STATE TREES

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 1, 1 July 1922, Page 11

STATE TREES

| PLANTING ACTIVITIES AT ■■ROTOR.UA''I .VALUE OF PUMICE LANDS. ■ -— -•, ' -.- . .' , "■ An informative lecture on "Tree Planting by the State. iv the Rotoriia district was delivered at Auckland by Mr. H/ A. Goudie, Conservator of forests. . ' :' ■ Mr. Goudie (according to the .Herald) said the afforestation work in the Rotorjia region was started in 1898, when about 800 acres were set apart for the establishment of a tree nursery and for planation purposes.'-, Further areas had since been acquired' until the land now reserved amounted to 80,000 acres. Of this area, 27,568 acres had been planted with timber-producing species, and with the completion of the working plans, which had been adopted for the five-year (period ending 31st March, 1926, it was I expected the planted area -would have reached 35,000 acres.

The number of trees propagated in the nursery to date was 76,500,000. Of this number 65,500,000 had been used in the local plantation; 3,000,000 had been disposed of to private planters and other Government institutions; and the balance of 8,000,000 represented. the number in stock at 31st March last.

The plantations were composed of the following species : —Pinus Laricio (Corsican pine), 7636 acres; Pinug Pondersa (yellow pine), 2309 acres; Pinus Ponderosa Scopuloruni (American pine), 1604 acres; Pinus Radiata, 4300 acres; Pinus Austriaca (Austrian pine), 972 acrei; Pinus Strobus (American white pine), 268 acres; Larix Europea (larch), 5758 acres; Pseudotsuga Douglasii (Douglas fir or Oregon pine), 2640 acres; Eucalypti apecieß, 1649 acres; miscellaneous, 532 acres; total, 27,568 acres.

When the tree-planting operations were commenced, contiuned Mr. Goudie, there were very few exotic trees in the district from; which a ]ea<T could be taken, consequently the work had to be, first of all, mainly experimental -in character. Very few persons jriewed the efforts then being made as money being thrown away. In those days the pumice lands were generally looked upon as bei.ng incapable of growing anything but bracken. They now knew that pumice lands, besides being capable of being brought, by proper farming, to a state of productivity,/ were unequalled in any part of the Dominion for growing crops of timber trees. , Mr. Goudie then dealt in detail with the various species of trees under his department, indicating which types had done well under cultivation, and stating the needs and requirements of the various trees, if successful timber-growing were to be obtained.