RE-AFFORESTATION WORK.

Northland Age, Volume 2, Issue 4, 28 January 1930, Page 2

RE-AFFORESTATION WORK.

UTILISING NORTH’S POOR LAND DEPUTATION TO MINISTER OF FORESTS. “You will find that in this vicinity we still have some original forest. But in regard to establishing new areas, we have several localities which we would like to see experimented on.” In these words Mr. L. J. Matthews last Tuesday night brought before the Commissioner of State Forests, the Hon. W. B. Taverner, a plea for reafforestation work on areas of land in this county which are unsuited for agriculture.

The high land north-east of the township, Puheke block and others were mentioned by Mr. Matthews as being suitable for afforestation, while he expressed the opinion that the best locality was the northern peninsula. Stating there was a large area of Crown land lying unused, he suggested the carrying out of a re-afforestation scheme would assist in reducing unemployment and would help to break the sanddrift. One or two local plantations which had been started would give the Minister and his experts an idea of how trees were able to stand local conditions.

Supporting Mr. Matthews’ remarks, Mr. J. C. Marsh stated the North seemed to offer a field for afforestation work. The land was ot very little value, there were few settlers and the settlements were wide apart. He understood there were some of the requirements in regard to land for re-afforestation, and he thought the Minister would find

such land on his trip north. The peculiarity that many

sandhills were topped by an iron crust on which tea-:ree grew was mentioned by Major Mackesy. Deep-rooted trees, however, went right through the crust until they met the sand. Macrocarpa seemed to do fairly well, but he did not know of any deep-footed tree that did any good. In reply to Mr. Turner, Director ot State Forests, Mr. Matthews said the area available for afforestation might be several hundred acres.

“I am afraid that is too small,” stated Mr. Turner. “The iron pan is also very bad news.” There might be a considerable area free of the iron p3n, but starting afforestation in the area was a matter of £. s. d. If the department could not find the money for the work on Crown land it might be possible to do something on native land.

‘You can take it, however,” stated Mr. Turner, “that the Minister is very sympathetic to the scheme, and whatever can be done will be done.”

While stating that if the land mentioned were suitable for treeplanting and unsuitable for agriculture there was no reason why some scheme should not be formulated, the Hon. Mr. Taverner pointed out the department had land down that the minimum area which could be planted economically was 10,000 acres but if there was a large piece of suitable land available and physical conditions permitted, the matter would certainly be very seriously considered.