FIREPROOF TREES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21538, 9 January 1932, Page 15

FIREPROOF TREES

PRODUCED BY HYBRID PROCESSES AMERICA’S LATEST SUCCESS ( Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, January 8. The introduction by hybrid processes of a fireproof tree is one of the most interesting outcomes of forestry research in America, according to Kir G. B. Inkster. manager of the American branch of the New Zealand Perpetual Forests, Ltd., who is proceeding to Sydney by the Sierra. Instead of plough-up firebreaks, the American lumber companies are now planting belts of fireproof trees -which effectively stop the progress of forest fires. “ The fireproof tree, a species of pine, is called the Alda tree,” said Kir Inkster, “ and I myself saw a whole forest that had been burned right up to a belt of these trees which the flames had been unable to ignite. I was informed that last year the Long Ball Lumber Company, of Longview. Washington, which is the largest lumber company in the world, eaved five valuable forests from fires which were stopped at the belts of these fireproof trees. The production of the trees was the outcome of elaborate experiments conducted in the research laboratories of the Long Bell Company.” Another important experiment in hybridism, said Mr Inkster, had resulted in the production of a new' poplar, which W'ae the fastest growing tree for w r ood pulp purposes in America. Scientists at Columbia University experimented for 15 years before they achieved success, but the result, it was expected, would repay handsomely the money and the labour spent on experiments. It w r as interesting to note, however, that even this remarkably quick growdng tree, which added 6ft to 7ft to its growth every year, was not the equal of the pinus insignia in New Zealand, where the growth was Bft to 10ft in a yeaf. “The United States is the only country in the world that permits you to patent a tree or a shrub,” added Mr Inkster. “ This enables the company which spends large sums every year on research to protect itself from imitators, and enables it to reap the full advantages resulting from its own enterprise.”