TIMBER GROWING ON WATER RESERCES AT BALLARAT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 160, 3 July 1918, Page 5

TIMBER GROWING ON WATER RESERCES AT BALLARAT.

"Considerable plantations of pine and native timber trees are growing on the Baliarat Water Reserves s_which 5 _which not only beautify the Reserves but are a source of revenue. The amunto of revenue received irom the sale of pine timber for the current year (1916) is £3OOO. Last year's r receipts were £2500. A few of the pines yield up to tons, and £1 per ton (50 feet to the ton) is being received for it. The price now is 25s per t ton. Private persons are getting 36s per ton. There is no doubt that the demand for all classes of timber will be great for a considerable time. The whole ' of the ground sloping towards the reservoirs is growing tirdber, which offers the advantages of conserving. the rainfall and- giving a profitable crop without injuriously affecting the water. Part of the.trees are gums, all self-sown, and all the rest, except the remnants of the old*, experimental planting, are pines. These are raised in the nursery on the reserves from seeds, and afterwards planted out at the rate of 30,000 a year, to "take the place of those removed. Only pines are planted now, and only three sorts of these—the Pinus Insignis (Remarkable Pine), Pinus Pinaster (French, or Red Deal), and- Pinus Laricio (Corsican, or White Deal). The first-named '.of these is by far the most profitable, although for a long time there was a strange prejudice against it. *lt does not produce the best (first class) timber, but it is excellent lor fruit cases, crates, waggon boards, and -such purposes, and has the desirable quality of not splitting, no matter how near the edge a nail is driven into it. Its special value lies in the rapidity of its growth, which at the reservoirs far outstrips that of the other ■ pines. It can be profitably cut at about 20 years of age, whereas the other two should be lett longer. In Soutn Australia, where the ■Government has made experiments with it-, it is estimated that in places an acre of 21-year-old trees gave ." a. net return of £IOO .per acre. There; are specimens at the reserves which are 100 feet in height, but these ■'are 40 or 50 years of' age, but it is considered more-economical as a general thing to cut them earlier. They are not subject to disease, unlike the bcotch hi, which falls a victim to pine blight, and also affects, though slightly, the The different kinds are all planted to eether, about seven feet apart, and alter a sufficient interval—about. *3 years in the case of the Insignis, are then fat for the saw-bench for some'; purposes--every''alternate tree is taken out. Ihej, . , are planted close together in the his., place to make them grow upwards and prevent the sending out or branches, which" cause knots in tne timber, and after the thinning out the . in girth. The branches are lopped off to a . certain height irdm the- gromid, to prevent damage from foe, and alter the ' nee dfes vhave fallen and killed the vege tatioif underneath there is little to be feared in" that respect The y o ™^ tation sometimes suffer, but no older ones. A commencement was mad during the planting season just > laving out a plantation on the W esteii Moorabool water-shed, near the site ol the new reservoir, and it is inte f bo^t continue this work annually. Ab 8000 trees were planted here last • (1S16). At present the locality is - of trees of any description. Elm, ; A>;Vi were reported to do well tner , to? teve not borne out the formed The" oaks are attacked h> tne wSite =nd the elms tool and that raids ' the Commission has a bloc - odically y of native and thgs {6r thinned out- The Winnings firewood, which pays -foi the.cost, o v ing W -