PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 239, 27 June 1918, Page 8

PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

GROWTH 01? NEW ZEALAND TfIEES. A meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society was held last night, when Mr. E. Phillips Turner, IYR.G.S., delivered an address upon the rate of growth of .New Zealand native trees. The lecturer said that the age of trees was a matter about which there had been considerable uncertainty. During the last two years a great' deal of. interest had been shown in the rate of growth, of our native trees, aroused mainly because of the statements of Mr. D. E. llutohins, formerly of the Indh'n Forest Service, who said that the chief New Zealand limber-yielding trees were as quick in growth as the chief timber trees of European forests, and. on that account our milling foresls should be subjected to regenerative, trentment.

In the exploitation of a forest, said Mr. Turner, one of the first duties was to ascertain the annual increment in the volume of the timber. After the permanent forests had been got into order, the iinnaal cut should not exceed the .\nnual volume of increment, otherwise H was not possible, except by replanting;, to have a continuous limber supply. In 1913, Mr. T. F. Cheesemnn, F.LS., !n the course of a paper on forestry, s&id thnt the average annual increment was oiio inch in 4.85 years. In nearly evefry instance the kauri occupied land of very low farming value, so that there-was not the same excuse for clearing it as there was for clearing white pine, which as a rule occupied more valuable land. The conservation of kauri forests had never been,properly tested. ■ The lecturer then went into, great detail .regarding the characteristics of the growth of various New Zealand trees, pointing out, as in the case of the kauri, that conservation was becoming more and more necessary. At the close of his address a short discussion ensued, after which Mr. Turner was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.