AFFORESTATION

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 25 March 1922, Page 3

AFFORESTATION

The State Forest Service at Kdtorua has sent out a very interesting circular to local bodies, in the course of which they say: "You most likely have in your district many small corners, reserves, steep road faces, and other places where small plantations of valuable timber-producing trees could, be . grown, and which would not require i much fencing to keep out wandering i j stock for a few years until trees plantled thereon got up out of reach. Occa- * sional attention by your employees i would suffice to keep these in good : order as long as was necessary, and \ this could be done in the course of ! their ordinary employment when worki ing in the vicinity. Such areas stocked i with well-selected species might possibly ; assure your ordinary needs in perpetuity in the way of timber suitable for bridges, culverts, fencing, power transmission poles, etc. The scarcity of the class of timber required for many of the above-mentioned purposes is fte-

coming more and more acute, and much of that purchased is not only costly and difficult to get, but is of unsatisfactory quality. Many of the introduced trees grow rapidly to a merchantable size, and produce a quantity of material to the acre which is probably unequalled in few parts of the world. An acre of Pinus insignis from 35 to 40 years old is worth from £250 to £500; an acre of eucalyptus of the same age from £750 to £1500, according to species and accessibility. By cooperating with the State Forest Service in the important work of providing for the timber requirements of their constituencies in the comparatively near future local bodies, would be assisting in ameliorating the conditions of a world-wide shortage of timber that seems probable within the next 20 or 25 years." : Local bodies would do well to carefully consider the suggestions made by the State Forest Service. If this advice were conscientiously followed it would mean many thousands of pounds to the country in the not far distant future, but the greatest hindrance to the scheme being adopted as thoroughly as it should will probably be the limited view that many county councillors will take. Because no direct gain can be looked for earlier than 20 or 30 years it will not appeal to many, who will argue: "Why should we bother about those who come after us. We ' have troubles enough of our own." That, of course, is a poor and dwarfed view. All of us to-day are enjoying privileges because of the forethought of our predecessors, and we owe it to ourselves and our country to do what we reasonably can for those who will fol-,1 low us. If the advice given by the fj State Forestry Service is reasonably ' followed, reasonable provision will be ! made for timber supplies in the future, j and we will, incidentally, be doing a little to restore our climate to what it ' was before we denuded our countryside | of practically . all its forests. Every ' settler in Taranaki particularly could, I with great advantage to his own farm and the province generally, plant considerable areas of poor "land, creek i sides, etc. He could advantageously I plant for shelter, for fencing materials, j I and for more durable timber, such as ■ the eucalyptus will produce. On this ' coast, where it is subject to salt-laden winds, Pinus Muricata is very suitable v for shelter purposes. Its average height would not be much above 50 feet. Inside this Pinus insignis co-T^ be planted, then black wa*+^ ; A 'yUia «nd rai^ &* of producing eucalyptus. Black wattle grows very rapidly; it makes good posts and splendid firewood, and does not sucker. Some such system of planting, particularly along the banks of creeks and swamps, would soon be a greater asset than most farmers realise. ' Dairy cattle would produce more by , reason of the shelter and warmth they , would get, and there would be an endI less supply of fencing material and , firewood after a very few years. The price charged by the State Forest Seri vice is extremely low, averaging from . • 10s to 12s 6d per 100 trees in trays at ; Whakarewa. A price list and full . particulars as to varieties and methods lof planting, etc., may be obtained r from them on application.