RE-AFFORESTATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 April 1916, Page 6

RE-AFFORESTATION.

' A PRESSING NEED. PROJECTED FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. At the request of Sir -Times G. Wilson we publish the following' circular concerning the pressing need for more tree planting than is done at present:— It is common knowledge that evperts have variously estimated that the available amount of forest left in New Zealand and last perhaps 30 years and at the most 40 years. Unless immediate steps are taken to plant considerable areas, future generations would require to import all the timber used. The Government is doing something towards planting trees in a few districts in New Zealand. The "whole of the present Government _ areas might give six months' cutting. The seriousness of the position inayj be put in. another way. When I came to this district (Rangi-tikei-Manawatu) in 1873, there was a fringe of open country whicli had been settled all along the coast up to and some distance beyond Wanganui. In the Wairarapa, also, the open country from Featherston to Masterton and out to the Coast, was settled. The rest of the country seemed illimitable bush. The Seventy Mile Bush ran up from the Plain to Woodville, and the Forty Mile Bush from the Gorge to past Dannevirke. The valleys of the Manawatu, Pohangina, Oroua, the upper reaches of the Rangitikei from Halcombe upwards, were all bush, the whole of which is now cut down; generally in the best timber areas the saw-miller was the pioneer and the settler followed when the timber was cut out. Now there is not a sawmill in the whole of this area. I should not like' to estimate the area that was in bush, but it must have been millions of acres. The Kauri forests are almost a thing of the past,.Putin scarcely procurable, and Totara very dear. The only source of timber for the North Island is the bush district in the central area, which cannot be nearly ns large as that already cut out. In.'the South, there is still timber on the West Coast, but more and more expensive to market and the forests of Southland have been depleted. ■ • A recent Forestry Commission, which collected much valuable information and made admirable suggestions in their report (but which were not even discussed in the House), said, to meet our Inture requirements, we w'ould require to plant 7000 acres per annum. 1 doubt if we are planting even 700 per annum. Private individuals are doing a little, already some plantations of soft wood have been cut down and sawn into timber for building purposes. We must have large quantities of soft wood, possibly poplar. P. insignis, and the Douglas fir planted, and the eucalyptus for hard wood for the future. It is acknowledged in all countries that this should be the work af the Government. How are we to get the Government to realise the necessities of the case? Governments are moved by public opinion and the object 'of those who love trees for their own sake and for the benefit of present planting for future generations, is to create a public opinion sufficiently strong to force the pace. A few enthusiasts have suggested that this can best be done by a Society after the lines of the Royal Scottish Arboricultural Society. This Society keeps before the public the necessity for planting (much as the Navy League has been instrumental iu securing to Britain our present naval strength) reports are published yearly or oftener. Arboriculture would be ideal work for returned soldiers, with an injured limb. The object of this circular, therefore, is to ask those who are prepared to join such a Society and pay say £1 a year as subscription, to try and secure an increased area planted year by year, to send in their names. It may be said this is not the time for such a society. My answer is that if we get it in train "the time will shortly come for action. The Government must be impressed with -the necessity to find money for this object; it is too pressing to wait, I should be much obliged if those who are prepared to join sueli a sccioty, would send their names, together with £l, to Mr. F.. C. .Taik, Secretary, Farmers' Union, Box 715, Wellington