"PLANT A TREE!"
THE VALUE OF EXOTICS,
. In-ihc course of a paper read before the Foresty League in Wellington lost week, Mr. J. Orchiston said:— "The man who plants a tree works for posterity. Under existing conditions only a rich philanthropist can afford to devote land for the purpose of raising an artificial forest. . Beyond planting for shelter or ornament, practically nothing is' being" done by private enterprise, while every year the country is becoming poorer, from" a timber point of view. It is true the Government lias been planting some of the waste lands by mean 3 of prison labour, but so far such plantations do not represent an equivalent for the annual consumption of tho native forests. To ticccl'-rate th-> extension of fiiicli plantations by means of free labour would be ii costly undertaking, and the annual maintenance ''.barges would become a serioiiis item. "Seeing that there is every likelihood that all the available tim'yr in our native forcst-i w ; ll be worked out' in the next two or three decades, some enroura<'"nient should. 1" held out for those willing to set asid' a portion of their land for raising forest trees. I am of oirnion that it would be good policy on the part of th* Government to grant a snHl subsidy for every acre so planted; su"h «übsidv miffht.be spread over..a period of, say.'twentv-one years after planting, and the land so planted should be exempt from all rates and taxes, until it h".s reached the reproductive stage. S'mil'H'lv land held under Crown leases should have tli e rent remitted for anj portion so utilised. The State Fire Tn. snranee Department might also consider the question of insuring such plantations. no tn, s"V, one-h"lf of the assessed value at' the time of effecting tho insurance. "Whil" not deprecating the attempt to rehabilitate s orne of the worked-out native forests, • I am convinced after a 'eugthv and e'os* oWrvation of these forests', .from North Auckland tn Stewart Island, that, the planting of suitable exotics would be a better commercial proposition. Among the exotics, the ironbark of Australia bids fair to be one of the most valnaWe. No timber equals this wood for electric line poles, as it r r, nl l..inna the maximum, of strength and durability with the added advantage of a fairly Iraoid gm'.vth. There will be a big demand in New Zealand in future for poles in connection with the hydroelectric developments, as well asjor telegraph and telephone purposes. From all nccounls A.nstralin will cease' to exnort ironbark many years have passed. Another exotic well worth more attention is the ordinary inacrocrpa. wh'ch, if closely p'ni'ted and cared for. produces n. oond and durable timh«r suitable for building purposes, as well as fencing pr.cts. This tree will furnish marketable timber in a third of the time required bv anv of our indigenous trees. "Prolwblv the most su,'table of our native trees to plant for I'inber and general utility would be totara, kauri, red bireh kowhni. puriri. and pohutukawi. The firct four nr n fnjr'v hai'dy. and do "'"11 i'l both islands, but the' Inst two will not stand nm/'i' f''est. and in th(> southern end of the North Island will only thrive near the coast."
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 22, 21 October 1919, Page 3
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540"PLANT A TREE!" Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 22, 21 October 1919, Page 3
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