Timber In Sandy Soil.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 June 1922, Page 1

Timber In Sandy Soil.

SUCCESS IN IVAIMEA COUNTY

NELSON, May 29

31,. W. G. Morrison, Forest Extension Officer for the South Island, together with members of the Wiumea County Council, paid n visit to Babbit and Best Islands (sandy soil), where tree-planting has been undertaken. On Best Island'll bout forty years ago pinna insignia and gum trees were planted. Thes have now grown to enormous dimension* .while there has been natural afforestation from the mother trees until at big area lias been covered, and some of the young trees also have reached milling size. The size of the older trees is such that they would produce about two thousand feet of milling timber. Finns iusignis and bluegum are doing equally well and pm»t\ of specimens of each must be close oil 150 feet high. Mr Morrison was immensely impressed with the growth, and several times remarked that such results could not be obtained in the South. On Babbit Island, plantations of pimis iiisignis. now six, seven, or eight years old, have made wonderful growth, reaching in some instances perhaps fifty feet high. The great lesson of the visit was the conviction of the vast possibilities ahead of the Countv Council when the whole of the island, some 2500 acres, is in pines and blucgums. That the trees will do well in sandy soil is beyond question. That there will be n pressing demand for timber in MU or lit years’ time is also beyond question, and that the County Council should institute a vigorous planting campaign is again beyond question. Looking into the lullin', it is not too much to say that the IVaimca County Council can obtain most, if not all. the revenue it will require from its timber planting instead of from rates. Mr Morrison, with his great exnerience in forestry matters, had no hesitation in urging the Council to go ahead with a big scheme of plantin r after seeing the remarkable results obtained in such a short time. Mr Morirson loft for the West Coast on Saturday morning. He will return to Nelson in July, when he will spend about a week in the district, meeting Ira ill bodies and farmers to urge planting schemes.