PLANTING THE SAND DUNES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2279, 21 May 1921, Page 1

PLANTING THE SAND DUNES.

Mr A. Hans,son (chief inspector of the Forestry Department) has just completed a tour of the South Island, and is now carrying out his inspection of the North Island. The first v r ork of importance undertaken will be the demarcation of the Waipu kauri forest, Mr Hansson leaves Wellington this week for the North, after which he goes to Wan-

ganui to inspect the upper reaches of the river. Rangers are to he appointed in all districts of the Dominion and district offices established.

11l the course of un interesting interview*, Mr Hansson stated that although he had had experience in planting sand dunes.in other countries, he had not yet had an opportunity of inspecting the dunes on the West Coast of this island. The department had commenced planting on the coast near the Manawatu river. Pinus insignis were the trees selected, and the venture was in the nature of an experiment, and to provide employment for unemployed men. Jt was necessary to experiment in small lots before embark-

ing upon a comprehensive policy of planting sand dunes. J 'in a- insignis wn> an easy tree to grow—it would grow almost anywhere; hut it was not considered of high quality as a timber. He had heard of it being used in house construction, but it did not last very long. The pinus insignis was a quick-growing tree, and the slower a tree grew Hie better it was for producing building timber.