C.—3

The appended table summarizes the position of afforestation as at the close of the financial year. Further information under this head will be found in the Appendix to the report.

TABLE 4. Summary of Operations in Plantations as at 31st March, 1935.

6. Plantation Cleaning and Thinning. Rotorua Region. —In Whakarewarewa and Waiotapu Plantations minor operations were carried out. In the latter plantation utilization thinning was proceeded with, and 194 cords of firewood and 187 poles were obtained. In the same plantation 64 acres of P. Laricio were underscrubbed, 44 acres of which were also lightly thinned, and dead and suppressed trees were removed. Utilization thinning by two contractors in Whakarewarewa Plantation produced 33,317 mineprops, 8,745 of which were thinned from eucalypts and the remainder (24,572) from P. austriaca ; twenty-six E. tasmanica power-poles were supplied to the Tourist Department. Other poles obtained from thinnings and used for various purposes numbered ninety-eight. Approximately 1,986 cords of firewood were obtained from various sources for fuel at plantation camps. Canterbury Region. —At Hanmer Plantation 88 acres of the old stands were thinned, 42 acres being thinned for the first time. The trees thus removed produced 2,175 cords of firewood, 322 posts, 237 poles, 602 rails, and 5,463 ft. board measure sawn timber. The Health Department acquired 1,049 cords of this firewood for use at Queen Mary Hospital, Hanmer Springs, and large quantities were also taken by the Unemployed Relief Camp on Lewis Pass Road. Pruning was carried out over an area of 50 acres, the selected trees being cleaned to a height of 16 ft. to 20 ft. At Balmoral Plantation 32 acres of the older age classes were thinned and yielded 322 cords of firewood, which was used at the tree-planting camps. Pruning was effected over a total area of 64 acres, the branches being removed to a height of 4 ft. to 6 ft. Southland Region. —The major silvicultural operations were conducted at Dusky Plantation, where heavy thinning and extraction for milling-purposes was completed over an area of 73 acres. The average degree of thinning was 54 per cent, of the original stand, 1,300 trees per acre being reduced to approximately six hundred. Light thinning for camp-fuel purposes was carried out on 16 acres in the same plantation. Similar treatment was accorded 138 acres at Conical Hills and 119 acres at Naseby ; at the latter station the work was done by relief labour. The material thinned from Dusky is being utilized for boxmaking by a sawmilling company, and 81,289 cubic feet were extracted during the year ; in addition, 102 cords of firewood were sold to the Railway Department.

7

! Year of New Area Total Net Area Gross Area of Plantation. j Establishment, planted, 1934. planted. Plantation. Acres. Acres. Acres. Waipoua .. .. •• ■■ 1925 246 1,057 12,600 Puhipulii .. .. •• •• 1904 31 871 1,558 Riverhead 1926 29 11,029 11,956 Maramarua .. •• 1928 18 12,299 14,087 Tairua .. .. .. •• 1930 587 10,515 54,400 Whakarewarewa .. •• 1898 .. 7,591 10,076 Waiotapu .. .. •• 1901 .. 7,051 7,974 Kaingaroa 1913 9,429 242,600 327,931 Erua .. 1930 169 2,518 4,267 Karioi .. .. ■ • •• 1927 18 16,033* 33,689 Golden Downs .. •• 1927 1,424 19,181 22,527 Westland .. .. • • • • 1922 .. 3,017 8,006 Hanmer .. .. •• 1901 .. 7,737 10,243 Balmoral .. .. •• •• 1916 .. 20,652 24,000 Eyrewell .. .. •• •• 1928 97 18,152 19,266 Dusky .. .. •• •• 1898 .. 4,368 6,829 Conical Hills .. .. •• 1903 .. 3,551 3,765 Naseby .. .. .. •• 1900 .. 3,308 4,032 Pukerau .. .. • • • • 1915 .. 565 628 Blue Mountains .. •• •• 1925 20 8,752 9,647 Pebbly Hills .. .. •• 1930 8 4,341 5,330 Minor Areas .. .. • • 1875-1934 135 991 4,340 Totals 12,211 406,179* 597,151 * 1,163 acres direct sown in 1932 excluded.