STATE AFFORESTATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20491, 17 February 1930, Page 12

STATE AFFORESTATION.

PROBLEM OF THINNING.

OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND AREAS

EXTENSIVE OPERATIONS

[BY TELEGRAPH,—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] DUNEDIN, Sunday.

The commissioner of State forests, Hon. W. B. Taverner, yesterday outlined the measures ho had taken in the Otago and Southland regions of the State Forost Service in connection with tho Government's schemes for providing employment. The Minister said one of the major. problems facing the State Forest Service at the time he assumed control was the thinning of plantations, established years ago, before the advent of tho forost service.

Most oL the trees in these earlier plantations were planted 4ft. apart, which gave 2722 trees to. an acre, whertas modern practice showed that the best results wore obtained with Bft. between treos, which gave 680 treos to an acre, There were about 20,000 acres of these closoly-planted areas throughout the Dominion, which had reached an age where thinning had become imperative. Included in the areas requiring treatment were the Conical Hills and the Dusky Greenvale plantations in the Otngo district.. "When proposals wero being cast by the Government for providing work," said Mr. Taverner, "it seemed to me an excellent opportunity to put this necessary work in hand, and at the same time'provide employment when so many men were urgently in need of it. Accordingly, in conjunction with a comprehensive scheme. 50 men were engaged at Conical Hills and a similar number at the Dusky Groenvalo plantations last October. The men have been continuously employed at those places since then. "The majority of these 100 men wore engaged through the Labour Department at Dunedin. Good , progress has been made, and to date areas of approximately 300 acres at Dusky Greenvale and 300 acres at Conical Hills have been dealt with. The camp at Dusky Greenvale plantation has been lately transferred to Conical Hills. This brings the complement at Conical Hills station up to 100 men, who will bo continuously engaged there on thinning and forestry improvement wcrk until tho end of the financial year."