CONSERVATION OF OUR FORESTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6825, 2 October 1883, Page 3

CONSERVATION OF OUR FORESTS.

TO THE EBITOB. Sir, —Your remarks about the conservation of the New Zealand forests is a subject of peculiar value, and should awaken action on the part of the Government. You speak of the necessity of planting trees on open spaces, and complain that so little is being done in thia direction. Some years ago the Cape Colony suffered from a protracted drought, and it was then stated, authorita. tively, that the prolonged absence of rain was partly the result of the cleari.-ig away of foiests which formerly extended over vast tracts of land. The timber, of course, was wanted for commercial purposes, and ic had been cut down in a very wholesale fashion. To remedy this evil the enterprise of a few public-spirited men is worth recording, and notably that of Mr. Van Breda, who owned considerable landed property that was almost treeless. This gentleman was in the habit of filling his pockets with seed (fir, larch, and - oak), and in his walks he would prick a hole with his stick, into which he would drop a seed, which in due time became a tree. Many thousands of trees, were thus planted by this gentleman years ago, which to-day form a magnificent patrimony for his children. Jn another instance the owner of some land that was apparently of little value, industriously planted the fclue-gnm, here, there, and everywhere, with the result that in the course of a few years there v.as a considerable forest. We must not dopendex-, clusii'ely upon Government action. sTife' owners of the large estates should themselves consider the probable future needs of the colony, and wherever practicable make plantations of such trees as art: of commercial value. At the same time i; will be the duty of the Government to adopt measures for preventing the too rapid denudation of the magnificent forests of native timber yet growing in the colony. It is not enough that certain forests are " reserved;" they must be carefully preserved by official oversight and control. Your policy of " protection " ought surely to be applied to the vital subject of ;'; the colonial timber supply.—l am, &c. J.B.