TIMBER.

Taihape Daily Times, 7 May 1919, Page 5

TIMBER.

CAN IT BE CONSERVED?

TREES GROW A ERY SLOWLY. The plans of Sir Francis Bell .‘oncoming timber have been subjected to some more discussion amongst timber men in Auckland. The policy of conserving the wood or. forest lands not suitable for clear?and settlement may have a few difCcultms, they say, because timber growing in bush in this country has a fe v peer liarities. For instance, nobody can understand whymany New Zealand trees, grow in clumps or in bush, will die when the underscrub and some olr the trees themeslves have been ouv yet that H a fact, although big kauris that have grown up in isolation will live, but when, they grow in company with maitai, rimu, totara, and kahikatea, and the others are cut, the kauris do not live long.

Another interesting point not yet completely cleared is the possible reduction in cutting, wnieh would mean that many mills would have to run under capacity, and would ran at a loss which the State should logically pay. because the cutting rights already will keep the timber-cutters occupied for some time to come. About 53.000.000 feet of kauri is out every year, and it has been estimated that at this rate the kauri will not last more than six years more. The proposal of the Minister of Forestry to plant seedling kauris for future use in commerce is looked upon as a rather indefinite, for the reason that the time those trees would reach maturity is lost in the haze of the far-distant future. Kauris are standing all over this province, and the ago of some of them has been computed as anything up to o.OO'i years Kauris planted at Avondale by the late Aiekon 50 years ago are about a foot in diameter, and about 40ft. high, so they may still be said to be far short of maturity. Indeed it is commonly estimated that the kauri grows about a foot a year for the first fifty Vars or so. and after that it grows higher very slowly indeed, but very gradually increases in girth. Several hundreds of years must elapse before any seedling kauri grow into a fair-sized tree. It is not usual to cut timber that has a diameter of less than two feet, and the “rickers,” as young kahikatcas arc called, take more than a hundred years to reach maturity. Kahikatea is another timber that speedily dies when the surrounding scrub, and the bigger, trees have been taken away. Peopl are finding it difficult to dis-

ePopie are finding it difficult to discuss Sir Francis Bells’ policy in any but a general way, for they point out that it is rather hazy itself, too indefinite. and too general. When the proposals assume the form of tangible realities tl y will be more open to discussion