FOREST PRODUCTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 September 1921, Page 4

FOREST PRODUCTS.

POSSIBILITIES IN' NEW ZEALAND. An address mi tlu> utilisation of forest products wns given I> y Mr A li. Eiitrican, Engineer of Eoresl I’iodiicts under the Stall- Ernest Service, in flu 1 hull of 11 10 Chamber ol (oinnieice, Cliristi-liuill, lust work. Mi .hum's Demis (president of lho ( oiileibiirv llrnnoli of the New Zealand Eorestry League) presided over n Inir a n nee. The chiiii'inmi s-.i il l I lint the Cqinnluonl's policy ot arranging for lectures on forestry wns a very good one, and the piddle should support the Dcpartineiit’s ellorts. Mr Kntriean said that the idea weto increase the utilisation ol' loiest production. The only eountri that waworking her foK'sts within tlie limits ol their annual gr«wth was Sweden, which wuiiild not have to call on her capital forest resources lor many years. New Zealand, on the other hand, was working on her capital as far as her forests were eoiieerued- Ihe capital n soon es were Heine drained, and unless the process was stopped they would disappear. The first step in forest utilisation was when trees were fifteen or twenty years old. according 10 the species. In New Zealand there were losses from the growing tree to the sawn timber. h.ven in liic mills there were losses. Timhers were ordered in live feel ii)i in twenty feel lei)u;tl l > where thev mi-lit he ordered in three feet length-. Pieces sent to slab!ieat>s in New Zealand mills wore too ]nroe. The tendency in the mills was to Imni for foci stolid only. lo America and Canada muon sawdust was used, and slabs were saved lot Us did purposes. Lust tear L'dU.d'lU worth of handles- - pick handle-, hrooiii handles, shovel handies and so on--were imported into New Zealand. All ol them could have been made in this country.: not one ot the American and Canadian handles need he imported. About C7IIOO wortli of shinnies came into New Zealand every year, and they could he made in the conn try, as kawhaka timher possessed all the properties icC|uired for shinnies. The wood wool industi v w ould deal with w aste limher. Wood wool ouulcl be used for all kinds of packing, and own tor surgical dressions- The wood ois.tdlaturn iiidus,i.\ had not been established in New Zealand. but experiments had heeii miule in the North Island to lest its ehanees here. The overhead charges on a small plant were heavy, but il a market was found for the charcoal the Industry could he carried oil sueeessl ally in certain suitable districts. Inquirio- had |,ccn made as to the production ol imp oil ine Irom kauri lops, limbs and slumps, and it was hoped that ui'.tlll.aiely tin’ whole ol iho Dominion ; lurpeiitioo would he supplied bn idly, lie explained Ihe proeo-.-e* ia the maiiiilaetoie ol wood pulp, ami sa.d lhat test - of New Zealand timber ill Kmjhuid showed that they would produce a satisfactory paper. The economical point of ihe experiment still had lo ho decided. The importations of veneers into New Zealand were large, and im|tiiries had heon made as to the pos-ihilil vof making veneers in C (oiinliv .More attention should he uivt-n to seasoning and preserving limber. lo eoneliision, Mr Entriran referred to the quantities of printing paper, furnituie and otliei articles impelled into New Zealand, and said that the total importations ol tnresl produeis represented C 1 ,t>*i >,i SIJ a year. In reply to a question in regard u piiois insi —'ll is, lie said that it, in common with most ot the host growing timhers in New Zealand, olfered main d j Hieull ies as a building material. Some samples lie lnul seen made excellent building timber: other samplewere the poorest box timber. 'Mine was no doubt that it was subject n borer, and that it did not last wd> under giniind. Mark beech. Notholagiis fusca. lasted twenty years in the ground, and Nuthnlagus socamlri sixtoe n years. In reply to Dr .). Stevenson, MrEntrican siPid that the durability of white pin** might he aliened hy the altitude at which the trees grew. Native beeches that grew at a high altitude hail more durability than those that grew at a low altitude. V vote of thanks was passed to the lecturer, on the motion ol the chairman.