WEST COAST FORESTS

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 120, 6 February 1923, Page 5

WEST COAST FORESTS

REJUVENATION A HOPELESS TASK. Recently the Dunedin city’s official specialist in horticulture and foicstry, Mr. Tannock, visited the West Coast and Nelson, and availed himself of the. opportunities, thus given to examine Um forests of those districts. Interviewed by the- “Star” on his return, Mr. Tannock said that so far as the native forests of the West Coast were concerned their rejuvenation in his opinion seemed a. hopeless task. Twelve years ago he- inspected t’’e same district, and to-day he found little or no progress m so tar as the development of tJic useful Umbers was concerned. Undergrowth was pi-olifia and that was all. Jfxpt’^ ti trccs grew much faslcr r-nd were hardier, and consequently were a vrrv pavable proposition compared with the natives. The latter were slow growing, ami, what wax as bad, did not. tend to rejuvenate themselves to <<n extent- that showed mornise. All the exotics grew well in Now Zeubaud and r-'invenatcd ibomselves readily and rapidlv. The West ) Coast —at- lease a great deal of it—should be cleared. stumped, and drained. and turned into dcirv farms. It was most suitable for dairying, as ford would bo luscious and plentiful all the year round. Of course, much of the native timber could remain in such places as ridges, catchment areas, and steen hillsides, hut other areas should he cleared and devoted to the dairying industry. Air. Tannock said the need of the hour was a school for tho training of practical foresters. In remind to th? controversy ns to the location of the eolle-o—wh°ther at Canterbury or Auckland —ho favour-1 C'literburv as n much more suitable district. but quite apart from Ibis controversy, he co'-s'd-'red the ideal place for such a college was Nelson. Nelson was the coming garden of N'w Zealand, both in re-arrl to horticulture and (-restrv. Thov had ? very film school Hiorc nl’•mdv Ip the fovlhron T’ c +itn*'e. This deserving institution, wh’ch was ronllv doing irreat work, polv needed' mother department to complete its usefulness —one of forestry md horticulture. Tho demand for practical men in matters horticultural was as urgent, as any other question.