AFFORESTATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 14 October 1926, Page 3

AFFORESTATION

THE QUESTION OF LOCATION

WHERE NEW ZEALAND SUFFERS LESSONS FROM EUROPE (By E. Maxwell, Opunake.) Tiie fetish of low first costs —of eonfining afforestation to poor or low priced land, no matter where situated, and making low first costs, both of land and planting, the first and all important consideration—has doubtless a strong hold upon ihe minds of many politicians and of the public, and, extraordinary as it may seem, the Forest Service apparently blindly worships the same fetish. This being the case, it is well tu elucidate the position, and towards that end the first thing is to set out a reasonable definition of forestry and its objects, viz. : The art. and practice, of growing at the lowest cost, as near as possible to the place, where the products are required, the largest quantity of wood or timber of a quality anil class that will reasonably serve the special requirements upon a given area in the shortest period of time. For our present purpose it is well to link to the above definition a re state merit that the. general welfare should be the chief object of all, especially so of the State, and that the general welfare may be considered as meaning the maximum number of benefits that can be assured to the greatest number at the lowest possible cost. Now from the point of view of the production of timber it. is tbe duty ,of the .State, if it undertakes afforestation, to produce the best quality of timber for the purposes for which it is required that it can at the lowest possible cost to the consumer. It is desirable now to ascertain how far the State is performing, or is likely to perform, this duty. In England and on the Continent tree, growth is very slow 7 , most, exceedingly slow compared with the rate of growth in New Zealand; consequently the. period of rotation is from double to treble, the length, judged on a bulk basis, that would be required in New Zealand for similar trees, and much more, favourable than that lor New Zealand on a basis ot bulk and maturity combined because of the earlier maturing class of trees that can be grown here. Consequently it is obvious that il I lie, main crop only is taken into consideration the long rotation period would impose upon forests in Europe a very much greater need for low land value and low first costs than in New Zealand. The following figures will make quite clear why that would be so. Taking 80 years as a fairly low average rotation period in Europe: £lO per acre first costs compounded at 5 per cent, itL 80 years, £495: 10s per acre per annum maintenance, and overhead compounded at 5 per cent., £485; total, £9BO. Taking 40 years as an average rotation for such trees as it is desirable to plant in New Zealand—£lo per acre first costs compounded at 5 per cent, lor 40 years, £YO; 10s per acre per annum maintenance and overhead compounded at 5 per cent, lor 40 years, £6O; plus the cost of at least two thinnings to waste in the case of plantations remote from centres of population, say, £2O; total, £l5O.

A JUST GOME ARISON

Now these figures show what would seem an impossible position, but they are as a comparison absolutely just when applied to plantations located as the Eotorua-Kaingaroa ones, where, as has been proved, small wood cannot be disposed of, (and the final crop has to bear the accumulated charges. But the position does not so apply in Europe. And why? Because tiie forests there are funned on sound economic principles. They ar© so located as to confer all the benefits of afforestation on the greatest number at the lowest cost. Go to France, to Belgium, and elsewhere, and you will time—at least vou would have found before the war that- whilst the forests were widespread throughout, the country they were largely suburban to the centres of population, and in many cases within or almost within the coniines of the cities, for instance, taking Baris, before the war, with some ten forests within or partly within a ten mile radius of the centre ol the city, and in all about 28 within or partly within 20 miles ratlins. The same conditions obtained in Belgium, where city streets lead direct into communal forests, and similar, or nearly similar, conditions obtain in Germany and elsewhere.

Under such economic conditions land of high valmi can be more profitably occupied by forest than in other ways. Tile country is beautified, climatic severities ameliorated, health giving and recreation areas brought within reach of all, and Forest products made available at the lowest cost, the lattei especially, as well as till the others, because of the location. There is no waste; every stick and chip is made of value, because near to the band that wants it. There is an ever ready market for all thinnings and small wood, through the sale of which all first costs, maintenance and overhead charges are more than met, and therefore there are no accumulating charges against the main produce, and because of nearness to market that produce is subject to a minimum haulage charge.

PROPER LOCATION

Now just as tiie nearness to market of these forests prevents there being any accumulation of charges of, say, LTbO per acre, or any other sum against the main crop, so would proper location of our forests in New Zealand prevent an accumulated charge of £l5O, or any other sum per acre, and the heavy cost of haulage, amounting to another £26o—situated as RotoruaKaiiigaroa—would be saved, making a total of £4lO saved by proper location. A debit of £4lO per acre against the main crop of plantations situated as the Hotorua-Kaingaroa, would probably he near the full value, and would exceed that of low-grade timber resultant. Iron 1 open planting. Judging by the present comparative values of high grade and low grade, there would he at. the very least 10s per l OOl't between the close-grained, knotty limber from over open planting, such as now being practised liv the Forest .Service. Further, whilst open planting—say 0 x B—gives B—gives a higher theoretical yield, the actual practical yield in board feet, owing to taper, limb and other waste, is rather more than one-third less than that of closeplanted, properly-thinned stand. Therefore, if 100.000 superficial feet is taken in the last ease, only about 66,000 can he taken in the first, which would mean a loss of ,34.000 feet, and 10s per 100 superficial feet on 66,000—£330 on account of grade.

TIIO distinction, then, taking into account. only tile production of timber, of plantations so situated as the llntoruaKaingaroci 55,053 acres are, as against

plantations situated near centres of population, would be as follows: — Uotorua-Kaiugaroa—(l) Close planting accumulated charge, £150; extra haulage on 100,000 feet, £250; total, £4lO. /5) Open planting accumulated charge, £150; extra haulage on 66,000, £176; loss clue to grade, £330; loss of '■yield 341000. suy" at 20s, £34o'; total. £966.

Ti pianUtions closa to centres of -population oust in the first instance eVeh £SO per acre, instead of £lo—-tliat is, if the laud oust £4O per acre instead of nothing—the whole amount, with compounded interest at 5 per cent for the short period necessary, would be more than liquidated by sale of thinnings and small wood within fifteen years. Very true, indeed, is the statement made by a forester that the suburban forests carry: the remote forests on their backs. Is it a faint realisation of this, and some other similar dombls, that provide the motive underlying the remarkable proposals as to Stale Forest Service control and direct inn of ail public and private fovesl companies, and for the establishment of communal forests financed by the public but eontrolled' and directed by the State from seed to sawmill? ,