NEW ZEALAND FORESTRY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 215, 9 June 1920, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND FORESTRY

■ Sir—l read with much intoreat your report of Sir David Hutchina's, lecture on. Now Zealand Forestry. In condemning our Government's past policy, has Sir David Hutchins gone very carefully into the subject? Ilns ho disoovored that thp bush lands of the North Island only carry an avorago of fifteen thousand feot of millablo timber and the South Island about an average of ten thousand foet to the acre, and that most of this land when cleared and in prasa will carry two snoop to tho aero nil tho year round? There is another poroti I particularly iwtoh. to Asm. attawa to, f*d thaJU&

Sir David's statement (if correctly TOported) that tho native trees of tho Dominion undor forest conditions -were of quicker growth than imported "trees under 'similar conditions. 'I' havo been much interested in this subject, and have watched tho growth of both for some fifty years, and my experience is that While imported trees planted from-thirty to forty years are to-day cutting out over 2C0.000 superficial I'cet of timber per aero, I do not know of one Now Zea-, land tree planted a similar period that is large enough to use for milling at' the present 'time. Therefore, the idea of saving tho existing young trees in bush areas that are being wit out, and replanting with other New Zealand trees, to mo .seems most ridiculous -iind unprofitable. I am quite certain ;thfit;this statement will 1)0 verified by any practical man of long experience. . . , If tho Government will speed'up their Forestry Department, andpltmt'tis they aro doing, imported trees- on-.tho -pumice lands, which are so suitable'. for this purpose, wo shall soon overcomi what might at the present moment ■; appear to lie a shortage in future supplies, but in every'case lot tho planting .be done with imported trees. Whilo in llotorua last month, I was surprised nt, Hie enormous growth of imported trees planted, there eighteen years ago, and nith this experience suro'.y tho Government know what trees to plant and which to ovoid. If not, any committee of practical experts could quickly dispose of .theoretical Mists and their impossible ideas as to the suitability of New Zealand trees for reafforestation purposes.-I am, etc., ,T. PlttJUbl/.