TREE-PLANTING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5026, 13 September 1926, Page 3

TREE-PLANTING.

POWER BOABD’Si SCHEME.

. MR MORRISON’S REPORT. Mr W. T. Morrison, Conservator of reported to the Thajmes ■ Valley Power Board oh the tree planting scheme at Waitakaruru as follows:— • The board, he understood, proposed to establish approximately 10 acres of new planting per annum, commencing this season, and ultimately planting up the whole 521 acre,si. This would carry the operations over a period of 40 years, allowing that about lOOracres would be occupied by firebreaks, etc. The ground being generally being stiff retentive clay it would pay to have a sufficient area ploughed and disced (two years ahead if possible) to accommodate the; 6800 treees which would constitute the annual planting operation. This could ' be accomplished by commencing with 20 acres this yea r and ploughing thereafter 10 ! acres each year. <The cost of ploughing and discing would ' probably be in the. vicinity of £2 per acre and would enchance growth 100 “■ per cent. The surface vegeta.tion should be burned off this year. He suggested the' erefction of approximately 120 chains of practically permanent fencing which 1 would enclose 160 acres. The fence would not require. moving for at least 15 years. If ten acres were fenced annually there would be an annually recurring . expenditure in removing and re-ere.ct-ing the fence. By the l'sth year 40 . chains of divisional fencing would ha.ve to be removed. The total cost of fencing as he suggested would be, £l2O, but if the fence had to be shifted from year to year £9O would have to be added to this. The species recommended for planting was the Euc. eugenipides (white stringy bark). -.These should be spread Bft apart, giving approximately 700 trees per acre. If the ground was thoroughly "broken and worked prior to planting . there should be little difficulty in establishing the trees. Later-on otner species could be introduced, but it would be necessary to carry out experimentaal planting_Wore the board committed itself tp extensive, plantings For the purpose of testing suitable varieties he would send a cbllec- " tion of trees this season provided the board could have them planted and provide adequate protection from damage by stock. The 10 acres per annum would give an annual cut of • *a similar area on a rotation of practically 40 years. In this connection he should advise increasing the rotation period as follows: Annual planting 15 acres, .annual cut 15 acres rotation period, 27 years. There’would be intermediate yields through possible thinnings or selected cuttings, but, basing the annual production yield after the 27th year at 300 to the acre the nominal production s* should be in the vicinity of 5400 poles annually. These figures differed slightly from those submitted by Mr Gourdie.