FORESTRY IN TARANAKI

Taranaki Daily News, 16 December 1926, Page 4

FORESTRY IN TARANAKI

OPERATIONS OF A COMPANY YEAR’S PROGRESS REVIEWED. SHAREHOLDERS’ ANNUAL MEETING Twelve months of considerable activity is recorded in the annual report of Taranaki Permanent Forests, Ltd., which was presented at the annual meeting of shareholders in New Plymouth yesterday. Mr. E, Maxwell, ehairman of directors, presided over an attendance of ten. The directors’ annual report stated:— “The planted area is showing wonderful growth. The total number of shares sold is 950."The income and expenditure account which is for a period of 19 months, shows a balance of £8142 7s 4d carried to general development account. This balance includes the whole of the preliminary expenses, special advertising, special printing and compilation of the prospectus, and other literature. These items will not be recurring. Brokerage is controlled entirely by the number of shares subscribed, and interest on calls paid in advance will be governed by the amount of share capital paid up in full during the ensuing year. The only revenue item is tile amount received from areas which are leased or rented, and which are not immediately required for the direct purpose of planting.” A special report by the manager on the operations at the forest from August 29, 1925, to November 5, 1926, stated inter alia: —

“The company’s total holding is now 11975 acres, and up to the present a total of 230 acres in a continuous block have been planted, 15'8 acres having been planted since the last annual meeting. Access roads and firebreaks are provided for in each area. These areas and roads are so laid off and planted as to assure, even if at a somewhat increased initial cost, the greatest facility for working throughout, and the least costly exploitation of all crops. Before the last annual meeting, area 1 (nine acres) was planted in wattles pure. Area 2 (about 45 acres) was planted in mixture with insignia and wattles, and around firebreaks some redwoods, macrocarpas, and a few Douglas firs. Planting since then in areas Nos. 3, 4 and 5 has been as follows: Sheltered, and suitable places, in all about 35 acres, have been put in pure plantation with valuable gums of various kinds, with the exception of some macrocarpas planted along margin of native bush firebreaks. The balance has been put in mixed plantation of such kinds and in such manner as will make the earlier thinnings available for firewood, fencing and poles, and the later thinniijgs and main crops for milling. “This system of mixed and close plantation, though much more complex and costly than open plantation in pure stand, has several decidedly outstanding advantages over the latter. They are (1) the greatest insurance against disease; (2) greatly diminished fire risks; (3) quicker and more vigorous growth, higher yields and highest grade of timber; (4) improved soil conditions; and (5) ensures early and high returns under the very favourable conditions as to position, good road access and proximity to markets, PLANTING DISTANCE, Whilst over open planting, Bft by Bft, equally 680 trees to the acre, is being followed by the State Forest Service and some others, our planting approximates in distances that are approved by recognised authorities. Wo are planting about 2400 gums per acre in pure stand. The number of trees being planted in mixed stand is approximately 2150. The costs of establishment may be tabulated as follows: —

1999 12 13 0 7 2 9 This is a considerable reduction on the costs of last year. REPLACEMENT. Pinus insignis took splendidly throughout, and the replacement necessary was very small. Gums took well wherever the land was ploughed, but less well in unplonghed land. Maerocarpas took well and the loss was below usual recognised average. Redwoods took excellently. The loss was only two in 500. Wattles took well in ploughed land and especially so in sheltered parts. The greater number of trees planted have made excellent growth. Some lots have made extraordinary growth for the time, Pimis insignis throughout, whether in ploughed or unploughed land, good low land, or steep poor hill face, have all done remarkably well. Macrocarpas and redwoods have done well Oregon pine (there are only a few), though in favoured situations have made little progress. Gums.—Most of the gums were planted on ploughed land, and there, the greater number have done well, but those planted in unploughed land, have made, by comparison, poor growth. Some kinds of gums have done extraordinary well, such as Euc. gigantea, which took excellently, and made remarkable growth. The plants were poor, small ones, procured from the State. In December they there only three to four inches above the ground; they now average about four feet. Euc. Oreades was also a very good take, and has done very well. A small number of Eue. Paniculata, the most valuable of the ironbarks, and. therefore, of all the gums, were planted in No. 3 area, and have done remarkably well, many of them being now four feet and over. Although this gum has done well so far, the planting of this species can only be looked upon as experimental, for it is remarkable that it has done so well so far eouth. It is so valuable a tree that the attempt, induced by the exceptionally favourable situation of our forest, is fully warranted, and a further limited trial is , being made this year. EXPERIMENTAL AREA. The experimental area, the establishment of which was forecasted in the last annual report, lias been carried into effect. Though early growth is not by any means always a reliable indication of what the progress may be later, especially in the case of species of which there is limited local knowledge, but with full general knowledge backed by considerable local knowledge, early

