SCIENTIFIC FORESTRY BEGAN IN GERMANY

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5297, 9 January 1947, Page 5

SCIENTIFIC FORESTRY BEGAN IN GERMANY

FFFICIENT SERVICE experience 0f new zealander j That Germany is the cradle of scientific forestry, and other countries, including New Zealand, can profit much ' in their afforestation planning by studying the policy followed by the Gei'mans over the past century is one of the impressions left on Mr. Lindsay Poole, formerly of tho Department of Scientific and Industrial Research,- who returned recently after serving a year with the British control commission in the occupied zone of Germany. j Soon 'after enlistment .in the forces, Mr. Poole went overseas with a forestry unit of the Pecond Echelon. He was transferred to the scientific liaison section at the Hig*h Commissioner's office in London during the war. | When hosilities concluded, he was attached to the control commission as a silviculturist with the forestry and tinfber section. He was stationed at Minden and also at Hamburg. Timber had played one :of the .most important functions in the reconstruction and maintenanee of Germany's internal economy, said Mr. Poole. The problem falling on the British authorities in their German zone was made more difficult as the forests in the area comprsed only one-fifth of the timhered land of Germany, while there was one-third of the German population to be cared for. ■ J Timber Production Priority J The production bf timber was oue of the priority jo'bs undertaken. It was required for props for the coal mines of the Ruhr to stimulate production of coal. It was essential for the repair and rebuilding of devastated homes and properties. It had to be largely used for fuel during the coal shortage and there was also a demand for supplies for pulping. The German forestry service had ■been found fairly intact at the end of the war — this branch of the state civil service had always ranked as one of the most efficient-4n Germany. The 'cutting of timber and sawmilling was rerganised and both the British and American controlling authorities had recognised the priority of this' work. "The collapse of the German armed forces hrought to light the fact . that timber was second in importance only to food in Gemany," said Mr. Poole. 'It was in tremendous demand 'for heating and cooking pur- I poses. j Due to the centui'y-old afforestation policy of Germany, the forests j were in surprisingly good condition. By its two methods of planting and promoting regeneration and cutting only a pereentage of timber in the set cycle of years, the forests had been well maintained. This was the case in both State and private timber stands. | Private Forests j •In all the large private forests, trained foresters were employed'. These men had the same grading and standing as "the official State foresters and in many . instances were trained through the same schools. "Germany provides a very Jane example of the ' wonderful forests that can be built up by educating public opinion with a real forestry sense and 'by employing trained men in all the largq forests," Mr. Poole said. "The British military government saw to it that the supply of technical foresters was fully mainained' by opeping up a forestify school and a research station at Hamburg. In doing that it was actually restoring the state of affairs that previously existed in .Germany." In New Zealand there were wonderful (potentjalities in Iforestry, said Mr. Poole, and he could not escape the conclnsion that some of the scientific methods and the far-sighed policy long established in German forestry might with great advantage be 'adopted in the Dominion.