THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, JULY 25, 1913. UNPROFITABLE AFFORESTATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15826, 26 July 1913, Page 8

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, JULY 25, 1913. UNPROFITABLE AFFORESTATION.

Thr order of reference having been comprehensive in its scope, it is not surprising to find that the report of the Forestry Commission is conspicuous for the variety of the information it supplies. The subject of forestry has a number of interesting aspects which, as instructively considered by the Commissioners, will well repay examination. Far from the least important duty allotted the Commission was to inquire whether the present operations of the State hate been conducted on satisfactory and progressive lines, and, if not, to what exter.t and in what manner the present management and control should be altered. The result of the investigation is not entirely j' complimentary to those who have conducted the forestry operations under

State. direction (luring the past sixteen years, but the verdict is probably the more valuable as an instrument {or future departmental guidance because it is outspoken and frankly critical. The Commissioners acknowledge that in the beginning those entrusted with the control of State forestry in the dominion had a difficult problem to face, and one that could not be solved without a good deal of experimental work. Much of the earlier planting was necessarily experimental, only subject, it now seems, to the drawback that many of the experiments were on too large a scale, so that thoir failure would entail considerable loss. No doubt the riile the Commissioners lay down respecting the scope of plantation experiments—that they should be on a small scale without thought of direct profit—is thoroughly sound. The most interesting and probably the most important part.of the Commission's criticism is that in which the suitability and prospective utility of the kinds of trees hitherto chosen for planting are discussed. The Commissioners have a good deal to say on this point, and their conclusions suggest, unfortunately, that upon a fairly extensive 6cale the planting in the past has been futile. For example, the larch has been planted in far greater quantity than any other tree, but now we are told that we must revise our impressions concerning it, for" it is very questionable whether larch should be used at all for afforestation purposes in New Zealand. It does not, it seems, eventually form a timbeT-tree of great value, though it may grow well at first, Moreover, in Europe it is liable to a most destructive disease which, if it appeared in the dominion, would cause enormous loss, while the cost of treating tho plantations in such a way as to guard against its possible ravages would be prohibitive. "Besides larch, 1 ' the Commissioners stale, "other doubtful and even useless trees have been planted in the past, not in small quantities for experiment, but in large numbers to form permanent plantations. It may be easily understood that no tree should be used, however good it be, if there is a more valuable tree to take its place, and still less—in an operation where every economy must be exercised if a profit is to result—should trees be planted which will not grow rapidly enough or which yield a worthless timber.'' Numerically the greater proportion of the trees planted and nearly half of the various species selected unfortunately come within the scope of this criticism. Totara, English birch, Norway spruce, English oak, and" sycamoro aro among them. " The worst case," however the Commissioners observe, "is that of the catalpa, a tree interesting for a botanical collection, but useless for afforestation. The planting of an acre or two might be justified, but it is hard to conceive why. more than two millions were planted." Trees such as oak and totara, while giving valuable timber, find their way into the unsuitable list because they are of too slow a growth to be profitable. It is not for the layman to question the judgment of the Commissioners on this and other points demanding expert knowledge, as, for instance, when they express regret that the comparatively poor Norway spruce has been planted much more than the far more valuable Oregon pine. If their report contains a good deal of destructive criticism it is sufficiently constructive on the other hand in its recommendations. Tho responsibility for the more striking mistakes that have been made rests largely, they suggest, with the Government for having neglected, as a preliminary to afforestation, to institute an 'economic survey of the private planta- ! tions of New Zealand. The Commissioners offer suggestions, which must be accepted as valuable, as to the kinds of trees that should be' most largely planted in future, and if their report receives the weight to which it is entitled one of its first results should be I a cessation of the futile and unprofitable planting that is still going on. Afforestai tion in New Zealand is still in its infancy, 1 but this investigation on the part of the i Forestry Commission has evidently not i been made too soon from the viewpoint • of the efficacy of the recuperative and i more discriminating policy in tree-plant-I ing operations which it calls for. An I important recommendation ,made by tho , Commissioners, with a view to more ; adequate supervision of future operations, is that the forestry branch of-tho lands i Department should be placed under the ' control of an executive officer of appTOved administrative and financial ability, who

would havo associated Tvith him an advisory board of experts in forestry. They argue, reasonably enough, that a combination of men, including tho superintending nurserymen, expert in various branches of the subject and each with a grasp of tho whole, would be far bettor equipped to direct tho forestry operations of. tho country than would a young man brought out from Europe or America, who, however well acquainted he might be with the forestry practice of his own country and with theoretical forestry, would be altogether ignorant both of New Zealand tonditions for tree-planting and of tho indigenous forests. \

source, such as is provided in tie annual review issued by Messrs Dalgety and Co., Limited. During last season the oversea shipments of. -wool from the dominion amounted to 528,779 bales—a satisfactory export, inasmuch as it represented an increase of 11,459 bales on the total for the previous season. The position occupied by New Zealand among the wool exporting countries of the world is best shown by comparison. The total production of wool in the world is estimated at 2,971,180,1321b. Towards this Australia last season contributed 551,877,7021b, and New Zealand 169,843,8141b. The quality of last season's clip was well grown and above the average of recent years in every way, and this high standard of quality was fortunately •reflected in the average price, which {or all wool sold throughout Australia and New Zealand was £13 13s Id per bale, or £1 17s 8d more than in the previous year and greater than in ally year since 1906-7, when the average $ price reached £14 3s lid per bale. The distribution of the wool disposed of at the New Zealand sales last season to some extent indicates the source of demand. Yorkshire absorbed 124,000 bales, the Continent of Europe 41,000 bales, America 20,000, and the local mills 18,000, whilst speculators and fellmongers secured 75,000 ' bales. The prominent factor in the situation at the present time is the prospective American demand—a demand which is likely to be largely strengthened by tariff adjustments. The production of wool in the United States' has steadily declined during the past four years despite heavy protective duties, and as tho nation has at the same time been expanding both in wealth and in population the demand ha 6 necessarily tended to grow. There seems to be good reason for the v ope that wool will shortly be admitted free into the American repnblic, in which case this ?reat wool-ueing people may be expected to absorb a very large proportion of the vool clip of Australia and New Zealand. Taking this and other factors into consideration—notably the expansion of.trade in the East—Messrs Dalgety and Co. anticipate a strong consumptive demand for wool during the coining year. This forecast is grounded on the assumption that the general trade of the world will remain active and also on the supposition tint a settlement of the Balkan difficulty will produce an abatement of the financial stringency which is at present world-wide. In the event of such a settlement taking place " a demand' for wool would set in which will prevent the comparatively, slight increase in supplies which is assured from having the slightest effect upon the market. Producers can look forward with confidence to a better year than the .past, for all tho primary products are likely to ' realise payable prices." This is a cheerincr forecast for the pa6toralist of tho . community, and, if it should be realised, [ the entire population of this dominion will , incidentally bo benefited. ,