growth is a good guide in many cases. The various species were planted in rows reaching from gently inclined good ground, to steeper and poorer ground. All but a narrow strip along the top was ploughed, and the rows of each species extended from the ploughed ground to distances of four or five plants on to the unplouglied strip. By this means, a thorough test was made of relative suitability of good, and poorer soil, and o£ ploughed and unploughed land for each species. The results show that the degree of quality of the soil inade little or no difference, but the difference of growth in ploughed and nnploughed ground was in every case most marked. Relatively, the plants in the unploughed part made very little growth. Four rows of each species, in most cases, were planted. The species were planted in the order of anticipated degree of growth, starting from the south end' with those which were expected to make the most rapid progress, and ending in the north with those that were the least likely to do well. The results .proved the anticipations remarkably correct, though there were one or two most notable exceptions. The verification of anticipations was of great value, but even of mor© value were the exceptions. The most pronounced one was the very excellent growth made by the Murray River Red Gum (Euc. rostrata) and next to it, was the good growth Eue. Paniculata made here, as it did in No. 3 area. The growth of the Euc. Macarthuri and Euc. Viuriualis was above expectation. The experimental area has even at tills early stage proved of much value, and thoroughly justified the small cost incurred, It will undoubtedly prove of much greater value in time to come. NURSERY. Though very late, the establishment of the nursery was pushed on vigorously, even under the disadvantages of there having been no previous preparation. of the soil.

Use of the nursery was started very late in the spring, and late as it was 20,000 seedling insignis, and some thousands of macrocarpa, were lined-in, and Rowings were made of pinus insignis, macrocarpa, wattles and various gums. The results have been highly satisfactory. In most eases the takes were good, and the seedlings raised —pine, macrocarpa, wattle and gums—proved high grade; better rooted, sturdier plants could not be desired. Of course, the stocks we were able to raise were not nearly sufficient for our requirements, but the total results have produced a much higher grade of plants, at a considerably lower average cost. In addition to the plants sent direct from the nursery to the plantation this season (some 244,000, valued at £485 14s 4d) we now have lined out in the nursery, growing for next season’s use, about the following number and values: Macrocarpas, 9000 at £3, £27; pinus insignis, 140,000 at £1 14s, £238; redwoods, 500, £5; gums, 6000, £6; total, £276. Also a number of gums and wattles for replacement use in the autumn.

The total cost of nursery, seeds, plants, manures, labour, etc., is £761 14s 4d. "Six to ten foot tracks have been laid off and kept clear along approximately the middle of each block of planting for easy access and maintenance, inspection and extra precautions against fire, though with the moist situation and native bush firebreaks, the fire risk is the lowest possible.” In moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, the chairman stated that the brokerage was for the whole period since the inception of the company, as were the other costs, and not for the past year only. The Taranaki company’s costs were less than those of most companies. The report was adopted, The two retiring directors, Messrs E. Maxwell and H. V. S. Griffiths, were reelected, The issue of 20 new shares was confirmed. It was stated that at a meeting of representatives of different forestry companies had been held recently at Wellington, and an association had been formed to protect the interests of forestry companies and foster the closer utilisation of forestry products.

Total Per Per eosts acre 1000 trees. £. £ s d. £ e. d. Clearing 054 4 2 9 2 6 8 Ploughing 164 1 0 9 11 9 Plants 606 3 16 8 2 3 3 Planting 566 3 11 7 2 0 4 General 10 1 2 8