STATE FORESTS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 27 April 1925, Page 3

STATE FORESTS.

YEAR’S WORK REVIEWED

FINE RECORD OF ATTAINMENT.

For the year 14)24-25 the work of the New Zealand State Forest Service was marked by “the attainment' oi high levels in accoriiplislriiierit, which in some respects are new levels ol achievement everi for the Empire.” This comment was made hv the Hon. Sir Hector Rhodes (Commissioner oi State Forests) in opening the fourth minimi conference of executive off icers of the sei-vice at \Vhakai'e ware wh, RotorUa, oil Monday last. Sir Hector gave a brief review of the results obtained during the year (1) the new acreage of State Forest (I) The new acreage of State Forest flantations created during the year — an Empire record —was 10,962 acres, as compared with 1,381 acres planted in the year 1921. The grand total area of State plantations is now 62,786 acres.

(2) In I'orest fire prevention :i new level' of efficiency has been recorded, which is due largely to loyal public co-operation and to the creation of fire districts. The losses over *1,235 acres of State Forest property dining the year was approximately only £lO. (3) Total income ailtl borenhe from all sources for the year is over £160,000, as against £8,500 in the year 1020. The total forest protection administration and management charges were approximately £40,000', while £77,000 was applied to the creation of new timber plantations and other forestry works of a permanent capital character, and a substantial silrp.us will be applied to the payment of allocations to local bodies for road imorovements in the forests districts and to the formation of additional 3'tnte forest nlantations. it will thus be seen that* forestry in this country Is ajthiii able to pay its way, and produce a handsome dividend. (4) The forest extension aiid educational efforts of the Service during the year have given most gratifying concrete results, for the qliantitv of young trees disposed of to farmer-set-tlers, local .bodies and proprietary •ompanies reached 2,930,584 for the vein-, as compart*') with 1,839,512 in !023-21, am] 277,000 in Ihe year 1020. The steadily expanding tales of high quality forest trees can be accounted ‘dr bv the consistent policy of the Service jn passing on all economies in production costs to the purchasers and to wider public appreciation of the definite profitable nature of the timber farming business. Forest culture and deeper love of trees was given a fillip during the year, by the launching of the Schools Forestry Movement bv the Education Department, in co-operation with the Service. Thousands of booklets have been distributed to the primary rural schools, and the practical encouragement of school plantations and nurseries is already showing splendid results. The large number of proprietary forest plantation companies which have been launched, and in some cases have begun planting operations, is an education of the wider piiblic response to the slogan : ‘'Platol trees and grow money.’’ (;•>) It is gratifying also to record that in some districts at least the deer problem is becoming solved by an open shooting seasoii and bounty payments, a total of 7,43 S doer being accounted for by these means, while during the year at least o,OiK> wild pig s * have been destroyed. A line sense, of public and individual responsibility is becoming more evident throughout the Dominion with regard to the conseiva. Mon of our wild bird and animal life, and in niahv districts our useful avifauna is again increasing, to the happiness and delight of all.

(6) The unique progress that has been made in improved nursery propagation practice in several "of the Service nurseries is to be specially commended, for. those improvements are directly resulting in cheaper and better trees, and the permanent installation of true mass production methods. The object of growing young trees of the piiius genera, as one grows a crop .of turnips or corn, by machinery, is nearing attainment, and a substantial reduction in the high labour costs (from 7-5 per cent, to 8(1 per cent) of the propagation w ill soon he realised, with consequent benefits to the community.

(7) Forest products investigations.— The outstanding feature of the forest products research work for the past year was the Dominion building conferehce, which directed the attention of the public as never before to the necessity of eliminating waste iii the utilisation cf the limber, and especially to the use of preservative treatment and of proper seasoning to secure this end. Considerable progress lias been achieved jit the testing of red, black hncl hard beech, and of kauri, kamahi aiid other timbers. Tests of shrinkages and of specific gratifies, and of poles and cross arms have been completed. A modern box testing machine and a destructive distillation plant have been purchased for immediate use. (8) Forest investigations and research. -—The results obtained from the investigations and research during the past year, are more definite than ever before in the history of the Service. The available and tangible results of the investigations comprise such data as: volume tables for all parts of New Zealand; yield tables for redwood in the Waikato., for pious radiata in the Waikato and Canterbury, for pinus laricio at .Rotorua, together with growth data on the New Zealand taxacls both in the North and South Islands. iMill conversion studies were completed and the resulting tables Have given the Service an excellent control over its timber estimates. The experimental bleeding of kauri for gum was commenced early in the year, and experiments on the destructive distillation of kauri waste were completed. Weed eradication experiments in nurseries were carried out both in the North and South Islands.