AFFORESTATION

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 56, 30 November 1926, Page 5

AFFORESTATION

GOVERNMENT PLANTING WASTE LANDS.

The activities of the State Forest Service in the planting of the waste lands of the Dominion is referred to in a letter from the Commissioner of state Forests (Mr. L. M. Ellis), replying to a remit from the Farmers’ Union, referred to him by the Minister of Lands, •‘That this conference considers it advisable for the State Forest Service to acquire for afforestation purposes the Mock of waste manuka-scrub country on the north bank of the Waimakann River, and lands of a similar cbaractoMr. Ellis savs that it is just such class of lands that' the State Forest Service is now planting to the extent of 18,000 acres per annum. "There are, I am aware/ he continues, “a great many email areas of waste lands in various localities in the Dominion, but it would not be profitable for the State to undertake the afforestation of such, though local bodies and private persons very often could do so. "You will be interested to hear that within the last few years the Government has made over to local bodies several areas of land not suitable for ordinary farming, and the vesting proclamations have contained provisions that the areas should bo planted with suitable commercial forest trees.

“It is gratifying to ine to find that the New Zealand Farmers’ Union appreciates the importance cf afforestation. and the union may rest assured that the Minister in Charge of State forests will do all that is financially possible to carry out such activities as consideration of the State’s future requirements demand."