TREE-PLANTING RECORD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19417, 27 August 1926, Page 12

TREE-PLANTING RECORD

THE STATE FOREST SERVICE. EXTENSIVE OPERATIONS. REVIEW BY THE DIRECTOR. PROGRESS AT RIVERHEAD. The tree-planting operations' of the State Forest Service for • the yeaf just ending have constituted a record for the department and the total area planted in trees by public and private interests will probably constitute a record for the world. This information was given yesterday by Mr. Macintosh Ellis, Director of Forestry, who has just completed a tour of general afforestation operations throughout New Zealand. " This year, owing to the exoellent mild Winter season we have enjoyed," said Mr. Ellis, ' "tree-planting operations throughout New Zealand from Otago in the South to Riverhead in the North, are in a splendidly forward state. In a few weeks the record operations of the service will have been completed and the total ai'ea- planted in the 1925-26 season will have reached between 17,000 and 20,000 acres. " It is a matter for congratulation," added Mr. Ellis, "that New Zealand will have .established this year what is probably an absolute record throughout the world- for the-'total area of commercial timber trees planted by all interests, including local bodies, private companies, the State Forest Service and the proprietary trading companies. The total area planted will have reached from 60,000 to 70,000 acres. This is without doubt a unique achievement/' Mr. Ellis remarked that much remained to be done if New Zealand was to take the fullest advantage of the ve?y profitable business of growing trees, for there was still about 5,000,000 acres of forestable land in the Dominion. Referring briefly to the department's operations at Riverhead, Mr. Ellis said the scheme was progressing splendidly, and its many advantages wei'e bound to make it one of the best national timber farms in the Dominion.