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Hokitika Guardian, 17 March 1928, Page 2

It '"'onld appear from the experience gleaned at the State Forest nursery in the past four or five years, that much advance will be made in reafforestation york in Westland from now on.

During the preliminary period a good deal of experience lias been gained as to local growing conditions, and there is now more knowledge as to tile kind of pines to introduce. There is also a better understanding a.s to planting conditions. The nursery area, at Back Creek is in very pleasing trim, and there can lie no doubt as to the quantity of young trees' that can be produced. The nursery is in excellent, or<li r and in good trim for large prodtlrt..oll. There are many thousands of .Noting trees coming on, growing in well kept beds the evenness of the growth in point of fact being very striking. Eioin the experience in the recent past there is now a surer knowledge as to the more proper kinds of trees to plant. The information now gleaned is leading to certain trees hitherto .mown, being dropped and greater concentration on the growth of kinds luUiicl to be better for the local soil and conditions. Experiments are sti.i going forward as to trees for swamp and day lands, and a good deal 01 knowledge is being discovered in Ike work from year to year. I’ines and eucalypti are the chief kinds of timber in view, ami when it is considered half a million trees were planted out last year, and three-quarters of a million will bo planted out in the coining planting season, it will be realised that reafforestation work is proceeding apace. The manager avers that there is a very high percentage of strikes, so tlisll the natural loss is but trilling. If the growing trees cun be saved from fires then in the fulness of lime a new forest will generate. In connection with this work too much attention cannot he given to the growing of the right kind of tree—the one which will prove the most profitable from the economic view point, for the cost of reafforestation, it is palpable, is very great. Quality is oven of greater consideration than quantity in the final value of Liu- now forest, and on that account the careful work and research lioing carried on at the nursery cannot be. commended too highly. Now Zealand seems to he committed to an expensive service as far as experience lias gone, and it is time more was being shown for the expenditure. On that account there is a good deal of criticism, and it is for the officers to show that the future can lie looked to with greater confidence a.s to the reality of the results, when ibe afforestation police is in full swing, as it. now should lie, after the long preliminary period.