TREES TO PLANT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 4 March 1908, Page 6

TREES TO PLANT.

! Dry hot weather, no less than wintry winds, makes settlers appreciate the shelter of plantations, and many of those whose homesteads are in exposed situations, as well as those unfortunates who have had their surrounding trees destroyed by fire, will take" steps during the coming season to plant shelter belts, and will be glad to have sound advice regarding the best trees to plant. The book on the subject by Mr H. J. Matthews, chief Government forester, is, on the whole, a reliable guide, though two or three of the author's recommendations have been adversely criticised by practical arboriculturists. The few subjects of dispute, notably the catalpa, may safely be omitted from consideration. Some .useful hints are also to be gleaned from that officer's latest report, which is included in the annual report on State nurseries and plantations by the Under-Seci-etary for Lands, to be obtained from the Government Printer, price one shilling. Mr Matthews's answer to the often-asked question, What kind of trees do best? is that all the species grown at each of the State nurseries are generally suitable for that particular district, provided the individual requirements of each species are duly considered. It is impossible, of course, to state absolutely whether any particular species is altogether suitable. Soil, aspect, elevation, rainfall, shelter or exposure, time of planting, and weather experienced during planting, are dominating factors for success or failure, and some of those conditions vary more or less even in a single acre. Amongst the hundreds of species of trees grown in New Zealand, Mr Matthews can only name with certainty two examples which will thrive in any position or soil (except swamps) and in any portion of the Dominion from sea-level up to the limit of tree-growth — viz., Pinus ponderosa and its variety, Pinus Benthamiana. So far as his experience goes these trees have never been injured by frosts, heat, drought, or insect life, while thriving specimens may be seen on such dissimilar lands as pure sea-sand, pumice, gravel, heavy moist or dry clay, to almost solid rock. Amongst the pine family, however, Pinus Luricio (Corsican pine) is regarded as the species most generally iwliiptod for extensive planting; the seed is cheap and easily raised, and the timber is of excellent quality. Its drawbacks arc difficulty of transplanting and, in Homo sil nations, susceptibility to spring frosts ; iit some plnces it suffers from abkpmco of moisture, but in other dry localities it hna succeeded, even on pure gravel. Tho larch generally does well in the North Island in ~a northern aspect, while in the South Island generally larch planted on lands with a northern aspect would certainly result in failure; a degree of moisture is essential to this tree. The tree which has hitherto proved the most useful of all for shelter planting, the Pinus insignis, is not mentioned in the report under notice ; it grows quickly ar»<3 in almost all situations, and though its timber is not of high quality it is very useful for farm buildings and similar purposes. The eucalypti also have proved too valuable to be discarded ; Robinia pseudo-acacia and Sequoia sempervirens (California redwood) have ako given good results in limited plantings; «nd there are many other trees which have done sufficiently well to warrant their use for plantations. There are few districts too remote to be within the sphere of influence of a State nursery or plantation, or where

a considerable variety of trees has not been planted, and intending planters cannot do better than inspect these, and observe how the various species thrive under conditions most approximate to those prevailing in the areas intended to be planted, selecting those which appear most successful. It must be observed that thorough preparation of the ground and adequate cultivation and care after planting the young trees are absolutely essential to the success of the plantation.