite ol the country. It was also a determiniim factor in the climatic conditions ofa district and of the country. Depredation laid waste a. country and consigned it to the level of a desert Forests were the bit and brake of streams, and through the absence of forestry on the two largest navigable • ivers in New Zealand, the Wanganui and 'the Waikato, those rivers were fast becoming blocked.' In a discussion wluen arose, out or the paper. Air. A. IT. Goudie gave some particulars as to the best way of pkuitiiiT the pinus insignis and advice on the correct distance between trees in planting. From 10 ft. to 15 ft. was the most favourable estimate. It was pointed out that the best settlement ot the. question was of vital importance to Now Zealand, both economically and‘commercially. One delegate referred to the fact that pinus insignis '-really impoverished the soil, and therefore could not be grown m rotation, , . , . ■ , Mr. Kingsland, m replying, said that it was a mistake to plant trees at a stated distance apart Surely some discretion was to be allowed on the matter, and individual judgment. ° On the conclusion of the discussion and Air. Kingsland’s reply, the folowing resolution was put to the conference and carried:—“That the matters dealt with in Alm Kingsland s paper bo referred to the Forestry Committee to go into the questions raised with officers of the Forest Service, witn a view to a definite pronouncement being made on the four loading questions into which Air. Kingsland’s paper was divided, i.C. : . ... (1) Ago of pinus insignis at the time of plantin'.-. (2) Methods of planting, tools, etc. (3) Distance to plant apart. (4) Probable returns.