STATE AFFORESTATION

Hawera Star, Volume L, 5 March 1931, Page 7

STATE AFFORESTATION

PROSPECTS INi DOMINION WIDE USE OF SOFTWOODS A bright future for the lumber industry in the Dominion is painted by the Director of Forestry, Mr E. Phillips Turner, iu u ibeokiot* lie lias writ-ten giving general information about State afforestation in Now Zealand. The hook was written under the direction of the Commissioner for State Forests, Hon. E. A. Ransom. In the State plantations New Zealand has an asset of extremely high value, and tho writer says they null supply her future main timber requirements. They will supply; her wood-pulp needs, and they will supply softwoods for the Australian markets. They will! briic into profitable use laud that cannot '"be profitably used for farming. They now employ about 1500 men in the planting season, thus lessening unotiuploymeiit to an important extent. In the future, when the forests, reach the felling stage, they should—basing calculations on the employment given m European forests' afford permanent employment for between 4000 and 5000 uersons. ~ " “With respect to our most valuable timber tree, the kauri,” states Mr Turner, “it may be said that a, forest station lias been established at the Waiinoua kauri State forest. The officer in charge there will carry out experiments to test the practicability of working* & kauri forest on a sustained yield’ plan, and also the practicability of re-establishing kauri on tea-tree sicrulb (lands, which formerly carried kauri forests. Experiments will also he made to ascertain that the kauri can he safely subjected to tapping or bieedino- for kauri resin. Several other mvestigations and experiments mil be undertaken at the station.” For many years no hardwoods have been planted, for several reasons % Of. the world’s timber requirements about 80 per cent, are softwoods. With the exception of cucalypts, most- of the valuable hardwoods require a longer rotation and also better soil than the conifers now being planted. There are already in the Dominion large areas of forest which contain hardwoods suitable for many purposes for which the latter timber is superior to softwoods. In New Zealand most- of the valuable eUealypts are- subject to serious insect attacks, and. in any case, eucalyptus timbers are easily procurable fiom the Australian States. A! further point Mr Turner makes is that fabricated hoards and other combinations •will in the future be largely used in substitution for sawn timber, and softwoods are more suitable than hardwoods for making the cellulose from which the fabricated board types are made. A list of the trees now* being grown, with information regarding their uses, habits, and requirements, is given ini the booklet. Tn this list are at least 20 varieties, the majority of which belong Lo tire* pinus family. The latter tree is particularly suited to New Zealand conditions, and. being quick-growing, produces a larger proportionate yield of timber.