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192-2. NEW ZEALAND.

STATE FOREST SERVICE. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1922.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The Director of Forestry to the Hon. the Commissioner of State Forests. Sir,— Wellington, Ist August, 1922. I have the honour to submit herewith a report on the work of the State Forest Service for the year ended 31st March, ]922, and certain recommendations bearing on the progress of forestry in New Zealand. 1. National Forest Lands suitable for Dedication to Forestry. —You are advised, sir, that the Forest Service has defined 2,600,000 acres of forested Crown lands which have not been as yet dedicated as provisional State forests. These areas are highly desirable for proclamation and administration by your Service. 2. Technical Training. —Serious delay in the practical fulfilment of your forest policy and in the building of the State forests as permanent wood-producing properties is being caused by the lack of trained forest technicians and other properly instructed forest officers. It is to be sincerely hoped, sir, that financial conditions will permit of the creation of technical educational facilities within the next year. 3. Organization. —Two of the most important forest-conservation regions—namely, the Wellington Region, which embraces Hawke's Bay, Wellington, and Taranaki Provinces : and the NelsonMarlborough Region, which includes these two provinces—are still without Conservators of Forests. The forest research and experimental programme is being sadly hampered through the lack of a, trained forest investigator. The Conservators' offices at Auckland, Nelson, Hokitika, and Invercargill are without a single shorthand-typist, and yet the business of each office is running into five figures. You are advised, sir, to allow for the filling of these vacancies and posts at the earliest opportunity. 4. Forest Experiment Station. —ln order that there may be evolved an adequate silvicultural policy and a workable system of natural and artificial regrowth in our forest-producing properties a long, careful, and comprehensive series of studies, tests, and investigations must be carried out in our indigenous and man-made forests. These important and vital works may only bo executed in conjunction with a properly equipped forest experiment station. You are therefore earnestly advised, sir, to provide for the establishment of a forest experiment station in Westland (m the heart of the greatest New Zealand forest region). 5. Forest Taxation. —A most serious bar to the planting and operation offprivate forestry and tree farms is the incidence of taxation on forest lands and plantations. A scientific method of taxation whereby the major burden comes at the culmination of the crop will stimulate to fuller participation by the public in this profitable business of growing trees for profit, shelter, and domestic use. You are advised, sir, to authorize a thorough investigation of the matter with the presentation of ! a plan of equitable forest taxation. I have, &c, L. Macintosh Ellis, B.Sc.F., C.S.F.E., S.A.F., The Hon. Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, K.B.E. Director of Forestry.

CONTENTS. r-AGE PAGE Chapter I.—Progress of New Zealand Forestry .. 2 Chapter V. —General— Chapter ll.—The State Forest Service . . .. 3 Timber-trade Conditions .. .. 14 Chapter I IT. —The State Forests .. ..3 Forest Service Reference Library .. ..17 Constitution of State Forests .. .. ..3 Forest Atlas.. .. .. .. ..17 Finance . . .. • ■ •. .. 4 Office System and Work .. . . 17 Management — Timber .. .. .. .. .. 5 Annexures— Grazing .. .. .. • • .. 7 I, Status Records .. .. .. .. ' 17 Game and recreation .. .. .. 7 11, Report upon North Island Forestation Opera-Forest-protection .. .. .. .. 8 tions .. .. .. . . ..18 Afforestation and Forest-extension .. .. 0 111, Report upon South Island Forestation OperaChapter IV. —Research and Experiments- ■- tions.. .. .. .. ..20 Economics .. .. ... .. .. !) IV, Summaries .. .. .. ..22 Forest-products Investigations .. .. 10 V, Review of the Timber Industry .. .. 23 Silvical and Silvicultural Research .. ..11 VI, Finance Statements .. .. ..23

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