AFFORESTATION.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17469, 1 June 1922, Page 3

AFFORESTATION.

ENCOURAGING PRIVATE PLANTING. (special to "the ritEss."j WELLINGTON, May 31. The Director of Forestry (Mr Macintosh Ellis) states that his department is extending its energies in the direction of encouraging private forest planting- The demand for planting stock from the State nurseries is rapidly increasing, and settlers are advised to send in their orders before July to avoid disappointment.

The stock is grown on poor land at an elevation of from 500 feet to 1500 feet above sea level from carefully selected seed, and is very hardy, although somewhat smaller than trees of the same age grown in wanner climates where there is a longer growing season. Seeds of all the principal timber producing species are usually stocked, and can be supplied to thoce desirous of raising their own planting stock at reasonable prices. Where possible, seeds are collected under the supervision of capable and experienced officers of the service from selected healthy trees. Jmported kinds are obtained from the best known sources. Tho selection of the speci-us depends on tho ultimate requirements of the settler •and on the suitability of the site and quality of the soil. Mr FJlis recommends the planting of "hnrdweods. "Last year," he said, "approximately £500,000 was paid to Australia f'o" hardwood timber that could have been grown in the North Island, and with the development of hydroelectric schemes, the demand'for transmission poles alone will in a few years easily double the (value of the imports." On the State plantations with wages at 15s a day, the cost of clearing, digging pits and planting with Oft spacing is about £3 per acre. Of these charges clearing is the highest, and as settlers will have little of this work to do the maximnm cost of labour in establishing a plantation should not exceed £2 per acre. To this has to be added the cost of the trees. Aciual experience demonstrates that when planting at the interval named, about 1300 trees per acre are required at a maximum cost of £5 4s, and at 4ft intervals, 2800 at a cost of £ll 4s This is owing to the contour of the land planted, and the slope measurement being taken between the row's and trees. If the trees are spacad 4ft. apart, the r>ost of pitting and. planting would ho about doubled. Mr Ellis says che royalty value will have increased at least 100 per cent, in from 83 to 50 years' time. He estimates the values on a rovnlty basis as pinus radiata 33 years £250 to £SOO per, acre; eucalyptus same ace £SOO to £ISOO rer acre; Douglas fir 50 years £SOO to £IOOO per acre, and redwood same age £750 '•Q £ISOO per acre. !