ARBORICULTURE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 852, 8 January 1879, Page 2 (Supplement)

ARBORICULTURE.

FOREST TREE PLANTATIONS. [communicated.] The native forests of New Zealand aro reckoned at somewhere about 16,000,000 acres, but they are so unequally divided and so remote from the east coast —the farming land of the Middle Island that they become of no specific value for affording shelter or for practical returns in the way of timber, firewood, and fencing material, except when obtained by railway or sea transport. There are, how* ever, a few exceptions to the rule, as at Akaroa, Otepopo, Moeraki, Goodwood, Waikouaiti, Blueskin, Green Island, Taieri River, Akatore, Wangaloa, Inch-Clutha, Catlin's River, the Toi-Tois, arid Jacob's River ; but the places mentioned, be it remembered, are situated on the coast line, not in the interior. The bushes in the interior of Otago, or at a distance of 40 to 60 miles from the sea coast, are of very limited extent, and are boinjjfast used up. For instance, the Tapanui Bush has been worked for the last 13 yoars by saw-millers, while the fine manuka bush is now altogether gone, having been culled' out over and over again for fencing railsi This bush, for its size, was some 20 yean ago one of the finest in Otago, containing large quantities of black and wbito pinp, birch, totara, and manuka. The first savr mill was put up some 13 years ago by Pater. son and Ingles, who worked a circular bench* receiving from 12s. to 16b. per 100 feet fo» white pine boards and planting. This firm supplied the Clutha River diggings as far as Roxburgh, and in addition sent their stuff to Lawrence, while the stations for miles round got their wood supplies from them. Tapanui was also the great firewood dep6t for tho country side, and has proved an incalculable benefit to the deferred payment settlers in the Waikaka district by supplying them with the necessary material for building. The Maniapora Lake Bush must now have become of considerable service to the Hod. M. Holmes, who has a large amount of freehold land at the Maroro Downs, in its vicinity. The country in thiß direction going towards the head of Te Anau Lako aud the Wakatipu, and for a considerable distance down the Oreti River has a good deal of native bush scattered about in different directions. Reay's Bush on tho Aparima River was of great service to the early settlers, and subsequently to agriculturists who have settled on the river flat*, It is easy to see that the whole of country in this direction was at on.§ thnq covered with forests, as in 1859 chaired logs, were often found on the high lands. The. fine coal deposits of the Nightcaps occur .in this locality, evidencing the presence of large forests at a remote period. Two iso-. lated bushes occur on the Waiau Downs, and will prove very useful to future settlers, Wright's Bush is another isolated clump on the east side of the Castlerock Station occut pied by the Hon. M. Holmes. A few miles, farther down is the Dipton Bush, and belowthis comes the upper portion of tho Now River Bush and the Magarawayßush, while on the Oreti is the Hokinui Bush. Invercargill now occupies an area which 20 year* ago was covered by a dense bush, and it 18 still backed by a considerable area of forpst land, while to the westward on tho other side of the New River Estuary sawmills aro engaged in working up that portion of the forost. The Toi-toi Bush has been, and fa still being, worked for the timber it contains, and miles of tramways intersect it. for the conveyance of sawn stuff and logs to Invercargill. Tho Longwood Bush, on the west side of Jacob's River, is lined from the beginning of the Mud Flats up to the Narrows witli saw niftfe.. This bush is 300 miles in circumference, »#d| when it is opened up by tho Orcpuki yoityjay, some of its choicest timber will its, way into the market. The lower is wel\ supplied with native timber* which will by-. and-bye be of great servica to settlers along. the eastern banks of the Ma,taura River as; far as the bridge. From thence it can be conveyed to Gore, and thence to the Waimea Plains and Switzers, or, by crossing the river. at Gore, a market will be found amongst the. deferred payment farmers at "Waikaka. At Clinton there is an isolated bush, which supplied firewood to the farmers settled at the Waipahi, Wairuna, and other neighboring districts. Nearly parallel to Clinton there iij an island bush on the Clutha River, whioh. has yielded a large amount of fencing and building material to the neighboring stations. on both of its banks. The Inch Clutha bush has contained about the finoat timber in Otago. Tall, straight totaras and pines, cutting into clean boards right UP to the brandies, having logs 40 or 50 feot in length, have been taken out of Pillan's bush. The Maoris have a tradition that this .bush was their central ship yard, and that onca upon a time there was launched from here a totara canoe 100 feet long, and capable ot carrying 70 or 80 men. The forest at Catlin's River contains a vast amount of virgin bush, which will find its way in'the course of a few years by rail to Balclutha, and from thence North and South. The Mount Cargill- and Peninsula bushes have proved how great a benefit timber is to a rising oity like Dunedin in supplying firewood and general wood stuffs to its population, while Blueskin has yielded an immense amount of fencing material to farmers resident at Merton and in their own district. The same may be said of the coast bushes farther north in and their neighborhood. In tho interior there is at the !\faniototo a sheep run named One Tree Station. I think this is about tho. only bit of native timber to be found in an area of some hundreds of miles, tho nearest being at the head of the Waikaia, in tho Benger Ranges. At the head of Lakes Wakatipu and Wanaka birch bush abounds, but of a very imperfect character, and only about 20 per cent, of it can be calculated upon as sound. What the timber is to the westward of the Haast Gorge I have not the means to say, not having visited that portion of Otago. En passant I may remark that it would be a wise thing if the Government of New Zealand were to allot 100 acres in every avail* able county in the Middle Island for the purpose of creating Government forest reserves, and as a forestry model from whence settlers and capitalists seeking our shores ai intending agriculturists might take, lesson* in the art of cultivating forest plantations. Besides laying up for posterity, a handaon> e

