The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Time. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1925. AFFORESTATION

Hokitika Guardian, 20 February 1926, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Time. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1925. AFFORESTATION

Somk in tort's l ini' observations tm the work recently oiirriot! out by tiio In- ’ vercargill Iknough Council tit Sandy Point Domain in tin endeavour to fix 1 1 10 sand dunes ttiul establish iorest |,l;tntation.s there to meet tlte ilemantls for timher supplies, when the present J natural supplies tire depleted, wore recently made by pro lessor Hut'll Corbin, professor of forestry at the Auckland I’niversit'y College. He loltnd that there tins no unanimity in regard to the project there. This was to he regietied, he said, as there could he no doubt hut that- the natural, forests were disappearing at an alarming rate. Continuing he. stated that a very useful kind of timher could he grown, and the fart that the forests were being out rapidly should make the people think to keep an eye on the future. In a few years at 'the present rale of progress the present trees would he out down and then? would he nothing to fulfill tilt? lerpiireinents of the population in regard to timher supplies. Two good points about the Sandy Point Domain vvhieli Professor Corbin mentioned were: Fiist. that a good class of tree could lie grown there, and seeond that it was near to the centre of utilisation of the timber. The prospect of success with this project lie considered to he more promising than in many other parts. There was a number of peop!\- who appeared to think that they know something of the intricacies of forestry for commercial purposes, hut it was a propoosition that lie would much sooner leave to an experienced man. and he should he allowed a period of years in which to carry out a comprehensive scheme. The reserves at Sandy Point were so aecessHile to the city that if the forests developed satisfactorily they would he highly remunerative in a comparatively short time. About I*o,ooo aer.es of land he considered adequate to .supply the needs of .Southland so far as timber was concerned. These forests should be put down immediately as it was no use waiting until the timber was required. It took 110 to 3o years to produce the trees to supply the timber, and for that reason one could not aflord to wait until all the forests were depleted. Other reserves round the town instanced the work that could he done, and the results that could be achieved. Pinus insignia. pTniis pinaster. (linns larieio. were all doing very well indeed. Another very important aspect of the establishment of commercial forests near the city was the question of freight. If jtheskj were established away from the centre where the timber was required, the cost- ot freight would make the price prohibitive. Perhaps the land was a I little more expensive hut the transportation of thousands of feet of timher over a less distance was going to more than compensate for the extra cost of the land and so make the business a. more profitable and satisfactory one for the parties concerned. “I would sav that the people of Southland should give the matter very close attention. specially as they have gone so far as to spend some money on a forest area.” continued the professor. “For evidence of the benefits to he derived you have only got to instance the fact that in many of the towns in European countries, the commercial forests which have been established have provided all the funds necessary for their enterpriser, such as tramway service, s,

iiiul various other public works, thus leaving the cities and towns concerned absolutely free of the necessity for rates and taxes. Run on proper lines it is an absolutely safe business proposition and 1 can assure you that it is not the case of an enthusiast suggesting something which is difficult of producing the results which I have just mentioned.” Professor Corbin, however, found that 1 lie work was not proceeding with the necessary speed. The only tree that he thought suitable for the sandy soil was flic pi mis pinaster as the sand in parts "was very poor and unsuitable for the insignis. The marram grass planted has been shoving results and all that was required was a proper mound built along the foreshore and planted so as to afford adequate protection for ibe plantations.