FINE KAURIS LOST

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 111, 10 April 1934, Page 4

FINE KAURIS LOST

BLOWN DOWN BY STORM

TREES IN TROUNSON PARK

AUCKLAND, April 9. A number of fine kauri trees in tbe Trounson Kauri Park, north of Dargaville, which were blown over by a fierce gale in July of last year, 'are being milled with the object of preventing the waste of a large quantity of excellent timber.

Tlie trees range from 3ft. to 6ft. in diameter, although one of them had a girth of 26ft. and was 42ft. long in tlie barrel. Altogether the 52 kauri trees which are being cut into logs for hauling to a mill are estimated to produce about 200,000 feet of .marketable timber.

The trees being dealt with stood on an exposed ridge along the northern boundary of tlie park and were found to have an extremely shallow root system, They were resting in soil varying in depth from 4ft. to 6ft., with hard-pan underlying, which rendered them very vulnerable to destruction. Growing as they were on the edge of tlie forest they lacked the protection afforded to trees growing further back.

Ever since the park was given to the Government as a public reserve some years ago tbe question of providing shelter belts for the outer fringe of trees has been under discussion, but so far nothing has been done.