NATURAL AFFORESTATION.

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 15000, 22 February 1919, Page 3

NATURAL AFFORESTATION.

ON HIGH COUNTRY

Before the Science Congx-ess at ©hristehurch recently Mr. W. G. Morrison, of the .State" Forestry Department, Hanmer Springs, read a paper on "Natural Afforestation in the Mountain Area of- New Zealand." He said that up to the present time the planting of trees on a large scale in New Zealand had been confined mainly to an altitude of considerably less than 2500 feet, and no effort had'been made to establish forests according to the methods of nature, namely, by natur-ally-sown seeds from small groups of trees, or even from isolated individuals. He said there was no doubt as to the best method of. conducting afforestation. In the science of forestry," more than in any other science, .long viewt were necessary, as the final harvest was not reaped for many years after the. sowing, perhaps not for forty, fifty, sixty, or even a hundred years, but the returns were rich, and no more profitable proposition could be undertaken by the State. He suggested that t<meet the conditions of the scheme a clause might be inserted in any lease I covering high country reserving the right of the State to plant trees for natural regeneration purposes over all : areas at altitudes of 3000 feet or 3500 i feet and over. It was fairly certair. ■that that wiotild not interefere with profitable pastoral country. The ' scheme certainly recommended itself lon the ground of economy combined ' I with efficiency. 1