LOOK TO THE FUTURE.

Shannon News, 4 September 1925, Page 3

LOOK TO THE FUTURE.

INDEPENDENCE FOB OLD AGE

IMr Stacey, who-is at Moynihan'J Hotel, in talking to our reporter yesterday, gave some very interesting facts concerning Matakana lladiata, Ltd.'s afforestation scheme. The plantation is 1002 acres, and will contain 677,600 trees, 820 acres being already planted with PinuiS Radiata and just over 100 acres is to be plained with Eucalyptus Botryoides and E. Saligna in the first week in No vember. The reason the Eucalypts , are still in the nursery is because /these two varieties require heavy damp land and the early summe; is the ideal time for transplanting. This afforestation company is indeed forutnate in obtaining the servicer [ of Mr Gordon Glen, who for some years, was employed by the State Forest Department. Mr Glen has an expert tree planting gang to work with and the 557.0U0 pines in the plantation are doing very well and are showing .healthy and vigoroub growth. Approximately 120,000 eucalypts will be planted in November j and these are now growing in the nursery on the island. Mr Stacey has with him in Shannon some excellent photographs of the plantation and nurseries and tiu views-of one of the pine nurseries are a revelation. The shares are £2O each on the .easiest possible terms and we urge our young folk to give this investment their earnest consideration. To be' a success we must provide for our future and the time to begin is now. Lust year (1024) New Zealand imported 67,1184,247 superile ial feet of timber to the value oi £1,044,051. This shows the alarinin b increase of 64.4 iper cent, over .1923. i-i-om the above it will be seen thai timber imports to New Zealand have reached 'staggering figures, both in respect to quantity and value. All over the world there is an aiarming shortage of timber and the people oi Aew Zealand must commence at once to. grow their own limber or go vviui out. Tne list of shareholders in Matakana Kadiatu, Ltd., contains the names of many leading solicitors in Auckland and surrounding districts Last week this company had a display at the winter show in Auckland, An interesting exhibit was a pine log cut from a tree Si years old. This tree was 57 feet liigh and had a diameter Jweast high of LOiJ inches. The sandy loam on Matakana is ideal soil tor tree growing and local people have only to go and visit urn clumps ol pines on sandy land at Foxton to realise what excellent results can be obtained from quick growing exotic trees. The following figures give an idea of what the minimum return can reasonably be expected to be frum Matakana Radiata, Ltd.'s shares. Each share represents 'Civer an acre of land (Land Transler Title): 557,000 Pines. 227,000 Gut at 12 years old and sold qven as firewood at 5/- each £u6,2ao 320,000 At 2.0 years old are to-day worth £2, but say £1 «ach £320,000. 120,000 Eucalypts. 60,000 To be cut at 12 years old for poles, mine props, ete. These are worth to-day £1 10s each, but for purposes of estimating returns, say 10s £30,000 60,000 Cut at" 20 years old should realise ■ at least £1 10s each £90,000 To these returns must be added the value osf the land, say £6 per acre, 1002 acres £6,012. Total £502,262 These figures, which the reader will see have been greatly out down equal £502 per share. From the above it is obvious to even the most sceptical that timber is the best endowment policy in the world to-day, and parents owe it to, their children to thoroughly imestigate this scheme.