ALFORD FOREST.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 679, 4 July 1882, Page 2

ALFORD FOREST.

[from OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.!

July 3. I mentioned in my last letter on New Zealand forests, that my next would treat of Alford Forest singly. The importance of the subject must be my excuse for having delayed so long forwarding this letter; as I wanted to see for myself. Alford Forest may be said to be in the hands of private persons, or owned by a company, the latter possessing something like 3,000 acres of magnificent timber land ; the other sections running from 20 to 200 or 300 acres, I believe. The Government possesses still some bush land, but it is of inferior description, and less accessible than the other—for the present, we may say, inaccessible. Therefore, to gain my object, I must convince the owners that their interest is to plant as they go on clearing—since no law can compel them to do so. lam on the spot, and I have already heard more than one owner of bushland say—“ Ah ! there is an easier way to make the land pay ; I don’t care how soon my bush land is cleared, etc.” To convince such persons is no easy task; one false statement would destroy scores of forcible ones in favor of tree planting. In fact they must bo forced to plant, and, as the sequel will show, I will not hesitate to advise measures that would compel bush owners to plant, say, one acre for every five or ten they clear; convinced that lam advocating their cause and forwarding their welfare, as well as serving the district at large, although it may not be seen by some for a few years to come. For those of your readers who are not acquainted with this part of the country, it may not be out of place to state that Alford Forest is a birch forest —a few white pines being met with here and there Now, as the owners of small bush sections are not generally rich men, no doubt they would willingly exchange their birch trees for black, red, or white pines if they could.

It is true that such timber could be turned to account at once for building purposes, but I think that the time is not far distant when a birch forest will be more valuable than one composed of pines. My reason for thinking so is that with the formation of the railway to the West Coast such timber will be brought in any quantity at very low rates, whilst birch is a far less plentiful description of timber, and where shrinking is not greatly objected to, no better wood can be obtained in New Zealand for strength and durability. Years ago a Commission was appointed by the Canterbury Provincial Government, I believe, to inquire and report on the different kind of colonial timbers moat suitable for bridges, railway sleepers, telegraph posts, etc., and the birch was selected as the most suitable tor such work. The opinion of the Commissioners is backed to this day by all the most experienced architects and builders, and, as our network of railways extend, a greater demand for that particular description of timber will be created. That our ranges of hills are well adapted to its growth is proved by the standing timber which can only be surpassed by the birch trees of Oxford bush—and millions of young birches can be had to plant out where the bush has been cleared. Now, it is well worth noticing that the New Zealand forests when interfered with, that is when the under - wood is cleared and daylight admitted, the standing timber suffers, but this is not the case if the young seedlings are transplanted and treated as other forest trees would be in a plantation. The birch can then at a comparatively small expense be successfully planted here in its genial soil, and mixed with other useful forest trees. What is now a noble estate may pass to the next generation a still more valuable property. But as I will treat of the rearing of trees at a future date, I need not enlarge on the subject at present. We have now the only remaining maiden birch forest within many a mile of Ashburton : that is to say we have the most suitable timber for all works requiring strength and durability combined. We have also land well adapted to its growth, and millions of young trees ready to hand. With such advantages and the premium offered byGovernment for tree planting, I think timely advice ought to open the eyes of a few of our bush owners. Before going further, however, let us look around us and see how the oilier forests in or about the Canterbury district have fared. Taking Alford Forest as a centre running in a southerly direction a distance of 75 miles, we come successively to Peel Forest, Geraldine, Kakahu, and Waimate Bush. Taking them in the order named, and studying the question from a business point of view, we are led to the following conclusions : that Peel Forest has still abundance of timber, but not equal to what Alford Forest can boast of; that cartage is costly, and the probability of a line of railway overcoming that difficulty far remote, whilst the loop line joining the Methven and Mount Somers termini is, and has been for a long time, talked of. The fact of large quantities of timber having found its way from Alford Forest to Ashburton and Methven, to be again carted or railed for miles around these centres, whilst little or no timber trade has been carried on from Peel Forest, proves the truth of the fact I am advancing. We are obliged, also to come to the conclusion that the Geraldine Bush has been wantonly destroyed, and is now a thing of the past. I have not visited it for several years, and then there was enough timber left to convince one that there had been once a bush. The first time I visited Geraldine I arrived rather late on a very warm summer’s evening, and after tea I expressed my intention of having a look at the bush. My hostess was in a terrible state of anxiety. “ Don’t go, sir, at this time of night; if you enter the bush you will never find your way out again.” I did enter, nevertheless, and came out again without the least trouble, and any child could have done the same. At one time, no doubt, it was of a noble extent, and fine trees were plentiful, which, with a good road leading to Winchester, accounts for its very prompt dsstruction ; but if it had been properly husbanded, and tree planting carried on, what a source of wealth it would have been for the district in a few years. My hostess evidently was a native of the place, or at. least a very old settler, •uid saw things with the eyes of twenty

