FORESTEY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1664, 16 September 1887, Page 3

FORESTEY.

Acoording to official information supplied to the Wellington " Post " tbe State Forest department did substantial i work during the past year. The income i for the year ended 31st March was eßtimated m the report of last year at £3500, < but not withstanding the depressed oon- i dition of the timber trade, the amount i actually received was £3874, of which 1 one-half was paid during the last quarter 1 of the financial year — that is, since the i new regulations came into force. If the i coat of the agricultural eeotlon be deducted i from the total expenditure, the outlay on ( forestry proper for the latt year exceeds c the inccm9 by the Bom of £845 only, t Forest revenue ia derived solely by royal- I ties on timler, end as theEe are extremely 2 low— only threepence per 100 ft Buper- t ficial for ihe common kindß— it la obviouß a that no hindrance ia thrown m tha way c of the converter- The total expenditure v for the year amounts to £5770. Of this r amount £1261 has been spent upon con- 1 servation and £2181 upnn plantation*, t Progress is being mad« at the Waogarei I School nf F»reity for getting into order t about 1900 acres, of the main reserve. It { has been determined to commence the formation of plantations on reserves at Gimmrrburn, m tne |Manlototo dißttict where it it intended to plough and Balsiil £ about 200 aorea thiß aeason and erect abuut a four m'!B3 of fencing. The land will be B planted with red and cider gums, and Btibse quently a further area will be plan td ' with EDgliah oak and aeb, and sundry s quick -growing plnee. Tbe reßorvcg are n situated m euoh a position tha» ir will be I posaib'e to irritate porlionaof them during r the summer at btnall expense. The chief t conservator states that it would be h difficult to over-rate the value of planta- v tionß m this district, if looked at simply from a climatic point of view. The con- 7 tinuoua droughts of summer, and the j. exoeeslve frosts of winter, would be c mitigated, and great facilities afforded for t the advances of agriculture From a <l commercial point of view the advantages q would be equally great. The cost of fire c wood and fencing stuff is so high that ( even the first thinning of the plantations > would find a ready market, while an lm- 4 portant item of freight would be prepared \ for the railways of the future. It is ~ estimated that the foreat revenue for the ' year ending 31st March 1888 will amount to £4800. Should trade exhibit any marked improvement a larger cum may be i anticipated.