Afforestation.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 June 1922, Page 4

Afforestation.

ENCOURAGING PRIVATE PLANTING. WELLINGTON, Al.-ry 31. The Director of Forestry (.Air .Macintosh Ellis) states that his department it extending its' etiergies in tiie direction of encouraging private forest planting. The demand for planting stock from the State nurseries is rapidly increasing, and settlers are advised to send in-their orders before. July to avoid disappointment.

The stock is grown on poor land at an elevation of from 51)0 feet to 1500 left a hove sea level" from carefully selected seed, and is very hardy, although somewhat smaller than trees of the same age grown in wanner climates where there is a longer growing season. Seeds of all the principal timber producin'' species are usually stocked, and can he supplied. to those desirous of raising their own planting stock at reasonable pr ices. AVliere possible, seeds are collected under" thg supervision of capable and experienced officers, pi .the service from selected trail it by trees, imported kinds are obtained from the best known sources. The selection of the species depends ml the ultimate requirementx of the, settler and on the .suitability of the silvan d (piiilily of the soil. Mr Ellis recommend-, the planting m hardwoods. “Last year.’ lie s:IM L “approximately for .hardwood timber that could have been grown in the North-.lsland, and with the development of .tyilip-clcptric schemes, the demand for transmission pules , alone will m a few years easily double the value of the imports.” . , On tlm State plantations with wages at. 15s a.,day, the cost of clearing, digging pits and planting with tut spacing is.almut £3 per Qr charges clearing is tlie highest, and as settlers will have little of this work to do the maximum cost ol labour in es-

tablishing a plantation should not exceed A'2;per acre. To this has to >" added the cost of the tives. Actual experience demonstrates that when pm'iting at the interval named, about Ltd'l trees pet acre are required at a maxiimim cost of C*> 4?, and at Ift intervals, 2800 at a cost of till 4s. Ibis is owing to the contour of the land planted and. the slope measurement being taken between the tows and trees. H tlie trees are spaced Iff apart, tho-cosi of pitting and planting,'would I" a iinit doubled. Mr Ellis says the royalty value will have increased at least 100 per cent in. from. 33. to .5(1 years’ time, lie estimates tin* values oil a roy'.l.'. iifisist’a- juutts rttdinlo 38 years £2Y) i-> "L'soo per acre'; eucalyptus same age £50!) to Clsoo per acre: Douglas fir •><> years £SOO to £10(10 per acre, and redwood .same age £750 to Cl-iOd per at re.