years ago. For her Geraldine Bush was still a virgin forest; for your correspondent it was b. small patch of timber, promising at a very early date to exist only in the recollection of the early settlers. Geraldine Bush is a thing of the past. Oxford Forest people, take warning in good time! We arrive now at the Rakaia bush ; I visited it not very long ago, it is composed of mixed timber, mannkau, broad-leaf, black pine, kawhia, fuschia, matapo, etc. If birch trees are to be found, I have not seen them, at any rate they do not form the bulk of the standing timber. There, also, daylight is seen everywhere, transit is difficult, and although it may supply the wants of the district for some years to come, it will never interfere with Alford Forest; the description of timber is different, and cartage still more costly than from here —at the present day. At last we reach Waimate, 75 miles or thereabouts from here. There is not the least doubt that one of the noblest estates in South Canterbury will have past away when the last stick of timber shall fall under the bushman’s axe. At Waimate, wanton destruction, want of foresight, and fires have combined to produce such an early ending ; and the same tale will have to be reported about all our forests as long as the Government do not sell the bush land in thinly timbered districts,

with the proviso that tree planting must be carried bn at the same time as bush clearing. The Waimate bush was sold as Alford Forest has been to private persons in that neok-and-crop fashion which leaves purchasers at liberty to do what they like with it. The timber was suitable for building purposes; Timaru was growing in importance as well as other places easy of access ; saw-millers set to with a will, and having railway facilities carried on a roaring trade. To make the most of the bush was their only object. Then fires came to complete the work, and at this moment 300 or 400 acres of bush is all that remains of a once splendid forest. The bulk, if not tbs whole, is in the hands of one firm, and I am not far out when I state that the whole of the remaining timber will be down within two or three years. Therefore, Geraldine and Waimate, two of the finest forests in Canterbury, two of the most handy of approach for the settlers of the plains, are things of the past. Many, no doubt, of your readers have visited both places, worked

in both, drawn good wages for a week’s hard work in both forests, and no doubt have heard people say, what I say to-day. The largest forests can not last for evtr, if you do not plant as you clear. The question is—does timber rearing pay ? and is a plentiful supply of useful timber a source of wealth to private persons, and the district where grown ?—do saw-mills give abundance of . work to those who have no trade, but strength and will?—has not timber proved at nearly all times a safer investment than grain growing?—and are not forests at Home considered the most valuable estates? To all these questions I will answer most emphatically, Yes. And in Geraldine and Waimate, the time will come when the inhabitants will find that they have “ killed the goose that lays the golden eggs." Let us take warning by others mistakes—do not let us listen to such talk as I have heard —“Alford Forest will last longer than me.” “ I will be in my grave and forgotten before daylight is made through the bush. ” Such talk is nonsense. The Waimate bushmcn talked so, the Geraldine bushmen talked so; yet both forests are cleared and many of them are yet full of s»p, and trouble will never bring back its reward, some even are not aware of the very handsome inducement the Government offers —those I cannot blame. I can only hope to convince them that they are following a suicidal line of conduct. I will conclude this letter with the fob' loving remarks (1) The forests surrounding ours, with the exception of Oxford bush, are not birch forests. There-

fore, at no distant date, a large demand for the description of timber we are possessed of is certain to take place. (2) All the forests named in my letter are worked out, or nearly so, with the exception of Peel Forest; and the timber to be met there is inferior to ours, or else of a different description. (3) Should the inhabitants exert themselves to obtain the loop-line of railway from Methven to Mount Somers, they would have rail carriage to Tinwald, and from thence southward—also to Rakaia and from thence Northward therefore, not an inch of the timber now rotting in the bush need be wasted, as even firewood could then be carried from hero at a cheaper rate than from any other place. Once more let us benefit by the errors of others; the less forests there are around us the more valuable becomes our own. Let us husband it jealously; let us plant as we clear. I have been southward as far as I intended to go. So far, I see nothing fo prevent—as soon as the loopline is made—our monopolising, to a great extent, the timber trade (timber of the description we have) as far as Timaru, or even Waimate are concerned. To the north we have Oxford, possessing the same timber, but of finer description. The bush was sold without any proviso, therefore to saw, split, and cart away as fast as possible is the order of the day. Apres moie la Jin du monde tells us, in a few words, the feeling of those who work in such a reckless manner. I cannot blame them in all cases. Many have little or no capital. Rent or the Ebase; money must be got out of the as soon as practicable. Many have no knowledge of forest trees, and think only of the expense—as far as Ashburton is concerned, at any rate. (4) The bush land where cleared, is, after all, only of medium quality, more fit for depasturing than growing cereals, but well adapted to the growth of timber. (5) That for every acre planted in forest trees the Government is prepared, on certain conditions, which I shall mention in my next letter, to give- two acres of land. (6) That abundance of depasturing land is to be had in our district on reasonable terms, and already cleared—too much so; so that those who' object to forest tree-planting may be suited, without depriving the coming generation of one of its greatest and safest resources.