Our Diminishing Timber Supply

Progress, Volume XI, Issue 11, 1 July 1916, Page 668

Our Diminishing Timber Supply

The Monterey Pine as a Building Material.

In a recent issue of the Agricultural Journal, Mr, A. H. Cockayne draws attention to the value of the much neglected Monterey Pine, or Piaus Insignls, as a Building Material. His remarks are ol great interest at the present time as the question of our diminishing timber supplies is occupying much public attention.

Until quite recently the Monterey pine {Pinus radiata) was looked upon as quite valueless for any other purpose save that of the rapid production of shelter. Even at the present time the statement that

priority the name Pinus radiata is the only correct one and the specific designation insignis is merely a synonym. In point of fact, however, the translation of the botanical name Pinus insignis into the popular

it is by far the most valuable and profitable timber tree that can be planted may, perhaps, not receive general acceptation. Nevertheless such a statement is absolutely correct, and can be amply substantiated by the results already secured in those localities where plantations have been converted into timber.

The Monterey pine was originally described by Don, in year 1836, under the name' of Pinus radiata. Two years later it was again ; described under the name of Pinus insignis, and it is by this designation that it is generally known in New Zealand. Thus, according to the botanical rales of

one has become so widespread that it is unlikely that the correct botanical title will ever be applied to this tree. Indeed, the name insignis so aptly describes the many valuable characters of this truly remarkable pine that it is a pity it cannot be rightly accepted as the correct one. , ;

Pinus radiata is a native of Southern California, and grows naturally on dry rocky and sandy hills near the sea. It is confined to a few limited localities—namely, Pescadero, Monterey, and San Simeon on the mainland, and the outlying islands of Santa Rosa and Santa: Cruz;..:lt is especially : abundant in

the neighbourhood of Monterey, a locality that is also the home of another well-known tree, the macrocarpa ( Cupressus Macrocarpa). The Monterey pine has now been introduced into nearly all those countries where it is hardy, but it is only in New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa that it has been utilized as a timber tree. Its employment in forestry is now being adopted to a limited extent in Ireland and parts of England, but its real value is not properly appreciated outside Australasia. EMPLOYMENT IN NEW ZEALAND The value of Finns radiata for the rapid production of shelter and its adaptability to all types of soils was early demonstrated in New Zealand, and this tree rapidly became popular in the formation of plantations. It was employed, both pure and mixed, with other species; but owing to.its overpowcringly rapid growth it is not suitable for mixed planting, a fact not even yet properly recognized. The pine plantations were primarily intended for shelter and breakwind purposes, and the idea that this tree was capable of producing valuable timber

able trees that can be planted. Not only that, but its phenominal rapidity of growth and great yield quite upset the general idea that small private plantations for timber production alone will not pay for their cost of planting and maintenance. In fact, it can be shown that Finns radiata will return quite large profits when grown on land the rental value of which is considerably higher than that at which forestry has been thought to be a payable proposition. Finns radiata was first employed in housebuilding some thirty-seven years ago, when Mr. Cathcart Wason had some twenty-year-old trees converted into timber. With this material several houses and outbuildings were erected in the vicinity of Barr Hill, in Canterbury. These are still standing, and the timber, which has been kept painted, is still in an excellent state of preservation. The advent of the travelling sawmill marked the commencement of the employment of pine timber for general constructional-purposes. The farming community of Canterbury rapidly recognized the timber potentialities of their shelter plantations of

was not seriously considered. At best the timber of the Monterey pine was looked upon as inferior firewood. Thus there sprang up a decided prejudice against any extensive planting. It was thought better to employ those kinds that were considered in other countries to be valuable for timber production. The estimation in which the timber of the Monterey pine was held can be well gauged by the fact that of the 20,000 acres planted by tire Forestry Branch of the Lands and Survey Department there are roughly only 100 acres devoted to this tree. The main plantation of some 70 acres, is over twenty miles from a railway line, and will be ready for conversion long before any other plantations in its vicinity, so that it could not have been planted with any idea that the trees would be worth converting. PRESENT OPINION ON THE VALUE OF THE TIMBER During the past few years a great deal of timber has been cut out of the pine plantations in Canterbury. The uses to which it has been put clearly indicate that Finns radial a is among the most valu-

Pinus radiata As soon as conversion became practicable by means of the portable mill the adoption: of pine timber for general requirements soon became popular. Several of these travelling mills are now annually employed during the winter converting Finns radiata into timber, and many buildings have been erected during the past ten years. At first the timber was used mainly for rough outbuildings, such, as stables, wool-sheds, and other farm buildings. 1 During the past few years, however, many excellent residences, where Finns radiata has taken the place of matai and rimu for all purposes except flooring, have been erected in various parts of Canterbury. Again, during the past year over two million feet of timber has been disposed of in Christchurch for boxmaking purposes, and the demand for this class of timber is so great that within a very few years all the mature plantations in the neighbourhood of the city will have been milled. The great argument against Finns radiata timber is that it is not durable. This is certainly true where the timber is in contact with the ground or is exposed to the weather in an unpainted condition. The

buildings that have been erected, however, show that with ordinary care the timber, even from quite young trees, is extremely durable. Much of the pine timber at present available is not suited for general constructional purposes, owing to the knotty character of the wood. This is not to be wondered at when it is considered that the existing plantations were never intended to provide building timber and wore not planted under modern forestry conditions. It is indeed remarkable that plantations where the trees are often more than 12 feet apart should be capable of yielding any constructional timber at all. There seems no doubt that when Finns radial a is planted for the express purpose of yielding building timber excellent results will be obtained. From the above it can be seen that considerable use is being made of Finns radiata timber at the present time, and that the unwarrantable prejudice against its employment is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. Even if this very rapidly grown timber should prove to be inferior from the point of view of durability, the use of timber-preservatives should remove the only possible objection that can be raised against the planting of such a tree. Its great yield and rapidity of growth enable timber to be produced more cheaply than with any other tree, and this fact alone must place this pine in the forefront for afforestation purposes. Apart from buildng timber, the growing consumption of box timber in itself requires the extensive planting of some tree that will satisfy the future demand. ' In this respect Pinas radinta is especially suitable, and, were the timber useless for any other purpose, its production on a large scale would be more than justified.