A TREE 1600 YEARS OLD.

Shannon News, 7 January 1927, Page 2

A TREE 1600 YEARS OLD.

_ THE TASK OF CUTTING UP. r w ' p-.-- | One- of the largest kauri logs ever V b‘ ought to Auefclxnd was cut up f or ■building purposes at the Kauri Timbei Company's mills in Fanshawe street .last week. The lpg was 13ft long, and after reductions to allow for more facile handling the girth measured 29ft Bin. This rnaWes a total content of 8500 - superficial feet of timber. The approximate weight is 17 tons. The tree from which the log was cut is one of the largest in New Zealand, and was growing in the Kauaeranga - Bush, near Thames, wWere the company is at present operating. The height of the tree to the first branch was over 50ft, and the girth was 43ft. ■ It is estimated that the tree contained 66- •. 650 superficial ffeet of timber. - Mr. A. B. Hammond, secretary to the i company, estimates the age of the at 1600 years. This is almost twice the age of the tree from which a log was : sent to the Wembley Exhibition in 1924. The latter tree was a sapling whten William the Conqueror invaded 1

England, and the exact age was computed by counting the rings in a cross section. It was to transport the tree to Auckland as it was felled, so the trunk had to be divided into four parts. These were carried 14 mikes by a timber train to Parawai, and then rafted and towed to Auckland. The log was too large to be cut by a break-down saw, and had to be “squared” to fit a 9ft by 9ft frame. * ‘ This is the largest log we have evfer cut up,” Mr. Hammond said, “but we are expecting some bigger fellows next year. At the present time there is a largt'e log at Kauagranga which cannot be squared for cutting owing to extensive wastage of timber. We have therefore decided to blast the hugo trunk into four parts. This work is expected to be completed by February, when the logs .will arrive in Auckland.”