-out! teteWto f«a? «• »•* <J »SSm variety of deciduous: ±en tS tnu* Aching J"* •"*><*'*£ 1 „f««th* ffafttoaet thiaexamp** ' °%«2*wS thousand* of pix?^ • £*«*&»»> *-a- »■ fey**"* i !f tree*; Mr- , J o»P h *? ©TSdI, of Wainemc-, ««• I *slLt Ml ?&*»*(«* Awamoa), V* ReiitV Wdudn). an* Mr- E.. £ introduce ancVcttftwate every ob- «* *** «* ornamental ,1b- '^■ v t \_£ P k P «» plantation* are r *"±£t. oftKtilV and profit to the* W?& ottr I will proceed to suggest the J living l,cted plains, such a* those of Canter Macrae* mar «««"fSTpCrttoar. nwcHMfttl issue• of their «tMfb«t P"<m<fing that the V»«t. o/halfa ma* «*•»* «X llto b« phatal, Kue gum* are the C this purpose, because they are the Stat* muat te raised from seed to ~,««.»« and may be mixed with the ZtSL. rtCgroma mnt be trenched ffirtpnlvwiw. Tiff ■•«* •*»«** *» ; n \ P ows about three feet apart, ami U,I if possible By low sod walla to 1 young tote*.fcjmtbl shelter untd have attained suftfcient root strength 88 L the strong wind* of the pfcun*. I Belts of trees, when four years old, may S£t out, «* *«M *** *ST T%l Sn, wiU be the result. When the nVtfantotionsare t*p ye»« . ottl *»" ™5 # except the rasigni* may be planted Xassfcow. A circular hole of four £%»£>»* three to four feet l. fitted up foe » foot and a hatf with oets. *c' for the purpose of retaining ■uch moisture a» possibfe, mn»t be made S toe. The American beocfe, white Thermit, hickory, elm, Mb, bass, ti mi oak may be interspersed throughWhen the protecge Ea at MUD* ftTO B« V 6 D S eat% ° W ? be JStmu* out for post* and L ll * *T«*t Of ten years they may ril ani the gronnd CSdwith native timber produced « M from seed j thiw manuka, K hrSal may readily beobaod, white natiw black and white £«£ ■nC «nd matepo. «a b« auceeasfu^y *«d by teanaptaating. By this mean* the ob ofthe Canterbury P% now ableak l almost inhospitable wilderness, might turned into one of the most favored dead 8 & in the colonies, gmmj that protection i farmer so much require* for his crops i live stock, besides securing local ram fraction and enriching the soil by decayed getaMe matter, and laying a foundation f almoss inexhaustible-wealth in timber. iosu farmers whose lands are raked by our rtherly and southerly winds will easily ulerstand the advantages to be derived im thci shelter afforded by growing timber, wall as the profit obtained from having bb plantation* oo their farms, representing tfiuy do firewood, fencing, and an lfosir amount of general convenience. uiy people fancy that the blue-gum II not make wood enough in three irs to produce * pole- This is a Btaka arising: from the fact that their oxfipnce ha* been confined to small plantau*, ,whera the gun* has been transplanted itsc* out. at distinct distance* from each hot? ',iH course when thi* is the case gums row off bisaubes from the ground ftp-wards. *danpt'«£wt up as they do. when sown iukly to'gaiser in drills. For an example thick sowing-, anyone in this district will member the plantation of gums at Waimra, the estate of Mr. A&x. 51' Master. _ It now thinned out, and the long straight inks of the tree* left show what can be proicud in ten or twelve year* from close ►nting. Having mentioned previously that Amenn trees can Be successfully produced >n \w Zealand,, it is only fair to- state how this owtedge i» arrived at, and why these trees mid do better on our high altitudes than m the sua coast. (Over three years on the Hon. M. Holmes' visited Europe il tho tfnitad States, and while travelling Pumisytvania,, he ordered a cotlection oC lius American auails, and had them sent Ottinaru. On their arrival the seed* were nteit in hi* nursury at Awamoa, where, ._• romaiaing two year* in the ground. , tifi Stio» took place, and he hat! thel inTiuitifin: o f seeing the greacar portion of 0 plmits I fee! eonftJ«« JU romavkabty well in i * J* 6 1 fout that their native *» irwitwr regularity of summer anu w ™' t ;- iy will undoubtedly come to greateir Portion in tho interior, which is also- posaesss** mom fuoular seasons. I should sa.y that > butternut wouM thrive well at Miwrsves. b Sorpontine,. on the Knobby Ranges, the nier kolynaiw. Quuenstownv the Maereiomin. the M'Kenae Country, and- the >pw Wtvitaki.. Whilo the hickory would mow suitable for the plains and valleys of o interior, the mulberry would do- well in u Wuiaroka and Waimato districts and at lodwooilv and the- ash and oak along the mks of rivers and streams.. In concluding is nrticlu I would point out that one of the liofnim* which the National Agricultural id Pastoral Society should have, and ha* >»i«w, is that of the promotion of forest n» ulimtinit in the unwoodad portion* of o StiiUllo lahuid.. They are prompted fry » knowluilgo they have of the present >luo to bo obtoinud therefrom, in the promowi of natural rainfalls, the preventioni of Soils, the prosorvation of crops, the enohmaut of thu soil, the shelter foe stock, igutlior with thu utility, convenience, and rotifc arising tliorafrom. To> these reason* nay bo added- the good general effect* aeruing to tho health of communitie* and the Kulitionat beauty which is giveii to the luulsoapo.