FROM WASTE TO WEALTH

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 224, 16 February 1928, Page 1

FROM WASTE TO WEALTH

World’s Greatest Tree-Planting Effort

Pumice Lands Described in Detail

Wild Desolate Areas Turned to Profit

It has been proved without doubt that certain soils in New Zealand, coupled with the excellent rainfall, are unsurpassed in the world for tree-growing. As the New Zealand Perpetual Forests Company operates over the best of these areas it will be of interest if a description of this class of land is given.

The land lies on a plateau in the i< central, portion of the North Island, r< and as a general rule seldom rises o much above 2000 feet elevation. It s is mainly undulating, with numerous tl level areas of varying size, and is 1: intersected by deep stream valleys n such as that of the Waikato river, in t( the vicinity of which the ground is b often rough and broken. a The plateau was covered in early times by an extensive series of lava v flows, lying horizontally or nearly so, p which give to the region its charac- s teristic, pumice and rhyolite rock. The c hills of the area are largely plateaux e that have resisted the agents of de- s nudation. The rhyolite rock is much P weathered, and is fissured with ver- v 1 tical joints, which tend to develop t columnar structures where the rock a outcrops on the sides of the plateaux, h Owing to the extremely porous nature of the pumice, much of the drainage is subterranean, with s streams disappearing into the e ground, and numerous sink-holes and v tunnels. * Plateaux Well Watered. The district is, however, well-wat-ered, with a large number of fine perennial streams, although, as their beds are often considerably below the level of the surrounding country, the region might easily appear almost ‘ waterless to a casual observer. The flats and valleys between the hills are | covered with deposits of pumice, j often of great depth, and often con- . taming the carbonised or partly carbonised stems of the trees which origin ally clothed the area, and were en- . gulfed by the lava flows. The hilly areas are covered with a residual clay derived from the rhyolite rock. The vegetation of this region is characteristic, exhibiting three main types, with a large number of transition stages, and there are also more or less extensive areas of native bush dotted through it. In the valleys and on the flat country the vegetation is characteriially tussock, or tussock and monoao. In this type the tussock (danthonia spp.) is the characteristic plant. On the lowest part of the flats, where the soil tends to be sour, monoao (dracophyllum subulatum), a reddish brown shrub about three feet high, is abundant, and the ground between the tussocks is covered with mosses and lichens. Where the soil is wet, due to seepages and springs, the koromiko (hebe salicifolia) and the umbrella (gleichenia dicarpa) are found. The undulating country is largely occupied by a manuka-heath association. Here the characteristic plant is the manuka (leptospermum scoparium). This commonly forms a close thicket, six to twelve feet high. In low manuka scrub, especially on dry slopes, are found the heaths (gaultheria oppositifolia, g. antipoda), cyathodes acerosa, a small cushion plant with white berries, and the mingi mingi (pomaderris phylicaefolia), a small shrub with dark green leaves. Bracken and Tute. On moist sheltered slopes, such as , those with a southern aspect, the bracken fern (pteridium esculentum) comes in, whilst in the valleys there occurs the tree manuka

(1. ericoides). On such slopes, too, s a primitive forest association is mak- t ing its appearance and a number of i small trees or large shrubs are found. . Where the manuka type has been i burned over, and on moist aspects < with deep soil, it is frequently re- : placed with a bracken fern and tutu i association. Both are plants of rap- ■ id growth and establish themselves ■ readily after a fire. The vegetation ] of the stream valleys is fairly constant, with the koromiko as perhaps , the commonest plant. The New Zea- 1 land flax (phormium , tenax), the j mountain flax (ph. coloensoi), the toi ] toi (arundo conspicua), and the cab- \ bage tree (cordyline australis) are ] also occasional constituents. In general appearance the region is : wild and desolate. In fine weather, particularly at dawn and towards sunset, it has its own peculiar , charm, showing many beautiful color effects in the distance, with every ] shade of grey, smoke blue, violet and purple. In dull, wet weather, howver, it is a gloomy, depressing waste through which one travels for mile after mile with little or no sign of 1 habitation. Not for Settlement. For settlement purposes it is of small value, much of it being afflicted with the mysterious bush-sickness, which proves fatal to cattle or sheep that are kept on it for more than a few months at a time, while most of the few attempts to crop it have ended in failure. Now, however, this vast area has proved its wonderful suitability for the growth of certain softwood species, and in a marvellously rapid I manner, this great tract, which hitliI erto has been abandoned to the wild [ horse and pig, is blossoming under the hand of the forester into a most important timber producing region. The main difficulty to be contended with ''Consists of the frosts, which are at times somewhat severe, and are liable to occur at any time up to Christmas, or even later in exceptional cases. On the slopes and where there is a light covering of fern or manuka, the trees rarely suffer greatly from this cause, but on the flats and on open ground would be seriously affected at times, especially when a succession of frosts occur immediately after the young trees have been planted, and before they have been able to establish themselves to their surroundings. To | meet this difficulty such varieties as the yellow pine (p. ponderosa dougl.) are planted. | Growth of Trees. During the first season after planting the young trees do not as a gen- . eral rule put on much growth, though , under specially favourable conditions ! they may grow as much as 12 or 15 3 inches, their energies during this _ period being mainly devoted to establishing a firm rgot system. After the 3 first season, however, they begin to grow with great rapidity, and in ■ t some cases attain a height of 10 to 12 _ feet three years after planting. Their appearance in general is remarkably healthy and vigorous, sickly or weak-

ly trees being a rarity. It is this wonderful growth ol trees in the pumice. areas, of which

the N.Z. Perpetual Forests hold some of the most desirable blocks, which has made the work of afforestation, and incidentally the work of the N.Z.P.F., become the cynosure of all eyes throughout the world, and especially of those who are interested in the commercial problem of replacing indigenous forests.