TREE PLANTATIONS

Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 166, 10 June 1919, Page 3

TREE PLANTATIONS

THE CONDITIONS IN THE MARLBOROUGH DISTRICT.

OBSERVATIONS OF REV. J. H 61MM0NJJS.

an" interim report

The following interim report made by the Rev. J. 11. Simmonds, of Auckland, who recently 'toured theMarlborough district, has been received by the local branch of the Farmers' Union: — Existing, plantations of timber trees in Marlborough have done so well, and are now of such great1 beauty and value, that they stand as object lessons to the whole province. They include many conifers, a few species of. eucalyptus, and a fair representation of . the poplars, \viHow3, oaks, nut-bearers, and other deciduous exotics. In this brief in-, terim report, it will be sufficient to mention and commend a few of the trees thmti have been proved to grow vary rapidly to a largo size, and are -therefore certainly fitted for planting where there is urgent fceed of shelter, fuel, foucing material, aud sawn timber. Other valuable trees m these plantations and species believed to be suitable for introduction into the province will bo 'reserved for mention in the longer report to be published, with illustrations, at an early, date in the Journal of Agriculture. . CONIFERS. Tlie conifer that has been most generally planted' -in Marlborough, as in many other parts of the Dominion, is piims insignis (syn. pinus radiatah This very wide appreciation is not accidental, but is founded upon the 1 unique merits of the tree. P. nisignis is easily propagated; it grows- rapidly ito a very large size; it is hardy and I wind-resistant in almost any situation ; it is a. good fuel tree; and its bole, when well grovvn^ and mature, is of high value .for sawing into I boards and scantlings. The. milling of the tiinlwr has been in, progress for some years in. Canterbury and I-Auckland, and has now been begun lin the Wai ran Valley. The conifer next,- in general favor to pinus insignis is Cupi'essiis macro1. carpa; and here also appreciation is founded on merit. Many years ago people planted tiiis cypress because Jit was easily propagated, bcauso it grew rapidly, and because it served as an effe-Itvo wind-break. They still plant it for all these reasons, but they have discovered thai it has a further merit in the lasting quality of its timber. '.It has been proved by numerous experiments that posts find stakes taken from mature O. macrocarpa trees may bo expected to la^fc fifteen to< twenty years. If any tree is especially the farmer's friend, sua-ely it is this.cypress. But. best friends need good treatment. Our C. macroearpa tire<w should be planted Closely h\ blocks or wide belts,: so that they may be forced iipward and r.ot allowed to spend their strength in side brandling and early cone; bearing. The percentage of loss on the whole from dying back is small under the present irregular methods. It would be less if the trees were, -planted in the manner suggested. 0. macrocarpa and P. insignis are the best pioneers for starting shelter to, protect less hardy- and slowergrowing trees. I - ';. . EUCALYPTUS. . [ The .' eucarypt most commonlycultivated . in, Marlboi'ougb is the familiar bluegum, E. globulus. Some ■'of\ ■the veiry *■: old1 -trees*', arc too j largo and too heavily branched for j eitheir splitting .or sawing; but there are in the province many thousands of specimens with, straight, clean boW just at tihe right age and size for conversion into isawn lumber. What is needed is a powerful portable' sawmill with a crew skilled in timber work to go round from plantation to' plantation and1 cut up I the?-,© mature trees as may from time to time be required. Widely v- distributed in Marlbprrfiigh- is a tree that sheds its dead bark and presents a white clean surface on both .^branches, and stem. Its branclilets have a graceful drooping habit. Its buds and eeod-cases are small and produced in threes. It is easily propagated and grows: rapidly, to a very large size. The logs, eveif when large, can usually be split quite easily with maul and -vedgos. They may' also be sawn into good boards and scantling. In contact with the ground the timber when mature and well seasoned may be expected to last fifteen years. The botanical name of the treel is Eucalyptus viminalis. .It is more adapted,..for the purposes of the farmer than Fj. globulus, and should be given preference to that tree in futureplantings. Abundance of seed may be collected from splendid specimens in ?n.aaiy localities.

