TIMBER LANDS.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 November 1925, Page 4

TIMBER LANDS.

SIR H BATON Rll ODES' TOCR. CNR IS.TC'I I I'lUTf. November 2-1. A lour of forest areas and lands suitable for torestr.v in .Marlborough, Nelson, and Westland, was made by llie Commissioner of State Forests, Ship Heaton Rhodes, and Mr Arclnto.sk Ellis, Director of Forestry, who returned to Christchurch yesterday.

Sir Heaton told a reporter hist night that he inspected areas near Queen Charlotte Sound, and crossing over to Pelnroiis Sound, he found that a good deal of land, suitable for forestry operations, had gone hack into second growth. In Nelson he saw areas which would have to ho acquired. The Government had so much Crown property already that the acquisition of the land depended very much on what terms were asked. ■■ Everybody I met von interested in afforestation,” lie said, “and anxious that a start should he made in tindistrict.”

The party, which also included .Mr A. Mc-Onvock, a forestry officer, then motored through the Buller Gorge to Hcotton and Hokitika. Sir Heaton visited the State nursery and experimental plantations near Hokitika, and found that progress was being made. It would he difficult, lie said, to decide what trees were the most suitable for the locality until the operations were extended. Some varieties were doing very well. A visit to the area near the Rimu gold dredge, showed that trees planted in the tailings were growing, and that the experiments wore evidently going to bring good results. Those trees would serve the double purpose of covering up unsightly areas, besides being valuable as timber. After looking through various sawmills. the party came hack to Christchurch via Otira Gorge.