STATE TIMBER LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18325, 15 February 1923, Page 10

STATE TIMBER LAND.

THE ROTORUA' PLANTATIONS. V GREAT NATIONAL ASSET. / v The prosperity of Rotorua is not bound up in her healing waters and agricultural development alone, for she is assured of a sound commercial future by the great potential forest which iB being raised on the hille which fringe the thermal basin. The State Forestry Plantations extend for 43 Suare miles southwards from, the town Rotorua and already embrace 27,600 acres of fine timber. At present milling operations are being carried on in the native bush areas from which great quantities of magnificent rimu are being taken yearly to meet the insistent demand which the steady growth and development of the city of Auckland is making on our natural forests. This industry has been carried on and developed in the area surrounding Rotorua for 'the past thirty years and to-day the output reaches something like one million feet per month. One bush of 10,000 acres supplies the mill at Ngongataha with over half a million feet of marketable timber, mostly rimu, per month, and is calculated to satisfy this demand for almost another twenty years, after which areas : farther afield will take it« place. Rimu of the very finest quality predominates in another extensive bush extending to the shores of Lake, Rotorua and adjacent lakes. Here the trees are not only straight and tall to a remarkable degree, but they show a high percentage of heart, and being close to deep water, lend themselves to economical milling and transport. Stately forests of this favourite building timber or? growing in the ranges which surround Rotqruta,, some of them Government reserves, ana many owned by enterprising companies which are working them under the moat

modern conditions*, so that for the next quarter of a century at least, Rotorua will be the centre of a thriving industry depending on the native forests. It is with the cutting of this bush that the Siate plantations will prove themselves a source of industry and revenue, and it is 'this fact that Rotorua has at her back door this potential forest which will be cut as the indigenous forests are worked out and will yield a perpetual supply of valuable timber that ensures her a great commercial future. For over two decades the planting of exotic conifers and eucalypti has been carried on in the areas known as Whakarewarewa. Waiotapu and Kaingaroa East and West and it is calculated that when fully matured these forests will yield approximately 100,000 feet of timber per acre. ' The trees have all been grown from plants cultivated at the nursery at Whakarewarewa ' where the » annual , capacity of the output is approximately five million plants. Here in addition to the propagation of young plants experiments are carried on with many varieties of shrubs and trees which are grown under varying test conditions. The advanced plantations now present a wonderful sight and in taking the place of the fern and tussock which formerly clothed the hills have added greatly to the beauty of the district. The varieties which have habituated themselves to New Zealand conditions are the Coroican and Bull pines, the Austrian, American white and Oregon pines, the valuable Californian redwood, pinus insignus and several of the more useful Australian gums. The European larch alone has failed to give the very best results. When the State forest is opened up the annual cut will be about 12 million superficial feet of timber, which will eventually increase to the maximum of 30 million feet a year. By that time the scarcity of indigenous timber will have N increased the value considerably and it is estimated that the annual revenue in royalties at the commencement of the cutting- of the State forests will bo £12.000, gradually increasing to £30,000 when the forest is in full bearing. The areas' will be regenerated directly they are cut and so this revenue and industry will be carried on in perpetuity. ,-.