At '/Altimirloch" (A. C. ,3lcßae), at, "Blairich" (E. K. GJulter),. at "Brookby" (A. J. Dowiing), at "Erina" (John Hooper), and at "Hillei'sden" (J. Parfitt), may be scon large trees cairying dead fibrous bark all up their tall .stems and on their branches'. Their leaves are broad and unequal-sided; their buds pale and blunt, their seed-cases eggshaped. These trees belong to the species Eucalyptus obliqua. The timber will be found to split very freey". Under the saw it cuts into excellent beards. it is not considered a reliable timber in contict with the ground, but fair report:-; of its lasting qualities are sometimes received. Though sensitive to frost in. the seedling and sapling stages, the species lias proved hardy and vigorous over a wide range- in jNTcw Zealand and it certainly merits more appreciation than we have in the past best dwed upon it.

In the "Rillersdeii" plantations may be seen another euoalypt that carries a dead fibrous bark all up its stem and on its larger branches. The best specimens are tall and straight hut of only moderate diameter. The loaves aiv unequal-sided, but not very broad. The buds are slightly pointed and the seed-cases shaped .somewhat like a broad low cup. The timber is IVeely fissile. Reports on its durability in contact with the ground are usually very favorable. We thus have in this tree a valuable yielder of timber for poles ,r>nd posts. The species'is one of those that requires. great care in propagation. as the seedlings resent transplantation and are very sensitive to frost. The botanical .anie is Eucalyptus ru^eniokleK. .Seed should be obtained from local acclimatised trees

in tlie number of tj'oos planted the eucalypts have been given, a prominent place, in the Marlborou&h plantations; but the ran^e oi' species from v/hieh tlio treevS have been selected has been too narrow. There has not been any adequate and competent experiment to ascertain what species cfuVld be- profitably cultivated. E. rorynofslvx (syn. E. cladocalyx) ap-

pears m two localities, E. Macarthuri in two, .E. ovata (syn. E. acervula) in three, E. regnans in one, and E. Sieberiana in one. These are valuable species, but the specimens are all still in the early or later sapling stage. In the plantations there were noted twelve other species,1 one or two of which are of doubtful suitability and the others certainly unsuitable for general planting in the district.-; E.^ globulus, E. viminalis, JC. obliqua,' and E. eugeuioid.es are thus the only large-growing species of high merit that have reached a h-illable size. r This is not because these four a'ro'the only species that could be profitably grown, but beciiuse the range of experiment has so far not been wide enough to establish the suitability of others. The safe and prudent course to follow is to use for all main plantings the trees that have already been thoroughly tested, but at the same time to make smaller' plantings of species competently recommended for trial. This will be the way of progress that will ultimately resiilt in determining the best possible list of species for each locality. The writer has on hand parcels of seed of several valuable eucalypts that are almost certainly suitable for planting in the Wairau and Awateie and also in the Sounds. These he will be glad to present to the Agricultural and Pastoral Association and Farmers' Unio l for experiments to be carried out under their direction in the coming season. POPLARS, WILLOWS, ETO.

It must suffice hero, to mention just one treo in a very large group. .The tree selected is the common poplar with spreading branches. It is the Populus - nigra or black poplar of the Botanists. As a growing tree^ it is easily distinguished from the Lombardy type; not only by the wider spread of its branches, but by the freedom of its stem from xsmall, branches and buttresses. Planted where'its roots can easily find moisture it grows very rapidly to a large size. In Europe many uses have been found for the timber,'which may be readily sawn into thin boards. Experiments will ere long win for this tree a similar appreciation in pur own country. Any reader of this report who.wishes to see how Populus nigra can grow and what size it can reach ■ should visit the'grounds of Mr W. D. Pike, "The Laurels," Blenheim, or the plantations of Mr W. G. Rudd, i at "Benhopai." Mr Pike has used •poplar timber for fencing droppers, and fis satisfied with the result.

It will be seen that the especial purpose, of the : writer in this, short paper is to promote immediate planting of trees that with^ least cost will give shelter and yield heaviest crops of timber. v in shortest time. Slowergrowing trees must' have their place. They will give variety and beauty to our plantations and yield timbers for special purposes. | But the urgent and pressing "need just now is fpr trees that will grow rapidly to a large size, and'so keep our fires bxirning and pur Baddocks 4 fenced when outside' supplies fail us in the near future.

Wesley Training College, June 2, 1919. *