SEED FOR FORESTS

Shannon News, 26 November 1926, Page 2

SEED FOR FORESTS

YELLOW PINE FROM CANADA. BIG SHIPMENT TO DOMINION. Forming tho largest individual shipment of tho seed ever assembled in tho Eritish Empire, 32001 b of pinus ponderosa (western yellow pine) seed were shipped recently by the Hauraki of tho Union Company, from the 'dominion Government seed extraction plant at New Westminster, 8.C., to the New Zealand State Forest Service: Gathered in tho districts around Lytton and Eamloops, near the western slope)? of the Rockies, this seed is portion of a tree seed order, comprising pinus ponderosa, pseudotsuga, Douglasii (Douglas fir), pinus mur bred hoggets, 14d: 4 bales fine Xbred rayana (lodgepole pine), and thuja plicata (western red cedar), placed by the New Zealand Forest Service with the Forest Service, Department of Interior, Ottawa. This seed will be' sown partly for the purpose of raising planting stock for the Forest Service objective of 300,000 acres of artificial forest to be planted by 1935, and partly for sales of young forest trees to farmers, settlors, local bodies, proprietary and co-operative companies, etc. In July last, tho New Zealand Forest Service, Kvhich in the past has had difficulty in obtaining sufficient ponderosa seed for its requirements, received advice from tho Canadian authorities that 1926 was a good seed year for this species, and that the seed collectors would have a better opportunity to obtain seed this season than they would have for probably three seasons to come. In order to further assist the New Zealand Forest Service, the Canadian authorities arc furnishing small samples of ponderosa seed from various localities and different elevations so that seed most suitable for New Zealand conditions may bo decided upon. . The production of tree seeds through the Government seed extraction plant at New Westminster has, says Mr. Edward Walmaley, Crown timber agent, done more to bring the forest resources of British Columbia to the attention 7 of the, world than, has anything else. Correspondence inl connection with it has been carried on with afforestation agencies throughout the world, and a widespread interest has been thus created in reafforestation.

With the completion of the work of extracting yellow pine seeds, the extraction plant will start on other tree seeds, including Dougla s fir, red ■ cedar, hemlock, and spruce. Approximately 3000 sacks of Douglas fir , cones have been gathered tion purposes this season, about 50 sack's each of red cedar and hemlock while an additional 1500 sacks of spruce will be sent down fromr the Queen Charlotte Islands at the end of thi 9 month. These seeds will be sent to Great Britain for the British

Forestry Commission. Some will be sown on the Crown lands of Scotland, and other quantities on areas in England that, were "logged off" during the years of the war.