TREES FOR POWER POLES.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 296, 11 July 1929, Page 1

TREES FOR POWER POLES.

COSTLY EXPERIMENT. Power Bcarcl’s Plantation. Described by one member of the Thames Valley Power Board as a wastage of the public money, the plantation of trees owned by the beard at Waitakaruru was considered at some length at the July meeting. The board some years ago acquired a block of 400 acres, at 15s 6d an acre, for the purpose of planting trees suitable in years to come for power poles. The opinion was freely expressed that the result of the experiment was disappointing.

Mr. Corbett said he intended to move that the finance committee be empowered to dispose of the section to the best advantage. The chairman (Mr. F. Strange) ruled that notice of motion would nave to be given. The matter could be more satisfactorily reviewed in nine months’ time.

Mr. Strange pointed out that a further ten acres had been ploughed ana cultivated, and he would move that the board purchase trees and plant this area. Mr. Torr seconded.

Mr. J. Price was opposed to the planting of any further trees at the present time. He had seen the plantation and the trees were a poor lot. At the beginning of operations 14,000 eucalyptus engenioides trees were planted, and 100 each of five other varieties. Of these 7000 were failures and had to be replaced, while from time to time further replacements had been made. It was, he contended, a waste of money to continue planting trees on the section as in the past. The only place in which they were growing was in the gulleys and valleys. He would prefer to see no further work done this year, and a review made of the section in a year’s tin*. Statistics quoted by the speaker showed the cost of 20 acres of trees to have been £350, or £l7 10s an acre. This included the cost of ploughing and fencing. The original report submitted to the board estimated the cost at £7 10s an acre. Under these circumstances further planting was a waste of public money. The engineer said that the cost of planting the trees was £5 an acre. The chairman, in reply to a question, pointed out that while trees planted in uncultivated ground had become established sooner, they had not grown as quickly as those planted in ploughed soil. The engineer, referring to Mr. Price’s remarks, said that there were 30 acres planted, and the cost was only £l2 3s lid an acre.

Mr. Price: You cannot convince me that there are 30 acres of trees there. Mr. McLeod said that while 7000 replacements had been made, an additional 7000 trees had been procured and a further 10 acres planted. Mr. Sprague said it would cost £IOO to plant another 10 acres as suggested by the chairman. The opinion was expressed by Mr. Pohlen that the matter should be finalised as soon as possible. It was a question of whether the property was suitable for tree planting or not. Mr. Anderson agreed. Mr. Arthur expressed disappointment with the experiment, which had not proved successful. The sooner the matter was finalised the better, and he suggested that the advice of an expert be secured. Mr. Pohlen: We have had enough experts. Mr. Price: One told us it was all right, and another that it was not. Mr. Anderson moved that an order be given for sufficient trees to nlant ten acres, subject to cancellation after the next hoard meeting. Mr. J. B. Thomas seconded. The chairman withdrew his motion, and Mr. Anderson’s motion was carried. Mr. Corbett gave notice of his intention to move at next meeting that the section he disposed of. -R"j [J>j