NATIVE TREES

Hokitika Guardian, 29 September 1933, Page 8

NATIVE TREES

NEED OF REPLANTING DIMINISHING QUALITY AUCKLAND, September 26. ! A plea for the preservation and scientific planting of New Zealand trees was made by Sir Edwin Mitohelson at the opening of native sipring flowers' at the War Memorial Museum. After praising tlve objects of the exhibition, Sir Edwin mentioned that I New Zealand and a variety of trees .'shrubs, flowers and ferns that could

be equalled by few countries. In the kauri she had the finest timber 'tree in the world. “Its quantity however, is rapidly diminishing,” continued the speaker, “and it will soon be a memory of tlve past unless the people in the whole of the Dominion will bring prssure "to bear upon the Government to preserve all of the great kauri reserves that are owned by the Pressure is being used to induce the Government to permit the dead trees in the great kauri forest in the Dargaville district to be cut. It that conceded, that will be the end of that forest.. From the knowledge.that D have gained, extending over 50 years, id the forking' of kauri bushes, once let the bushmen into a kauri bush to Work timber and tbe end of that bush Has arrived. The kauri tree is more susceptible to fire than any other tree. “Unforturately for our country, the. (Governments that have been in power since tree-planting was."initiated, have shown no desire to plant our native timber trees, the excuse being that they are ail, too slow of growth. They i fire probably slower of growth than many of the American and Canadian timbers, but I am satisfied that is some Of our New Zealand trees were planted s/entificnlly, as is now the custom ill forest plantations, they would grow fairly fast.”

Sir Edwin gave exapmles of kauri trees that were showing good growth under favourable circumstances. Other timbers that could be successfully grown wore rimu, which could easily * i.o reproduced on the West Coast of live South Island, mamuvao, puriii aiid totara. Good speciment of totara, selftown, could be, seen on the road from Kamo to Hikurangi. These ‘ showed good growth,,,, but were short in the barrel. Jf scientifically planted,, however, they would grow with straight ttfimsV Mangiao produced good timber for furniture and carriage building, find was one of the finest timbers in the world for gun stocks, .while kahikatea could be profitably grown for butter, boxes. ■

i ‘I would like, to impress on eVdry person in Nw Zaland how necessary it is to push forward afforestation in onr country,, as timber shortage is ,a tihing to dreads” said Sir Edwin. “May il also suggest,to out civic authorities the necessity of .phinting. through the Domain all-the. New Zealand trees Cab 'produce the food our pigeon, tui and other native birds like, so as to induce them to visit qgr very fine Domain.