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Afforestation— continued. Plantations —continued. page River-beds in Canterbury suitable for afforestation .. .. .. .. .. xxxii Eyre andjWaimakariri suitable for afforestation xxxii CulverdenjPlains .. .. .. . . xxxii Slopes of Mount Isabel .. .. .. xxxii Sand-dunes at mouth of Rangitikei River for afforestation .. .. . . .. xxxii Sand-dunes generally .. .. . . xxxii The pumice plateau .. .. .. xxxii Auckland gum-fields .. .. .. xxxii Proposals regarding areas for future plantations xxxii Management and Control of Statf, Afforestation — Inauguration of State afforestation in New Zealand .. .. .. .. xxxiii Existing plantations should have been studied jSgfirst .. .. .. .. ..xxxiii Mr. H. J. Matthews's management .. ..xxxiii Initial work .. .. .. .. xxxiii Area of plantations .. .. ..xxxiii Separate officers for North and South Islands . .xxxiii Present administration described .. . . xxxiv Present operations, how paid for .. ..xxxiv Present plantations and their areas .. . . xxxiv Policy and management of operations : Questions to be considered .. .. ..xxxiv Present operations still conducted largely as before .. ... .. .. .. xxxiv Quantities of various kinds of trees planted .. xxxv Preponderance of larch .. . . .. xxxv Doubtful utility of larch in New Zealand .. xxxv Its liability to diseases .. .. .. xxxv Cost of pruning larch prohibitive .. .. xxxv Probable loss on larch prohibitive .. .. xxxv Quick-growing trees necessary for profit .. xxxv Trees that are unprofitable in New Zealand .. xxxv Catalpa speciosa planted .. .. .. xxxv Small proportion of Oregon pine .. :. xxxv Trees planted in wrong positions . . .. xxxv Pinus radiata, great advantages of .. .. xxxvi Timbers most likely to be required in the futuro not enough planted .. .. .. XX xvi Inadequacy of present fire-breaks .. . .xxxvi Methods of tree-planting on good lines . .xxxvi Requisites of experimental planting.. . . xxxvi Kurow Nursery, injudicious selection of . .xxxvi Money wasted on its formation . . .. xxxvi Houses, implements, and stock, their present most creditable condition.. . . xxxvii Management of State operations better than in the past, but still room for improvements xxxvii Multifarious duties of Superintending Nurserymen .. .. .. .. xxxvii Value of their work .. .. x XX vii Disadvantages of present method of control of State afforestation . . . . xxxvii Recommendations for future organization xxxviii Director of Forestry .. .. xxxviii Advisory Board of Experts .. xxxviii Recommendations and meetings of Board xxxviii Advantages of the Board .. . . xxxviii State Assistance to Private Persons and Public Bodies— Private Tree-planting — Private planting has long been the custom xxxviii Private planting mostly for shelter only xxxviii Trees widely planted develop side branches xxxviii Shelter-belts in some districts absent.. xxxviii The many advantages of plantations.. xxxviii Private planting is also for public benefit ' " .. xxxix Planting Encouragement Act of 1871.. .. xxxix Conditions under which State should encourage private tree-planting .... . . .. xxxix Planting by public bodies .. .. ..xxxix Other Matters affecting Afforestation, including Future Legislation— Matters concerning Afforestation— Method of fire-breaks .. .. ..xxxix Fires at Conical Hills, Dumgree, and Puhipuhi xxxix Great liability to fire in fern and tea-tree lands xxxix Present fire-breaks described .. ..xxxix Present fire-breaks altogether inadequate .. xl Recommendations for future fire-breaks ... xl Poplar belts not wasted lands .. .. xl Different authorities on the value of poplar timber .. .. .. xl Fire-breaks should be planted in advance .. xl Trees specially recommended for future plantations .. .. .. .. .. xli Pinus strobus and Pinus cxcelsa also to be tried xli Trees for sand-dunes .. .. xli Pinus radiata, many special advantages of .. xli

Other Matters affecting Afforestation, including Future Legislation— continued. Matters affecting Afforestation —continued. page Ooraicaii pine : its uses and value .. .. xlii Australian blackwood : its uses and Talue .. M xli The great importance of selection of seed .. xiii Considerable variation in offspring from plants xliii Tree-breeding .. .. .. .. xliii Present method of procuring seed .. .. xliii Its disadvantage .. .. .. .. xliii Unsuitable trees sometimes planted through pressure of influential persons .. .. xliii Recommendation that seed be procured direct from best available foreign sources .. . xliii Seed should, when possible, be got from pedigree trees by the Department .. .. .. xliii Mr. R. Reynolds's gum-trees for seed.. .. xliii Seed should be procured at an early date .. xliv Thinning of plantations .. .. .. xliv Reasons for thinning .. .. .. xliv Thinning probably not profitable in New Zealand xliv Sowing in situ .. .. .. .. xliv A recognized method in Europe .. .. xliv Its general neglect in New Zealand State plantation s .. .. .. .. xliv Instances of its success in New Zealand .. xliv Gfums at Waitati, naturally established .. xliv Experiments should at once be made in sowing in situ on manuka lands .. .. .. xlv Indigenous Trees Unsuited for Afforestation— Erroneous opinions often held regarding suitability of native trees for afforestation .. xlv Slow growth of native trees.. . .. xlv Economic Survey of Private Plantations— An economic survey should be made of private plantations .. .. .. .'" x lv Book on Forestry— Demand for information on forestry matters .. xlv Mr. Matthews's book .. .. .. xlv Its need of revision .. .. .. xlvi Education of Cadets— Fair knowledge of science necessary.. .. xlvi Instruction in science obtainable at University xlvi Talented students' remuneration .. p. xlvi Legislation required to give Effect to Recommendations— Amendment of Land Act for inclusion of climatic reserves .. .. .. ~ x lvi Reservation of Warawara Forest and part of the Wa'ipoua Forest .. .. .. x lvi Amendment of the Scenery Preservation Act .. xlvi Minor Recommendations— Water-conservation area for Waihi .. .. xlvii Reservation along Pomahaka Stream to be closed .. .. .. . . ( ,_ xlvii Signatures of Commissioners .. .. xlvii Appendices— A Proposed climatic reserves .. .xlvii B Reserves reported on by Commission .. xlviii C Selected letters received .. . . x lix D Schedule of trees measured .. l xx Minutes of Proceedings .. . . Ixxii Minutes of Evidence .. .. .. i Photographs. 1. Tree barked by red deer near Hanmer .. li x 2. Natural grove of Eucalyptus nwmerosa at Waitati .. .. .. . . At end. 3. Natural grove of Eucalyptus numerosa at Waitati (interior) 4. Eucalyptus numerosa at Waitati (parent tree) " 5. Natural grove of Australian gums (mostly blue-gums) at Waitati.. 6. Cross-section of totara log 6a. Diagram explaining photo of totara log 7. Larch plantation at Whakarewarewa 8. Eucalyptus Sieberiana at Whakarewarewa .. '. 9. Pinus Laricio at Whakarewarewa 10. Pinus radiata at Waiotapu plantations Maps. 1. Map showing journeys of Commission .. At end. 2. Map showing proposed climatic reserves. North Island 3. Map showing proposed climatic reserves, South Island . . 4. Map showing forest areas in North Island .. " 5. Map showing forest areas in South Tsland ..

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