TREE-PLANTING IN NORTH

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 238, 28 December 1927, Page 16

TREE-PLANTING IN NORTH

MINISTERIAL VISIT TO WAIPOUA FOREST EXPERIMENTAL NURSERY The Waipoua forestry reserve in the North Auckland district is perhaps one ‘ of the few areas under the State c Forestry Service that has not enjoyed * the full advantage of the Department’s s vigorous planting policy of the past 1 year, and although about 60 acres of 3 trees were put in, the condition of the < forest is reported to be anything but £ flourishing. ( Spasmodic planting is mainly respon- 5 sible for this, and of the five rows of pines that were put in as the initial 1 contribution, only three rows remain. c A variety of other trees has been planted, and experiments are being d conducted with certain foreign tim- 1 bers. The Minister of Agriculture, and < Commissioner of State Forests, the . Hon. O. J. Hawken and the Minister of Lands, the Hon. A. D.. McLeod, will j pay a personal visit to the Waipoua j reserve early next month and see for _ themselves the state of the forest. j It was proposed a few years ago s to cut and mill the timber in the Waipoua forest and replant the whole of j the area between it and the west coast, . a distance of about three miles, but the Forest Service has no intention now j of going on with this. 1 1 YOUNG KAURIS GROWING There are splendid facilities for the I planting of trees in the reserve, how- ' ever, and redwoods and Canary pines, ; as well as eucalypti and our own ' native trees are being used in experimental cultivation there. As the work has not been continuous, it is too early as yet to ascertain the suitability of the ground for this class of cultivation, but those trees that have been grown from seed in the specially constructed nursery are reported to be thriving. The nursery contains cedars, pines, firs and eucalypti, as well as a few choice Corsican pines. Prior to the operations of the Forestry Department the Waipoua area was covered with kauri, and in places where these trees were burned the young kauris are springing up beneath the undergrowth. These will be left to grow naturally in the hope that they will thrive into a plantation on their own. The Waipoua Forest Road will be opened by Mr. Hawken on January 13, during the Ministerial tour of the Northland. It is evident that Aucklanders themselves are interested in the progress of the Waipoua Forest, for a party comprising 18 members is to leave this afternoon for the reserve. This party, which has been arranged at the instigation of the Institute of Horticulture, will include representatives of the Auckland City Council, the Forestry Department, and many of the local bodies in Auckland and suburbs. When the party arrives at Dargaville it will be joined by the Borough Council and the Chamber of Commerce from the northern town. Some members will return to the city to-morrow evening, others remaining till Saturday. In addition to the Waipoua Forest, the visitors will inspect Trounson Kauri Park,