TREES AS GUIDES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 245, 4 July 1918, Page 7

TREES AS GUIDES

TO THE QUALITY 01)' LAM). In a paper by Mr. J. Orcbietou flato Chief Telegraph Engineer) on tho nuido that native trees arc as to the quality of tho land, that gentleman says:—"Tlio class of. trees growing in a, native hush indicates whether tho laud will readily grow grass when cleared. For instance, good, sweet land will be. covered with fruit-hearing trees, whereas tho treea standing ou cold anil indifferent land will consist of the cono or 6ee3-pod variety. The following trees and shrubs aro someof the friiitimr varieties invariably foiirol on ;'ood lari:—Matai or black pino (Podocarpiw ispicatus), miro (Podocarpu.s fornigineus), kahikatea or white pino (Podocarpus dacrvdioidos), totara. (Podnoarpus totara), tawti ((Belschmiedia tawn), tarairi (Bolsehmiedia farairi), Icarnka (Corynnciu'pus the different varieties of the coprosina family, etc. All the above are rarely found on poor land. .I.l' the bush wholly corsists of fruiting trees as indicated, it is fiafo to classify the land as first; claw. The non-fruitiiis trees consist principally of the manuka (Loptospcrmum Bcopariuni), tbu different varieties of the birch or beech such as thi! Fiitfiis Soliindri, ]•'. Menziopeii, F. Cliffortioidcs, kst.mnhi (Weiiiinannm raceniosn), tauhinu (Pomaderris jiliylicefolia), kauri fAsatliia anstralis), and tho different varieties of tho dacrydimns, olenrins. and heaths. Tf tho folr.agu wholly consists of this class of tree or plant life it is safe to reckon the land is onlv of third-class quality. Should tho bush bo a mixed ono of both fruiting and nonfrnitinp; trees, it may bo reckoned as BecomWclnss land. It is tnio that rinm or red pine (Dacrydium eupressinum) or tho rata (Metrosidr.ros lobiisla) may be found on good, bad, or indifferent land, but these are tho exception, and they art> mostly at their best on second-clats ground."