TREE PLANTING

Waikato Independent, Volume XXIII, Issue 3075, 26 June 1923, Page 6

TREE PLANTING

SHELTER AND TIMBER THE TREES TO PLANT The following special article, contributed to the Manawatu Evening Standard, will be of general interest: — With the disappearance of the indigenous forests there is a growing need for tree planting. Trees are a necessity on every farm for shelter, firewood and timber, and unless greater attention is paid to the subject of this article by “the man on the land” a very few years will see a- shortage that will be expensive to those requiring timber or wood for firing. It is not only of importance to land-owners that shelter belts should be planted for the protection of stock from the cutting winds which are so prevalent in most parts of this Dominion, but it is of national concern that there should be an extension of tree planting. This article discusses the necessity for planting more trees and how to grow them; and is intended to be helpful to thot.e who realise the facts* and are disposed to increase their plantations.

The continued development, of New Zealand and the way that whole forests have been destroyed in the past are two things that are beginning to call thoughtful people’s attention to the fact that they must plant, and do it soon. There are thousands of acres in this district alone which would be all the better for shelter and would be far more productive if shelter was provideded for stock and crops than they are at. present. If every farmer set out to provide himself with the necessary shelter it would not be long before the whole countryside would assume a different aspect.

The winter is the season of the year when it is generally supposed that trees should be planted and certainly in most cases it is the safest; but before farmers can plant trees they must go to a little trouble and prepare the ground in the same way that they would for any other crop.

Too often, far too often, we see frees planted in land that has had no preparation at all. and what are the re-

suits. The trees become choked with grass and weeds of all descriptions and remain almost dormant for the best period of their lives. On the other hand when trees are started properly in prepared ground they respond to the treatment and very soon are giving both shelter and a certain amount of firewood without much expense. Preparation of the Ground With regard to the preparation of the ground, much difference of opinion exists, some holding that the growth does not compensate for the extra cost involved. One Ijas only to try out both methods to see which is the best. Three years ago two neighbours put in plantations. One was put in unploughed ground and the other was put iri land that had been worked. In both sections all the original trees are alive, but the difference is so marked that a casual observer would not credit the fact that the two plantations were put in on the same day. In the case of the cultivated plantation the trees are now from eight to ten feet high and are shaking hands in the rows. In the uncultivated section the trees are not more than four feet high and have no spread on them. It will take them several more years before they roach the same standard as the cultivated trees, and even allowing that they do make as much growth look at the years of i shelter that has been lost.

The evidence is that it pays well t« cultivate trees as much as it does any other crop and it is advisable for all those who are thinking of planting even fifty 1o prepare the ground well beforehand by ploughing and discing and draining where it is found necessary. Fencing Plantations Fencing to keep stock -away from the young growing trees is another thing that must be done. It would only be throwing money away to allow stock in amongst young growing trees. Later on when the trees are out of the reach of stock and there is room for them underneath it does not hurt to allow them in and at the same time gives them a warm and dry camping ground.

It must be remembered that these notes deal with tree planting- as a part of the farm work and do not in anv

way deal with afforestation of some of our poorer lands, which is just as urgently needed, but at the same time there is a question that, should be met and that is the best wav to kill out gorse and other weeds which sometimes take charge of a rough corner where it is impossible to get a plough. In eases like these trees should be planted so as to smother the weeds and gorse. Jt has been found that if pines are planted through a piece of ground that has gone to gorse that they will soon kill the gorse out and take possession. A farmer who had one or two ciumbs of Californian thistles on his property said that it gave him a lot of work every year cutting them down, hut he decided to put a plantation of pines on the spot and now that they are up, no thistles are to be seen and he finds that the plantation is more useful than the . plot of ground would have been bare. The distance apart to plant trees will vary with the use to which they are to be put and. the depth of the plantation. If the plantation is to bo a -four row one with the rows nine feet apart it would be close enough to plant twelve feet apart in rows planting in a zig-zag fashion, but if the plantation is only a two-row one then it would he better to plant six feet apart every way. What to Plant Then the question of the most suitable trees for general purposes comes into the question. Cuprcsscs macrooarpa is the most useful tree that a farmer lias because it will make good fencing posts and give plenty of firewood. and while it is young it makes the best shell or. Single' specimen macroeurpas planted out in the open give both shelter and plenty of timber, but in a hedge their growth is restricted to the size their neighbours grow. The pinus insignis will give plenty of shelter while young and plenty of wood suitable' for being cut into boards and branches for (irewood when large and full grown. The various kinds of eucalpytu? in spite of the fact that they are affected with a blight at the present time, will prove invaluable for most kinds of farm purposes and authorities strongly recommend planting such kinds as Maearthurii arid viminalis in clumps, where they can be thinned as required.

Growing Trees from Seed There are very few farmers who grow their own trees from seed, and those who do are amongst the most, successful tree planters we hare. That tree seeds are hard to grow is an idea which seems to be quite general, but it is far from the ease. The seed is easy enough to grow, it is the looking after that takes the time. Supposing that a man wanted to grow about four varieties of trees for himself and that he chose maeroenrpas, pinus insignis, and two varieties of gums. All these seeds can be obtained very cheaply. Dig a piece of ground and work it up in the same wav as an onion bed is done, marking the rows off in the same way. The pinus insignis seed is the easiest to germinate and can be sown straight out in the rows, and as long as the young plants are protected from birds he will get enough plants for his requirements from a couple of rows twenty feet long. Macrocarpa seed takes longer to germinate and it is better to j put it in a tin full of sand and to mix the seed and sand together well, keep- ! mg it just moist; as soon as the seed j begin to shoot sow them arid the sand j together in the drills and cover over j lightly with earth. They must also be protected from birds until they are well above the ground. Gum seed can fie sown in boxes and pricked out into open ground and lightly covered with soil. As soon as any of the rows can be seen the hoe should be run between them to keep the weeds down. This should he done as required right through the season.

About April, or May, according to

(he weather the young plants should be wrenched, which is a term employed to denote the work of preparing them for the, move that they are going to have in about six weeks or two months time to other quarters. By pushing a good sharp spade -underneath the young plants their tap roots are cut; and if the soil is moist enough this out soon ho?| Is up. Then the, young plants arc ready to be lined out in nursery rows or they can be put out where they are to grow. If they are going to be kept clean this is the best way, but if it is likely that other work will take up too much time to thus attend to them then it would Ire better to line them out in

single rows about eighteen inches apart and about six inches from plant to plant. They must be kept clean as required and again wrenched about the same time when they will be ready to go out into their permanent quarters. It is not worth while to use* older trees than two years old as it takes them too long to recover. (To be continued).