FORESTRY REPOHT

Hokitika Guardian, 16 November 1920, Page 4

FORESTRY REPOHT

Mr it, £>. Galbraith, Conservator of , State Forests (Commissioner of Crown Lands ior # Westlaud) reports : As anticipated in last’annual report, the output of sawn timber for the twelve months ending 31st March, 1920, shows a considerable increase, being 48,202,000 sup. ft. or 8,061,900 ft over the previous year: this is mainly due to more labour being available owing to the return of men from the late war. About 85 per cent of-Lhis output was rimu, the balance being mostly white p-,ne, with a small quantity of brown lurch (Fagus fusca). About 15*000,000 feet of the total cut has been taken off freehold and 33,190,300.0 ff Crown and endowment lands. Shipping facilities have been satisfactory,.and although at times, owing to scarcity of boats, millers had very largo stocks oil hand, .1 believe no mill had actually to stop cutting for lack of storage space, and at the close of 1 the year stocks on hand would not ex- | teed 3,000,000 ft. The sawmilling industry in Westland is generally in a very flourishing condition ; the demand for timber exceeds the supply, and if labour were available to fully man all the mills the output could In increased by .probably 20,000,000 ft yearly. There are forty-four mills, five or which are not working at present; besides these two large mills have just been completed, and several small mills arc in course of erection. Only oiie sawmill area and reservation has been so far taken up-in State forest in Westland—viz., 630 acres in the Kanieri Survey District, near Rimu. .This has been recently granted to a company of discharged soldiers, but they have not yet started cutting operations. Until the Proclamation of the provisional State forest areas in May last this was the only State forest in the land district. These provisional State forest areas at present include nearly tlie ■ whole of the Crown lauds in Westland, and it is anticipated that most of the national endowment lands will shortly be similarly proclaimed. There has been an unprecedented demand for timber areas during the past year, some 40,000 acres having been taken up under the Mining Act, most of this area being first-class bush which would yield some '20,000 sup. ft. per acre. Some bush lands supposed to have been cut out years ago are also being taken up again by small parties, much smaller timber being now cut than would formerly have been considered profitable. Exclusive of those deemed to be goldfields revenue under section 148 (a) of the Mining Act, the following rents and royalties have been received (they are not, however, paid to State Forest Account) : From national endowment land, £8,365 0s 3d; from Crown lands,__ £49 16s sd; from other endowments, £3 12s 6d; total, £8,418 9s 2d. Prices obtained for timber show a considerable rise from last year, the following being realised f.o.b. at Greym'buth: Rimu—clean heart, 245; clean, 18s'; ordinary building, 14s. White pine—12in and over, 23s 6d; under 12in. 22s 6d; seconds 17s 6d; seconds for. fruit - * cases, 15s. Any estimate as to the length of time that the niillable timber in the district will last is necessarily only a very rough one as there are no very definite data to go by ; hut I consider that at the present rate of output tliert will be enough accessible timber for from thirty to forty years. During the past year no milling bush has been destroyed by lire in this district. The only timber formerly considered of little use for which the demand is increasing is brown birch (Fagus fusca) which is chiefly used for bridge work and m connection with mining. Silver-pine is becoming scarce, though always in good demand for sleepers, posts, etc. DEPARTMENTAL ACTIVITIES. WELLINGTON, Nov. 12. A complete system of organisation for the Dominion in forestry work has just been approved. It involves the division of the whole country into seven forest regions, each in charge of a conservator of forests, to be the executive officer for his territory. The regions are:— Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, (including Taranaki and Hawke’s Bay, and corresponding roughly with the Wellington military district), Nelson (including Nelson and Marlborough), Westland, Canterbury and Otago (combined in one) and Southland. The regions are further subdivided into forest districts, each in charge of a ranger. That is the territorial organisation. In addition a civil engineer is being retained by the Department. His work will be the investigation of forest products and their utili-i 1 sation, new uses for wood, the elimination of waste, and the utilisation of waste products in the way of distilling wood alcohol and producing tannin. Demarcation work is to be in the hands of surveyors. There is also to he an increase of activity in the way of forest planting. An officer will lecture to farmers’ unions, and assist by giving advice on methods of planting and costs. This is all part and parcel of the scheme of encouraging planting by farmers and local bodies.

An increase in the activities of the Department has already taken place. Demarcation is to begin in the Omahutu and. Waipoua kauri forests in the Far North, as soon as the personnel of the Auckland region staff has been secured by the Public Service Commissioner. Mr McGregor, of the Auckland University College, is engaged on forest investigation work in the life history of the kauri, and the application of the. facts secured to economic conditions. Mr Foweraker is doing the same thing with regard to the trees indigenous to the West Coast of the South Island. Officers of the Department have just completed a general reconnaissance of-the country from the Urewera to Hicks Bay. This has been found to be very valuable. Their reports should be avalablo very soon .

The last season’s work at the Rotorua State nurseries has included, among other things, the preparation of 1300 acres for planting, and the planting of one and a half million trees. Here also eight and a half million seedlings nere raised this spring, and are being brought to a suitable size for planting cut next winter. A feature oFthe Department’s work which has gained great popularity among farmers, is the distribution of trees at cost price, and the advice and instructions given to intend-

jug planters. Under this scheme 215,000 trees have been distributed to farmers in the North Island during the past winter. Soldier settlers have received even more consideration. The Department lias, during the present season, distributed to bona lido applicants, ircc of charge, 63,000 trees.