Page 5 Advertisements Column 4

Mataura Ensign, 20 March 1913, Page 5

At a farm at Culverden (Canterbury) recently 35 acres of spring wheat sown on September 10 and fed off until November 10, to prevent growth, returned 1594 bushels, averaging 45J bushels to the acre. Giving ovidence before tho Forestry Commission at Christchurch Edward Herring, a retired farmer, said that ho had been a resident of the province for 31 years. _ He had had considerable experience in planting trees, principally with pinus insignis. He went to the Alford Forest run '.'A) years ago as manager. there being 15,000 acres under his control. The forest was on the hills, all round the north-west of the plain:;, and at that time it had been cut out. Ho set to and planted on the plains several shelter belts, using 57,000 trees, which he obtained cheaply. He planted pinus insignis in tho majority, and also pinus ponderosa and Abies Douglassi. Deciduous trees were planted alternately except in the outer belt, which was all insignis. The pines flourished, more than the others. The yearly rainfall there was 79.(Sin on the average, while at the station, eight, miles below, it had been 35in. Ho had been assured that tho plantation had liad an extremely beneficial effect upon tho country. TTie cutting out of the forest had been a crime. The capital value of the land when he planted the trees had been about £2 an acre, and in 20 years the value had doubled, partly due to the presence of the forest. When he went to tho run (continued witness) it was a discredited run. The first thousand sheep had be-on sosd at 8s each, and the second thousand at 9s each. Subsequently lie obtained 16s Id for his two-tooths, which was supposed to be a record price. Frequently before the rise in price he obtained 24s for his wethers He attributed that in a great measure not. to the management, but to th( shelter available. Larch had been als< /von «.nil in ln/*cill^tr