PLANT TREES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 19 March 1913, Page 8

PLANT TREES

NEW ZEALAND AND THE FUTURE CHRTSTCHURCH, March 18. The Forestry Commission's first sittings took place to-day, when evidence ■was taken. : Mr H. G. Ell, M.P., said there was a .great need for more tree . planting through the length and breadth of the country, and he thought that it should "iipfc.be- limited to any particular province. Within the province of Canterbury there was State forest, and this , was also the case in certain other .parts. . The people of Canterbury would, therefore, -have to pay the cost of the trans"pbrt of timber from other parts, unless State forests in their midst. 'At present the Wellington, Taranaki, . Hawke's Bay, and Canterbury people would have to draw their supplies from the plantation at Hanmer, and yet there ' was"'poor land in all these localities wfiich would be suitable for planting ' purposes. He was not in a position to , discuss the cost of planting these lands. The i sawmillers, however, had found it profitable to cut timber off precipitous country. The Taranaki farmers in a few, years would have to go far afield to ■ §ecure even posts .for fencing. He would advocate the encouragement of the planiing of ; shelter belts by settlers. There would need to be supervision in order that, the right trees should be planted; ' i . The chairman: Such shelter belts f might be exempted from taxation. '"■; Mr Ellr-Yes. '. In . answer to the chairman he said there should be restricted areas for deer. '.'■- They Bhonld not be allowed to ■ roam at large. Dr. Cockayne: Do you think that deer-should be allowed to roam over the Waimakariri National Park, which is one'vof■ the most important climate reserves in the Dominion? . ;>lr EU: No. Continuing, Mr Ell said that an experienced forester should be connected ■with every Land Board to superintend matters connected with forestry. •. Dr. Cockayne said- it would be difficult to secure such officials. Scientific forestry "was practically a new science in the British Empire. "Do you think that -we should get young men trained properly as scientific foresters?" r Mr Ell: I do. Forestry is one of the-most - neglected sciences in the Dominion. Mere planters of trees are noti.ehough;H"we want men that know the", different.kinds of soil, etc. The witness-'.proceeded to" quote from a Government report of 1907, which showed that.';<atJ- the : present time their oldest State-planted trees were- only thirteen years of age.' • The estimate of the Department's officers was that at the earliest. "It; would be fity years before these trees-■were" ready for commercial purposes, and that it might even be one hundred'years. As it would be so long before''these trees became ready for use, and" as ■■ .they were drawing so heavily uponv. theirs national forests, there was a great ( -necessity for more attention bejdfiyoted" to planting trees. .Eight .other: witnesses ,gaye evidence, all;agreeing as \to„ the importance of more ' pl^iitiiig,being-done.