METHODS OF AFFORESTATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19417, 27 August 1926, Page 8

METHODS OF AFFORESTATION.

Sir,—Allow me to draw attention to what I call a reckless method of carrying out a necessary forestry programme. The arable land in this country is all too small to be wasted by covering it with forest. Any land which is ploughable, no matter how reputedly poor, should be well considered for its other uses before it is converted into perpetual forest. There is scarcely any such land which will not improve by judicious farm practice. If such country is exposed tho forestry department should co-operate with the agricultural and land settlement departments for the purpose of improving it for farm purposes, by planting patches of forest, and belts of forest. This alone would improve tho land for close farm settlement. There are hundreds of thousands of acres which thus could bo improved. Where is the block, of say, 50,000 acres of arable land which has no considerable part of it suited for close settlement ? When we look around the country, however, we see thousands of acres which are suitable for nothing but afrwrestation. We will take as an example the steep sandy terraces along tho banks of tho Waikato River basin. Those could profitably bo afforested as also could some of tho lower flats of tho river basin. Wide belts of forest across the Taupo and Kaingaroa Plains could be established, also the ridges and sidings on tho gum lands could be utilised, and last but not least, the whole belt of drifting sand dunes along tho West Coast, in many places five or seven miles in width. These places call for the immediate attention of the Forestry Department. Not so the large blocks of arable land such as are in the interior. Nor should private companies be given option thereon to create forests wholesale on land which could be put to other - use. Bo the shortago of timber what it may it is not fixed, it is not insurmountable. The area of arable land, however, is too severely fixed by nature to permit man to squander it thus. AGATircs.