CONSERVATION OF OUR FORESTS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 265, 12 October 1883, Page 2

CONSERVATION OF OUR FORESTS.

(To theeditbrj^^, iCpraJd,) y , j Sir,—: Your i.remarkai About ...the-, con ', Servation of the New. Zfl& and forests; is ] a subject of peculiar .yalue.yand should awakf n action on thej pare of |he!Qp,yerninent. You speak-of-the necessity for planting trees m open Spaces, and ;comjjlain that so little is , being done m this jdirectibn.' ! Some" , jeijrs ago V the Oape Colon j '^splfor&cf X froni ; a, 'protracted 1 drought. Md it was'theii stated, autlibri. itetively, that the ' pro'Vbtfged absence ' of rain was Dlrdy'''&tf v r^W'6f''t^BJclearing away ol? forests which-^ori^-r^ 'extended, oyer vast 'tricts of I%nd7 : 'Titer jtimoeriof c6drse,'was%khtCd'for!cdt^ T jme-oial purposes, *nd it had *b ! |en ; cut^ ;down m, a "Ce-y wholesale ufa¥hibn' l .j oV j^o jretnedy tnif) evil ihek enterprise of a few public-spiritpi men is worthy ol roeord-

ingj and notably that of Mr Vari -Breda, whoWned considerable landed property that was almost treeless. This gentlemen was m the habit of filling his *P?* 0 I t ft with seed (fir, Jarcb, and oak », and inhis walks he would prick a hole stick, into which, he would W9F* scad, which m due time became a tree* M.ny thousands ot trees were thus planteJ by this gentleman years ago, which to- lay form a magnificent patrimony for his children. In another instance the owner of some land tbat .wa«,apparently - of-little-valu?i iudustriously planted f t.he bjue ? gam, here, there; and every whbre, L with the result thatin the- course -of*a.few~.ye«ra,there '^as/ai considerable \ fcresfc, rriWe must npt^epend f exclusiyely /upon 7Goverument action.; The. yowner./oftihe large estates should tliemselves considvr the probable iacure^eedrof the colony, and whereve* parti&ble'ma'ke 'plant tion'sM such trees as ire of commercial value. M&* 1^ cie i ...tiniCltwuT.be the doty of the Crorernment to adopt' meaearesfbV preventrngche too rapid denudation of r^E^^lfi^^eslsof native timber yet; growih^sn r :the cdlohyi It ia'ddt enough that ! 'certain "forestf are " re&eirved,,,'th'ey ;{ ma6t be carefully 5 ,^. served by oiheial oversight and control. Your policy of " protection" ought sorely to be; applied 43' the vital -soßj&t jf the cplpniar timbe'riupply.— I am/^y,, '■ , -" r - 1 ';-*; 777y.y / '■''?'" - ;^b,.