A FORESTRY REPORT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2944, 2 December 1916, Page 14

A FORESTRY REPORT

-— &—. NEW ZEALAND COMMISSION CIUTICISED. ' An interesting publication just issued by. the West Australian Government is •'A Discussion ot Australian Forestry," by Mr. D. E. Hutchius. The main section of the book is an exhaustive report, critical and constructive, upon forestry-in Australia, with' special reference to forestry in Western Australia. Mr. Hutciiins throws a great deal of light upon the practice and prospects of forestry in many, lands, and his work seems to deserve the attention of all who have a practical interest in the subject. It should be'men-' tioned that Mr. Hutohins is one of the members of tho- British Association who visited Australia in 1914. The Chief Forestry Officer in England, in his letter introducing Mr. flutcnins to tho forest officers in. Australia,, wrote: "Mr. Hutciiins has probably had a wider experience in extra-tropical countries than any man living." & graduate of l'Ecole Nationale'des Faux fit Fq'rets, Nancy;, France, Mr. Hutehins began his forestry career in India, and subsequently served for many years in Cape Colony and in East Africa. Appendices to the book deal with forestry in New Zealand and in South Africa, the control of the rabbit post, and other matters. . Mr. Hutciiins offers some very free criticism of the.report of the New Zealand Koyal Commission on Forestry, which was presented in 1913. Judging by this report, he declares, "scientific forestry-in New Zealand has yet to begin!"- He condemns and-ridicules various findings of the Commission, and. takes as one of his section headings: "The Commission's report a burlesque." "Tlie fundamental mistake m'Stle by the Forest Commission," Mr. Hutciiins remarks, "is the assumption that it is sound policy for New Zealand to destroy its valuable natural forests and replace them by plantations of exotics. That is a complete reversal of the dictates of modern scientific forestry. No doubt exotic timbers have a most 'important part to play 'in the future forestry of New Zealand.' Exactlv what is tho part each should play— the natural forest and the exotic planting, is a matter which can only be decidod by foresters who make scientific forestry the business of ' their lives. Little light can be thrown on the matter by a hurried visit of six amateur foresters to the most important forest centres of New Zealand.'.' Mr. Hutchius thinks that evidence taken by the New Zealand Commission is useful.