FOREST RICHES

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 187, 6 May 1931, Page 10

FOREST RICHES

New Zealand’s Chance

WOOD-PULP DEMAND

Depleted U.S.A. Supplies

To take commercial advantage of the famine In forest products, particularly paper, which is expected to occur In from 10 to 15 years’ time, New Zealand should concentrate on afforestation, now and henceforth, with all the resources it can muster.

This policy was advocated strongly Inst evening by Mr. R. St. Barbe Baker, a forestry expert of world repute, who arrived this Week from San Francisco.

Mr. Baker gave figures of the dwindling reserves of soft-wood forest in America, and pointed out that New Zealand, which could grow these trees more rapidly than America, was in an excellent position to take advantage of the famine later on, provided afforestation were done on a commercial scale. In view of the inevitable forthcoming famine in soft-woods, he said, and of their shortage in America, where certain metropolitan newspapers used the wood production of as much as 24 acres for a single edition, they would be looking to New Zealand for their newsprint in from 10 to 15 years’ time. Position in America. At present, the situation in America was that they had cut seven-eighths of their plantations, and, of the remaining eighth, half was in reserves, so that they were working now on the last sixteenth. When that came to an end they would look for supplies'from outside. They were already Canada’s biggest customers. These two countries, Mr. Baker continued; with one-twelfth of the world’s population,' used half the world’s for-

est production. They were beginning to put their forests in order, but there would certainly be an interim period when New Zealand could come to the rescue. This country, however, would have to have sufficient forest to make it a commercial proposition. “Here is a possible solution to the unemployment problem in New Zealand to-day,” said Mr. Baker. “If you increase your wood capital it will come into its own inevitably. The feeling I get from your people here is that times are hard. But whatever you do, don’t cut down on forestry, because the whole world is looking to you as leading the way in forestry to-day.

“In proportion to the size of' the country you are doing wonderful things, and it would be disastrous to you not to have sufficient commercial supplies later on. You can grow trees several times as fast as they are grown in their own original surroundings. The Monterey pine, which you call pi mis insdgnis, grows here five times as fast as in California, where it came from.”

“Plant Hard—Now.”

Mr. Baker had been talking with Dr. L. Cockayne, whose work incidentally he had followed for many years, and he had been glad to find that on this subject Dr. Cockayne’s views were . similar to his own. New Zealand was a land of hills, and hills were the natural domain of trees.

“You will have to plant hard, now,” he said. “As I see it, pfter a study of world supplies and needs.' there will be an increasing demand for soft woods, and you are doing the right thing in speeding up your planting' programme.” Mr. Baker, who will be in New Zealand for about a month, completed his education at Caius College, Cambridge, where he took his diploma in forestry. He also took a post-graduate course in forestry at Oxford, and further research work on the Continent. After distinguished war service he returned to Cambridge to complete his studies in forestry. In November, 1920, he proceeded to Kenya Colony as Assistant Conservator of Forests, and’ did., valuable work there in con-, nection with the substitution of Kenya pencil cedar to replace the almost exhausted American supplies. It was while in the highlands of Kenya, in 1922, that he started his forest scout movement, which is now known throughout the world as “The Men of the Trees.” “Men of the Trees.” This last society, founded by Mr. Baker, has for its president Sir Francis Youngbusband, K.C.5.1., K.C.1.E1, _ and the council contains many distinguished names, well-known in the Empire and outside. The aim of the society is “to develop a tree sense in every citizen and to encourage all to plant, protect and love trees everywhere.” Mr. Baker remarked that one of the members of the council, Sir John Stirling Maxwell, chairman of the Forestry Commission, maintained 17,000 acres of his 30,000-acre Scottish estate in plantations. Two other members of the council, the Right Hon. Lord Clinton and Professor R. S. Troup, F.R.S., who had visited New Zealand in connection with the Empire Forestry Congress, had brought back glowing accounts, and had said when entertained at lunch by The Men of the Trees that New Zealand seemed to-day to be leading the world in the planting of trees. It had been of special interest to the society. ‘ Mr. Baker leaves for the south this evening to follow an itinerary arranged, for him by,the State Forest Service to enable him to learn at firs,t hand about New Zealand trees and forests. It is likely that when he returns to. Wellington he will give a lecture here.