Secure Our Native Trees

Forest and Bird, Issue 107, 1 February 1953, Page 6

Secure Our Native Trees

By

G. A. WALSH, M.P.

IN this article Mr. Walsh, a farmer, makes out a good case for the planting of native trees on farms.

Over the years, much anguish has been spent on the loss of our native forests and the near exhaustion of indigenous timber trees; forestry experts now assert that remaining supplies of millable native timber —with the single exception of the West Coast of the South Island— in the absence of conservation, be all consumed within ten years. This position has now somewhat improved by Government policy as declared by the 1952 Report of its Forest Service.

. With care, this policy may eke out indigenous timber for specialised building and joinery purposes, for upwards of fifty years, provided the owners of privately held bushlands adopt similarly protective measures. However, no matter what measures are applied to control the remnants of New Zealand’s once mighty timberlands, the end of their commercial use is at hand. Public sentiment is happy in the knowledge that the National Parks Act, as a consolidation measure covering four and a half million acres of bushland Reserves will preserve some of our former glory of trees and flora, for all time, but I agree with the growing numbers who say“assurance though it be, this is not enough”. What then can be done about it ? There is only one answer to that questionplant more trees! Because of a deeply rooted, but quite erroneous, public conviction that native trees cannot survive away from the density of bushland, general opinion will be difficult to correct, but such correction is inseparable from any campaign having as its aim, a worthwhile improvement to the present position over the coming years. Those who prompt an alteration of this view in others will have already achieved a signal success; once the truth is known on a fairly widespread basis, there is little doubt that enthusiasm will snowball—every tree-minded New Zealander regrets the passing of our noble timber trees, and he would welcome with profound gratitude the knowledge that totara, kauri, rimu, matai, tanekaha, puriri, kahikatea, hinau, howhai, and the various beeches, will still grow freely throughout our land.

. Native trees grow equally as well as single specimens, as they do in plantations; naturally however, plantations or rows of frees develop trunk formation much quicker than those growing alone, but I have little consideration for this early aspect, because at maturity it is likely that uncrowded trees will be magnificent specimens in every way. Most properties are possessed of a spare piece of land in some stray cornerdown the drive, round the orchard, idle bits against sheds, and along creek courses; these are all ideal spots for natives. Should there be an acre or two across an awkward gully, altogether s too costly to handle with the farm operations, then plant it in totaras, or one of the others. Totara is perhaps the most useful species of the mentioned list, both in merit and quickness of growth; to these qualities I can add another— is “stock resisting” to a remarkable degree. Once established and firmly rooted in the ground, no stock will forage them for food, this extraordinary circumstance being an advantage of no mean order. Then there is the fact that totara will accept all climates and, apparently, localities. However, one must be guided by the known virtues of individual varieties of trees for specific districts; kauri, for all its qualifications, would, not live in parts of the country, nor thrive in some others, while rimualthough growing throughout New Zealandrequires light overgrowth of shrubbery, in very severe frost. areas, for its early years (perhaps six or seven). Tanekaha is quite helpful, adapting itself to almost any climate, requiring only a well drained soil at the immediate site of its planting; together with the three best know timber trees just mentioned above, tanekaha adds its quota to New .Zealand’s most valuable “construction timber”. Kahikatea, known to many as “white pine”, will grow anywhere, anytime; it nevertheless displays a preference for damp soil and will grow vigorously even under swamp conditions. The so-called “silver pine” also relishes wet soil on a seasonal basis, and although this tree is not a prolific grower, it is extremely durable and meritorious.

The “beech group” (birch so-called) provides a subject for every clime; it is a speedy grower, exceedingly beautiful, and has many uses, varying with the varieties.

The foregoing is a brief description only, advanced for the purpose of illustrating the ease with which our own native trees can be handled and accepted; but for detailed information one would be advised to consult his local nurseryman, or obtain special manuals issued by those nurserymen who have for long endeavoured to encourage general respect and adequate recognition of New Zealand trees. A visit to nearby patches of bush may indicate suitable plant subjects; pioneering residents can be helpful in every district, because their memories are always equal to reminiscences, indeed many still owning such remnant patches are willing to assist, by permitting the lifting of seedlings for planting in nursery beds away from the parent trees.

There is a lot of satisfaction in growing one’s own. Obtain the tiny seedlings, up to three or four inches in height, and plant a foot apart. After a full year wrench the trees in two stages. They should be ready to shift to their permanent sites in the following autumn. When lifting from the bush, seek out seedlings that have germinated around the open edge, or in clearings of the bush, and be most careful to “trowel” a cupful of earth with each “treelet”. Should a land-holding be equal to establishing a small piece of bushsay from one to five acresthen the most useful method of procedure is to cover the area with the so-

called tree-lucerne (cytisus prolif erics') at about ten feet spacing; interplant selected trees, and nature will do the rest. The flowers of the tree-lucerne, heavily honey laden, attract our native birds —particularly the tuis and bellbirds —and soon the many species of plant life that go to make up our beautiful indigenous forests are under way. Twenty years later the bushlet will be upwards of thirty feet high; if surrounded with a hedge to keep out underdraught, the trees proper will possibly reach forty to fifty feet in the same time.

When Nation-wide sentiment thinks and comprehends a step further, then will effective replacement commence. Man-made exotic timberlands are now quite sufficient for all purposes, these consisting of mass lumber industries centralised around costly production factories; such industries are self-supporting in the matter of timber supplies. It therefore is axiomatic that the rest of New Zealand is a wide-open field for comprehensive plantings of natives. Why not solicit assistance from all sides? Seek aid through organisations such as Federated Farmers, County Councils, Catchment Boards, Land Boards, Town Planning Authorities, Domain Boards, and the Forestry Department.

Let us promote a real salvage campaign to GROW NATIVE TREES.