Nelson Evening Mail THURSDAY, JULY 5, 1923 NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN TREES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 5 July 1923, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail THURSDAY, JULY 5, 1923 NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN TREES

j'* 4 ' SINCE liis return from a. world tour, Dr. 2f_ Wilson, ot the Arnold Arboictuin, U.S.A., has published some interesting impressions. In one of these, entitled ••Northern Trees in Southern Lands,” he deals with his observations in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Now that the world wide shortage and consequent high price of timber has called forestry and especially afforestation into active being, be says, the value of exotic dees for practical forestry purposes is being universally appraised. Each couu-

try is asking for quick-growing trees yielding useful timber. Haste is the order of the day, and it is remarkable that so few Southern countries where forestry has been inaugurated seem to find indigenous trees of sufficiently rapid growth. And so the exotic is in request. It looks to Dr. Wilson as if the Insignis or Monterey Pine, (Pinus radiata) will prove the North’s greatest gift to the new forests in these parts of the world. "It will surprise others no doubt as it greatly did me,” he ‘‘to find a species so rare as a wild tree and of so little value in its native land to ho of such immense importance in the Antipodes. The quality of all limber depends very greatly on soil and climate. In the Southern Hemisphere the wood of Insignis Pine is much superior to that of the same tree growing in California, its native State.” At Tokai, Cape Colony, he saw Insignis Pine Ireos thirly-throc years old that were, 138 ft. tall. He puls it on record that over great areas in Australia and over only slightly lesser ones in New /.calami and South Africa- Insignis Pine will yield three crops per century of merchantable timber of a class necessary for the development of the industries of these countries; and that where it is found to flourish no more useful softwood tree can be planted in these Southern lands. Experiment alone can prove the value of a tree for any district, and this shows how necessary it is to have arboreta or botanic gardens. Reference is also made to the usefulness of the I Arch and Pinus nigra var. Poiretiana, (Pinus iaricin) for forest planting in New Zealand under suitable conditions. Dr Wilson goes on to say that a group of Northern trees which does well in many parts of Australasia, and South Africa is Cupressus. Many species are grown in these lands but. unfortunately their identity is much confused. Most widely known is the Monterey Cypress (Cupressus fnacroearpa). The general application of the specific name, either rightiy or wrongly rendered, ns a vernacular name, is proof of the popularity of this tree. For forest planting the Cupressus as yet have scarcely been employed. but the fact that- their wood is very lasting in the ground and therefore most suitable for fencing makes them valuable. Dr. Wilson saw' one or two small experimental stands and considered that tiio rate of growth in them was quite satisfactory. Before the group can bo properly employed for forest planting however, their nomenclature must be straightened out, since all species do not thrive equally well. Tn South Africa and Australia south of the tropic the Eucalyptus is the hardwood tree par excellence. In fact it seems probable to Dr. Wilson the the genus is destined to supply the greater part of the world’s future needs of hardwood timber. A few kinds of wood used for special purposes will always have their own market, but for general construction purposes Eucalyptus timber will become more and more important. Of hardwood trees the species of Eucalyptus of Australia are, in Dr. Wilson’s opinion, the Southern Hemisphere's' great gift to forestry.