EXCHANGE OF EXPERT OFFICERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 December 1926, Page 8

EXCHANGE OF EXPERT OFFICERS.

The arrangement recently announced for the temporary interchange of officers of the State Forestry Service with those of a similar department in Victoria is probably quite justifiable. In regard to the control and wise use of the native timbers in both New Zealand and Victoria it is probable that the different nature of the trees and the dissimilarity of conditions generally in the two countries will not leave a great deal of common ground for the officers of either country. In regard to the cultivation of “hard wood” trees, however. for which there ie an ever increasing demand as our native hardwoods disappear, the experiences of Victorian officers should be of considerable service to the Dominion. On the other hand, a great deal more attention has been paid to the growth of "soft wood” timbers in New Zealand, both by State and private enterprise, than has been the case in Victoria, where the heavy demand for supplies of these classes of timber has had to be almost wholly satisfied by imported timber. In this respect it is reasonable to suppose that the experiences of New Zealand silviculturists may prove of value to Victoria, though if the full extent of this value is to be taken advantage of, consideration should certainly be given to the planting and . experiments carried out by private enterprise as well as by the State Forestry Service. While the experiment of an interchange of officers is worth carrying out, it should not be allowed to interfere with that constant research and experiment which obviously must be carried out locally if what is left of our native forests ia to be handled in a manner that will conserve, and even increase, its value to the Dominion.