PLANTATION TREES

Southland Times, Issue 19654, 3 October 1922, Page 6

PLANTATION TREES

CENSUS OF NURSERIES. The New Zealand Association of Nurrerymen has been taking a census to ascertain the number of forest, shelter and hedge trees held by them for sale on May 31 of this year. The return shows approximately the number of trees available, for afforestation, being held by 75 of the largest nurseries in the Dominion, quite apart from trees held or grown by the Government. The returns furnished by 25 of the leading nursery firms gave the following figures:— Pines, mostly inrignus, 1,2 and 3 years 4,402,100 Eucalypts and gums, mostly in boxes 189,900 Cup, Lawsoniana, 1,2, and 3 years old 171,200 Macrocarpa, 1,2, and 3 years old 439,920 Spruce, Cedars, Larch, Redwoods, etc 528,920 Total forest and plantation trees 5,785,520 Barbary, Boxthorn, and hedge trees 775,400 Total .. .. 6,560,920 To the above figures are added the estim■"ate of forest and hedge trees grown by 50 other firms who handle larger or smaller quantities:— Pines 3,000,000 Eucalypts .. .. 135,000 Lawsoniaaas .. .. 100,000 Macrocarpas .. 200,000 Spruce, etc 250,000 Total .. .. .. .. 3,675,000 Hedge trees .. 250,000 Total 4,175,000 The figures give a grand total of trees held in 75 different nurseries, and of these some nine millions are suitable for afforestation purposes. In addition to these there are over 400 other nursery firms in New Zealand handling smaller quantities of forest and shelter trees, which all adds to the total available for use in any afforestation scheme. It is interesting to note that 9,000,000 trees, planted on an average of eight feet apart, would provide a plantation extending over 13,235 acres.