FORESTS OF THE FUTURE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1993, 25 February 1914, Page 4

FORESTS OF THE FUTURE.

MOW &■ WHAT TO PLANT, (fcy Telcgrftj)h,-Press Associstion.J ■ Auckland, February 23. The problems of reafforestation wero touched upon hy Mr. D. A. May in. tho eOnrse of a paper on "Forest arid' Ornamental 'fees for City Garden and For:est Planting," at the Now Zealand .Nurseries' Association's annual conference this afternoon. ; ' T^ r ' stated that reafforestation in New Zealand ha-cl been sadly neglected., and vast areas that were practically useloss could be turned .to profitable account by judicious planting and become :ii source of we.alth' to the State. While •feplii.ttti.iig the native species of "bush land: trees that havo served their purpose : iii tho past, and Btill exist in. limited iareas, they would ajso have a place to exotics. In tho faturo our commoreial forests would chiefly consist of the quickest-growing conifers. Eucalyptus or gums would b.e extensively planted. Gnins wero mostly of rapid growth, Were highly ornaitental, and would succeed on almost any soils'. "Experimental planting... in difV.rent localities throughout tho Domiiiion," he eontinned,, "is urgently required, in order to prove what are .the- best and most ■profitable trees for tho future. The selection of s.eeds for sowing is-of paTamount importance., and in evfcry inßtanco where plants aro produced from the seedlings, tho seeds should bo obtained from tho best tyne. _ The parent tree should be tho. most- vigorous and best of its kind." Proceeding, Mr. Ilav said that now that t3io planting of eucalyptus was So important, it. was absolutely necessary to obtain seeds from tho most suitable districts. . For, instance, seed's of the Tasnianiau variety should ho obtained fi'ois their original district, and not collected froin trees introduced and established in the warmer districts of New South Wrrles.