GROWING POWER POLES

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5406, 3 April 1929, Page 2

GROWING POWER POLES

POWER HOARD’S EXPERIMENT.

THE WAITAKARURU PLANTATION.

Fostered to a certain extent by the reports of different officers of the State Forestry Department, concerning the best trees to plant for jise| as electric power poles, some members of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board have expressed doubts cO»c.ern-. ing the wisdom of proceeding wit the planting scheme. The matter was mentioned at t)ie last meeting, of the board by Mr H. M. Corbett, and it was decided’ that the full facts of the u’nc.ertaklng. be placed bqfore ’members, and that an Inspection o the plantation at Waitakaruru be made by the board. This inspection eventuated last week, those attending being Messrs F- M- Strange (chairman), F. E. Flatt, W. E. GWilly, J- Price, J. B. Thomas, GHowie, J. W. Anderson, R. Sprague (manager), and N- G - McLeod and JLindsay (engineers). On the way to Waitakaruru a visit of inspection was made to the condenser station at Turua and also to the feejder station at Kerepeehi. The boartl’a land, which is situated on the south side FaerqaPokeno highway about five miles west of Waitakaruru, comprises 520 acres of low hUls, most of which is ploughable. An adjoining section ownefl, by a Waitakaruru farmer m in good grass, showing that the soil is capable of being used to advantage. The programme was to ®l ant tclL acres of trees a Y ear for the thirty years, and it was estimated that by that time it would ,be possible to cut 3000 power poles annually. Up to the present 200 acres have been fenced. 54 acres ploughed apd dfisced, and 3.0 acres planted. The trees are planted in rows eight fept apart, and 680 gp to the acre;. Fire breaks will be necessary, and it « proposed to make these around every fifty acres. Planting was commenced late; in the 1927 season, but a severe hail-’ s.torm and several heavy frosts, and then the drought, killed about nan of the seedlings. In the following season the gaps in. the rows werq rer planted, and So gp»d was the take that members of the board had to search for. long distances nil Tuesday to find.gaps. Those that were found were probably gaps .that had been overlooked when the replanting was done. Last season’s seedlings are now from two to ten inches high, and those planted two years, ago were up to three feet high. As part of. the experiment some few seedlings were planted ip unploughed ground, as is done in other places, and though these showed the best last season, the wisdom of the board’s special committee in having, the land for the main crop ploughed and disced is now apparent. It is also apparent that it. is desirable to have the soil worked in the sepson prior tel planting, so that it may fallow and smooth down. Most of the trees so- far'planted, have been E. Eugenoides, and only a few hundred E. Gigantia and Fastigata Oblique have been experimented with, it being agreed by the officers of the State Forestry Department that these latter were not so suitable for poles. It otn the question of what sort, of timber to grow that the advice received by the board has been, so conflicting as to' raise the question of whethep- the project should be proceeded with. Muelleriana and Botrioides are the latest, recommendations. »

Tuesday’s inspection convinced members that the planting schema was proceeding on the right lines, and though it was natural that ther.e would be little to show for the first few years, there did not appear to be any reason for abandoning the. jroje;ct on the score of inability to cairy it to a successful conclusion, as had been suggested by one member at the last meetling.

After viewing the plantation the party motored on to Maramarua and inspected two plantations of Eucalyptus trees, which were; established eighteen years ago. Many of the trees had been cut for fencing posts and flrewocid, but numerous fine trunks showed that trees of the variety desirefl for power poles would gr.ow suitably. ‘

When ; the question comes up for iNseussion at the next meeting, ahd figures concerning costs, . etc., are made known, it will be unlikely that the board will abandon the work it has, commenced.