THE STATE FORESTS. What is Being Done. (BY TELEGRAPH OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 217, 27 August 1887, Page 6

THE STATE FORESTS. What is Being Done. (BY TELEGRAPH OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Wellington, Aug. 19. It will be interesting to your readers to know something of the work that has been done during the year ended 31sb March last by the Forestry Department. According to information which I have at hand, a laro-e amount of solid work has beon accomplished, although but little of it is of a showy character. New forest regulations have been brought into force throughout the colony with satisfaction to that portion of the community most directly interested. The onormouß waste and robbery carried on for many years past have been greatly reduced, and the increase for the first year lias exceeded the amount anticipated, although it was late in the season before the regulations were generally enforced. Lastly, the formation of new forests has been commenced.

Income and Expenditure The income for tho year ended March 31st was estimated in the report of last year at L 3,500, but notwithstanding the depressed condition of the timber trade, the amount actually received was L 3,574, ot which one-half was paid dm ing the labt quarter of the financial j ear—that is, since the new 1 emulations came into force. The additional amount required to cany on work is obtained by debentiueb issued under Sections 7 and 8 of the State Foiests Act. If the cost of agricultuial sections be deducted from the total expenditure, the outlay in foiescry proper for last year exceeds the income by the sum ot L 845. The only foicsticvenue is derived from royalties on timber, and as these aie extremely low — only threepence per 100 feet supeilicial for common kinds - it is obvious that no hindrance ib thrown in the way of the converter. The total expenditure for the year amount* to L 5,770. Of this amount L1,26l has been spent upon couservationand L 2,181 upon plantations. The ladical change effected dm ing the year I>y the abolition of the ditlevent provincial regulations for obtaining timber fiom State iorests, and the substitution of one reform code, met with a certain amount of opposition at liist, but the prejudice that was laiscd seems to have disappeared when the regulations were fairly di?cuir?ed. In no single instance has it been found necessary to modify any of the principles involved, while in practice the regulations have worked smoothly andha\e pro\ed tatibfactoiy alike to sawmillers and the Depaitment. Some of tho principal timber merchants have stated that in their opinion the regulations would place the tiadc on a moie satisfactory basis, as they would pi event the largo amount of unlicensed cutting that has been carried on for years ; while the fact of all timber being valued and paid for before felling would place all mcmbeis of the trade on a footing of equality.

School of Forestry at Whangarci. With regaid to the School of Forestry in Whangarei, progress is being made in fencing and getting into order about 1 ,900 acres of the main reserve. Six hundred acres axe in couise of being cleared, ploughed, and harrowed for sowing or planting dm ing the coming season Five acres have been trenched for the first orchard, and this season about 250 additional acres will be ploughed and planted, and another piece ot ground trenched for orchard work. Out of (500 acres now being cleared and ploughed only 130 aoxes aie very poox*, but it is fully expected that this poor land can be made to yield a net annual profit of L 2 per acre from wattle growing. It ia proposed to devote the whole of the profits from the fruit grounds and plantations to the maintenance of the school, so as to render it self-supporting at the earliest possible date. The Whangarei County has placed experimental grounds at the disposal of the Government, and steps are being taken to utilise them. The Chief Conservator of Forests states that it is not possible to estimate the advantages that have been lost to agriculture and fruit culture in the colony by the absence of expeximental ground? such as are now in course of formation at Whangarei.

The Plantation at uacranga. On the Wacranga plantation reserve the work for the year has been experimental planting 1 of red gum amongst the manuka without preliminary preparation of tho soil. The soil is very poor, and heavy rains and subsequent drought did much injury. Notwithstanding this, 36,000 red gum plants survived out of 61,000. The experiment involves results of considerable importance, and will be repeated during the coming season. Should it prove oven mock'vately successful, the Department will be able to plant manuka land with eucalyptus without incurring the cost of clearing or ploughing.

Projecied Work. During the coming season 500 acres of wattles and 300 acres of jarrat will be sown, and 10 acres of fruit trees will be planted on the Kiorirou reserve ; 200 acres of jarrafc will be planted at Pohoia ; 400 acres of black wattle and 500 acres of red gum and iron bark will be sown, and 3,000 English oak transplanted at Waeranga. Ie has been determined to commence the formation of plantations on reserves at Simmerburn, in the Mamototo district, where it is intended to plough and subsoil about 201) acres. this season, and erect about four miles of fencing. The land will be planted with red cedar gums, and subsequently a further area will be largely planted with English oak, ash, and sundry quick growing pines. The reserves are situated in such a position that it will be possible to irrigate portions of the land during the summer at small expense. The Chief Conservator states thatit would be difficult to overrate the value of plantations in this district U looked at simply from a climatic point of view. The continuous droughts of summer and the excessive frosts of winter would be mitigated, and great facilities afforded for the advance of agriculturo. From a commercial point of view the advantages would be equally great. The cost of firewood and fencing stuff' is so high that even the first thinning of the plantation would find a ready market, while an important item of freight would be prepared for the railways of the future. It is estimated that the forest revenue for the year ending on the 31st March, 1888, will amount to L 4,800. Should trade exhibit any marked improvement, a larger sum may be anticipated. The depression of the kauri trade during the past year, has been of an extreme character, and at present no revenue is obtainable from the kauri in the hands of the Government., It is a matter for special congratulation that not a single acre of kauri forest under the control of the Chief Conservator ha.s been destroyed by fire during the past year, though unhappily a large extent of forest in private hands lias been swept away. Pour persons have been prosecuted during the year for illegal cutting.

The valuation of standing timber, based upon actual measurements a new feature ih dealing with New Zealand timber trees* It throws a fair portion of the w*ste in manufacturing on the shoulders of tho converter.- Hither t», however wastefully a -bush may have been worked, or however carelessly a sawmill may have been managed, all the loss has fallen upon the forests. Under the new arrangement the forest will be more thoroughly cub out, and groater care taken to prevent waste in conversion. In tho interests of village settlers the Commissioner of State Forest* has given instruction to issue free licenses to dig kauri gum during the months of May, June, July, and August, provided that no digging takes place amongst growing kauri.