9

C—3

4. AFKORKSTATION AND FOREST-EXTENSION. The Service tree-planting activities for tho year are presented in the following table : —

Summary of Operations on State Plantations during the Year ended 31st March, 1922.

The planting of 3,408 acres during the year was the largest acreage dealt with in any year of State afforestation operations. It will be noted that plantings have boon concentrated on those plantations where the best results are attained and, incidentally, where the need is greatest. It is proposed to further restrict plantation formation to those regions where it pays to plant. Forest-extension. The Government has been amply repaid for its initiation of a forest-extension scheme in the farming communities of the North and South. Islands. The results of the efforts of its two field experts, by lecture, demonstration, and advice, are evident on comparison of the two years' deliveries of trees and seeds from the State nurseries. Nearly twice as many trees (about 900,000) were disposed of during the year to farmers and private tree-planters as in the previous year, and almost twice as many pounds of tree-seed were disposed of in 1921-22 (4351b.) as in the last year (2401b.). During the year addresses and lectures were given to Farmers' Union meetings and other public associations from North Auckland to Southland. Practical advice and assistance were rendered to hundreds of interested parties, and in many other ways the Service has rendered profitable assistance to the soldier settlors, the backblocks farmers, and the plains farmer in the successful establishment and growth of shelter-belts, wind-breaks, and farm-plantations. On the request of the Auckland City authorities a tree-planting plan and scheme of operation have boon drawn up for its recently established municipal forest at Cornwallis Park. Auckland is to be congratulated on this progressive and forward policy of converting its barren reserves and domains into profitable tree-farms and playground resorts for its citizens. Under the direction of this Service, operations were begun during the year for the planting of the first compartment of 250 acres. It is satisfactory to record the greatly widened demands that have been made on the Service in the rendering of planting advice and assistance through the mails, these inquiries for information running into thousands. (In this connection the Service extends an invitation to all to avail themselves of tho twenty-two years of experience in the growth, propagation, and planting of foresttrees. Hardy, virile tree stock is also available to the public at prices approximating tho cost of growing and shipment from its nurseries at Rotorua, Hanmer Springs, and Tapanui.) In any review of national forest-extension the important activities of the Dominion Nurserymen's Federation must be recorded. This group of private nurserymen has been very active during the year in pushing the sale of trees for the planting of tree plantations and shelter-bolts, and the Federation, with a sincere desire to widen planting interest, during tho year undertook to supply trees at the same prices as sold by the Forest Service. (This undertaking has been continued for the current calendar year.) CHAPTER IV.—RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTS. Economics. During the year a thorough investigation was made of the economic position of the timbermanufacturing industry in Now Zealand with regard to present and future supplies of raw material, the relation of sources of supply to markets, the incidence of timber royalties and timber-stumpagc prices, and the development of a stable industry in certain forest regions where the timber crop is and always will be the best crop. It was found that under present conditions of utilization only

2—o. 3.

Forest Plantation. Number of Trees planted. New Area planted. Total Area planted in Trees, 1898-1922. I Whakarewarewa Waiotapu Kaingaroa, West Kaingaroa Plains Puhipuhi Conical Hills Pukerau Dusky Hill Greenvale Gimmerburn Naseby Hanmer Springs Balmoral Raincliff Experimental group 1,708,900 2.008,000 8,580 437,225 Acres. L,068 1 ,605 Acres. 7,983-00 9,540-00 1,570-00 8,475-00 1,200-00 3,533-50 565-50 745-75 1,403-76 88-00 2,138-75 2,912-50 1,253-50 206-00 253-00 232 348,1.25 6,500 372,500 230 6 207 Totals 4,949,750 3,408 41,868-25