AFFORESTATION
PROGRESS IN NORTH ISLAND
LAST YEAR'S OPERATIONS
The official report on afforestation operations in the North Island last year states that an area of 1G33 acres was planted, bringing the total area of plantations in Hie Island to 21,792 acres. Tho trees raised from .seed during, the year numbered .'1,123,000. The forestry officers have raised over G0,000,000 trees from seed since they began operations in New Zealand. There were 4,128,000 young trees in the nursery on March 31 last. *
"Scarcity of labour has made, it impossible to enrry out much of the work that was planned," says the report. "Many returned soldiers have been 'em-, ployed, but except in a.few cases they remained for only a short time. Any oainp made for these men must necessarily be of a temporary character because ot the shifting nature of the work, and consequently there are discomforts which ir."iiy men are not prepared to face. Arrangements are now being made to improve the living conditions, because many returned men are not physically fit to rough it. A kitchen building of sufficient dimensions to accommodate- forty men when dining is being erected, and," although the men will lie required to live in tents, these are being provided with wooden floors, and ore reasonably comfortable. It is hoped that by making the conditions more attractive many returned soldiers will be induced to accept work on the plantations. The open-niv life and good climatic conditions obtaining in the Kotonia district havj a recuperative value which will probably be availed of by many returned soldiers. „
."The- results obtained with imported tree seeds last season - were very disappointing as regards the percentage of germination. Owing to war conditions, supplies of tree seels from abroad are. nioro costly and difficult to procure, and until some better'system for obtaining supplies is arranged it would be wise to restrict the imports (o bore necessities. In order to keep the prisoners employed and to provide for the employment of returned soldiers the tree-plant-ing could in the meantime be confined chiefly to pinus radiata, seeds of which can be got in abundance in the Dominion. Although many kinds of tree seeds can be collected, few are as plentiful as pinus radiata. and several of the kinds most needed by the Department cannot be got. Many species of eucalyptus can be, secured, and during last spring about Icwt. of seed of several species, comprising chiefly E. Macnrthuri, E. pugenioid.es,'and E. viminalis, were collected under the supervision of «n officer of the Department. Smaller quantities of cupressus Lawsoniana and uipressus niacrocarpa were also collected. Whilst the cost of collecting seeds from standing trees is greater than the price usually paid for imported seeds, the 'ecallysoved seed is cheaper in ihe .long-run because of the higher rate of germina l 'tiim.
"The number of trees sold to/farmers during the year was 261,000, or nearly double the number sold during the' previous year. Prom the continued increase in the demand for trees it is justifiable to conclude that the scheme is belli popular and successful. The wis-dom-of the Government in encouraging and assisting formers'to plant trees may rs\ bo generally ( felt at the present time, but it will not be many years before it is realiled that, the planting now beine done is of very great importance to the Dominion. Each farmer who plants a shelter-belt derives n direct benefit to himself therefrom, and if treeplnnting is undertaken by many farmers in a district the aggregate of this is of distinct benefit to the district from a climatic, scenic, and economic point of view. The valne'ol' the State's share in this work lies in the supplying of suitable trees, true to name and of the best strain, and thus ensuring the nlantinj* of only siich kinds a.s ore.valuable in their respective classes It has been found that the demand for tree seeds had to be met, and consequently stocks of a variety of seeds, nrincipiilly eucalyptus, have been collected.
"During (ho year Hio tree seeds sold aggregated about sGlb. in weight, end vern supplied in lew. packets. In the course of time, as the plantations mature, the Department will have more facilities for colloctintr tree seeds, and it is probable that this wilf become a very important branch of the work. For the coming season a variety of useful eucalyptus and conifers is being offered for fliile. "Eucalypt plants will be sold in traysi and it is honed that this method will not only enable the more difficult kinds to be successfully transplanted, but that it. will the plants arriving in their destination in a satisfactory condition. During the year prisoners performed work (o the value of ,£2522 15s. 2d.,, the overage earning per man being Jsd 17s. Gd,"
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Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 76, 24 December 1918, Page 6
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793AFFORESTATION Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 76, 24 December 1918, Page 6
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