AFFORESTATION WORK.

Putaruru Press, Volume II, Issue 21, 6 March 1924, Page 3

AFFORESTATION WORK.

OFFICIALS’ VISIT. The Big- New Company. A general survey of the commer- | c *al afforestation schemes being started in the Putaruru district was made on Friday by Captain Macintosh Ellis, Director of the State Forestry Service, together with Mr. Campbell, Conservator of State Forests for the Auckland Province, and Mr. D. S. Wylie, of Smith, Wylie and Company, Auckland, the promoters of Afforestation, Ltd., and Putaruru Forests, Ltd., the two pioneer afforestation companies. Questioned as to his opinion of these parts for tree growing, Captain Ellis said that they were obviously the best in the Dominion. The State plantations in the Rotorua district proved that. This year on the Kaingaroa plains the State had planted a further 5000 acres in trees, this representing so far a record plantingseason there for the service. Mr. Wylie mentioned that, following the very successful flotation of the two pioneer companies, his firm was now launching the third and much bigger tree-growing venture, under the title of New Zealand Perpetual Forests, Ltd. This company was to plant 12,000 acres in trees, on the Maraetai block, some 13 miles fl• em Pu taruru. This area comprises, the southern portion of the block and is similar to the 3600 acres comprising the holding of Afforestation, Ltd., against the Rotorua railway at Putaruru, being undulating country of friable soil in its virgin state carrying a heavy growth of fern and tutu. The new block abuts the Waikato river.