Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century.] TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 1910. AFFORESTATION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXII, Issue 9767, 30 August 1910, Page 4

Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century.] TUESDAY, AUGUST 30, 1910. AFFORESTATION.

West Australia is becoming appreheusive at the possibilities of scarcity of timber in the uear future, and since the forests are being ruthlessly destroyed, and no provisiou mado for afforestation, tne day may come when the State may have to import its timber supplies, and pay much higher prices than ara mow being obtained for the timber that is being sold. It would appear that throughout the whole world the supply of timber is being gradually diminished by the demolition of forests without adequate provisiou being mado for their renewal. Obviously, economic afforestation is essential to the preservation of industries clepeudout upon an adequate supply of timber, not to speak of the timber industry itself. Some provision for the future is being made

both in the United States and Canada, and passing reference may bo made to the State schemes in Sweden and Prussia; but in New Zealand (as in Australia) the work does not claim the attention that it should do at, the hands of the Administration. The Westralian jarrah is a tnost valuable timber, much in demand .for its Instinct qualities. But the jarrah forests are being destroyed at a very rapid rate, and before loner, like New Zealand kauri, jarrali may be almost unprocurable. During 11)08-9 New South Wales spent over £1000 in tree-plant-ing, Victoria over seven times as much, South Australia a still larger amount, but Westralia only a little over £200. The area of forest plantations in Victoria ia 8315 acres, in South Australia nearly ten thousand aoros, but in Westralia loss than two hundred acres. Yzt last year Westralia exported a 'greater quantity of

timber than any of the other States of the Oornmouwealth. The Westraliau timber industry is a most important one to that State, and is held to be of far greater value as compared with the production of wool, as it fiuds employtneut for numbers- of men, and ' circulates a very large amouut of money both in towns aud rural districts. Victorfa, Queensland aud New South Wales have excellent forest nurseries, aud South Australia can boast of a untnber of State plantatious, while at Creswiok, one hundred aud twelve miles north-west of Melbourne, a School of Forestry was opened at the beginning of the present year. Class teaching is given at tho school, but the principal aim of the Forest Department is to keep practical work in the foreground. The principal class subjects, in addition to theoretical forestry, . are botany, geology, physics and laud surveying; while in outside work pupils havo regular teaching and experience in the preparation of seed beds, seed growing, propagation, plauting out, and the general care and improvement of plantations aud natural forests. Have wo auy School of Forestry in this Dominion? It would appear that the establishment of such au institution would prove advantageous to a fairly numerous class in New Zealand, where a widespread knowledge of the essentials of afforestation should become of greater value with each

successive year