FORESTRY WORK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17780, 13 May 1921, Page 6

FORESTRY WORK.

AIMS OF THE LEAGUE, A DOMINION" CAMPAIGN. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHKISTCHTJECH. Thursday. The newly-appointed organiser for the Forestry League of New Zealand, Mr. Will Lawson, briefly outlined the campaign which the league proposes to launch. Mr. Lawson emphasised the point that the campaign was a Dominion one, and not by any means a parochial one. The Canterbury Branch of the Forestry League was doing its utmost to forward the work, and it was hoped there would be considerable help from farmers and from various public bodies concerned. The idea was to conserve New Zealand timbers. If some care were not taken of them they would be extinct in about 20 years. It was proposed to clear up such points as too close planting, waste, too thin planting, etc It was a great mistake to plant trees too close, and it was equally a mistake to plant them too far apart, or to have them distributed too widely. In regard to milling timber, pinus insignis was an example of what could be done here.

As an example of the difference between real forestry, and ordinary tree-planting Mr. Lawson said that on one estate near Chri6tchurch 100 acres had been put down in trees, but only five acres had proved to be of any use, owing to faulty selection of the trees and the methods of planting. Mr. Lawson said he thought there was a great future for forestry in Canterbury. There were the necessary tracts of land and the climate and al' that was needed was careful supervision of the planting, and'a judicious selection of what to plant. In Motueka he had been told that those who were growing trees for the making of boxes were doing better than those who were actually cultivating fruit trees.

There were really three phases in forestry—fl) the main issue, the business point of view; (2) the ornamental attributes of the trees; and (3) the sentimental aspect, that of the education of the people nd to a sentimental regard for trees. The programme of the Forestry League will include the education of the public in forestry matters.