THE AFFORESTATION OF WASTE LANDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 25 August 1909, Page 6

THE AFFORESTATION OF WASTE LANDS.

Although a limited amount- of tree- ; planting is now being undertaken by the J State, much more is necessary in this "hn- ! portant national undertaking. Arbor ( Day is now practically unnoticed, save in very few districts, so that it is more than ever necessary that the Minister of Lands should see to it that areas of Crown lands at present lying waste are utilised by judicious tree-planting, thus making them bath ornamental and useful. It is difficult to overestimate the advantage to the community at targe of a -well-organised 6cbeme of tree-planting, whether regarded from a financial or utilitarian standpoint. Admitting that at takes many years before trees planted at the present time, such as the larch, the ash, the alder, etc., will be sufficiently matured to be of practical use as timber, this only points to the need for prompt action on the matter of forming more plantations, for by tbe time the** are ready for cutting the supply oi native timber will be very greatly reduced, if not completely exhausted. From the North Cape to Stewart Island bush areas are being cut out as fast as possible, and as settlement is extended the beautiful native bush -wall become a thing of the past. Before the advent of l/uropeans Nature had provided magnificent forests, •but the chief aim of the pioneer settlers seems to 'have been to get rid of the bu6h, bo that the land could be utifeed for other purposes, and many millions of feet of valuable timber have been destroyed by fire to make way for grain crops and grass. Sc vigorously has this work jot destruction • been ■ carried out that the climatic conditions have been changed, and the drying up of springs and the flooding of creeks and rivers a by the rushing from the bills of downpours of rain, wKob bad previously been retained by the native bush, and allowed to percolate slowly into water-courses, have warned the settlers that damage has been done which would take years to counteract. In addition to this it has been found that on a considerable portion of cleared bush lands in the North Island, and to fc smaller extent in Otago, the soil will not carry the crops bbat were expected, and large areas have been practically aban- . doned to fern and scrub. It is estimated that 10 years, will see the kauri forests . exhausted, vritbout reckoning the possibility of losses by fire, -which aTe of annual j occurrence. If the present rapid rate ; at which the country is being stripped of its forests is maintained the snpplv of other useful timbers will not be available much longer than kauri. Provision must therefore be made for future warits in the I shape of fuel and fencing material. Many i farmers have for years past done something in the way of planting trees likely \ to be of service to themselves in the near future, but this is a matter of «uch importance that it must be considered a | national undertaking, and carried out by i the Government. The ' preservation of bush-clad land is important in maintain- I ing and equalising a constant water_ sup- , ply, and -where tbe bush has been indiscriminately cleared near the sources of rivers and creeks steps should be at once taken to repair the damage already done. Good work ia being carried out in certain. . limited areas, but very much more planting on land practically useless for other purposes should be undertaken by the Government. Local b"bdies have also a duty to perform in the matter of treeplajiting, and they must realise that forests are conservers and regulators of the water snpply on which the prosperity of tbe ratepayer largely depends. Probably no country in the world was more liberally endowed by Nature than New Zealand in the way of imtive forests and permanent and well -distributed streams ( and rivers, but we have done our best in a few brief j-ears to minimke our advantages by destroying the growth of centuries. The time has arrived when ' for the benefit of future generations more care should be exercised in conserving what still remains of our forests, and <-tep.i taken to provide for future requirements. Some evidence on this subject was taken by the Timber Commission, and probably" some recommendations will be contained in the report. This is a matter, however, on which the Minister of Lands must frame bis own policy. We trust that he will resume with vigour the policy of Mr M'Nab as carried out by the late Mi Matthews, chief forester, and lay • down a well-organised scheme of treeplanting on the waste lands of the Crown.