RE-AFFORESTATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 203, 25 February 1914, Page 6

RE-AFFORESTATION.

A SOURCE OF POTENTIAL WEALTH. By Telegraph- Press Association. Auckland, Monday. Problems of reaH'orcstatioii were touched upon by Mr. D. A. Hay in the course of a paper on ''Forest aiid Ornamental Trees for City Harden and Forest Planting" at the Xew Zealand Nurserymen's Association's annual conference this afternoon. Reafforestation in New Zealand had been sadly neglected, and vast areas ihat were' practically useless could be turned to profitable account by judicious planting and become a source of wealth to the Slate. In replanting, the native species tlmt have served their purpose in the pasl. and still exist in limited areas, would have to give place to exotics iu the future. Our commercial forests would childly consist of the quicket-growiiig conifers. Eucalyptus or gums would be extensively planted. Cuius were mostly of rapid frowth, highly ornamental, and would succeed on almost any soils.

"Experimental plantings iu dill'civnt localities throughout the Dominion," lie continued, "is urgently required in order to prove what fire the best and most profitable trees for the future. Selection of seeds for sowing is of paramount importance, and in every instance where plants arc produced from seedlings the seeds should be obtained from the best type. The parent tree should lie the most vigorous and the best of its kind." Proceeding, Mr. Hay said (hat now that the planting of eucalyptus was so important it was absolutely necessary to obtain seeds from the most suitable districts. For instance, seeds of tlie Tasiiiaiiian varieties (should lie obtained from their original district, and not collected from trees introduced and established in the wanner districts of Xew South Wales.