TREE PLANTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 July 1916, Page 6

TREE PLANTING.

To the Editor. Sir,—The extract von published last week re Finns Insignis trees being worth 8s per 100 for milling at '25 years old plainly tells us how scarce timber fit lor bnter boxes is becoming. To show what can be (lone, we have only to visit I'ukekura Park and 9ee the magnificent >peeimens growing there, which, I think, are between 25 and ISO yean old. Now, >ve have hundreds of gullies like the one in the park which are not very profitable to the owner, many of them full of noxious weeds (gorse and blackberry). The easiest way to get rid of these pests is to grow something stronger and faster in growth than gorse. I have proved from my own experience as a planter that the insigmis is the host thing. The plan I have generally ivu'opi-3 is to run a lire through the gorse ana fern (with v< hi<*li many of the gullies are overgrown) and then go through with a s'.ashei, cutting tracks three feet wide, and about three to four feet apart. After this, go through with the spade and dig small pits, say about one feet square and plant vouv trees which should he at least two or three years r.V It will he found that this is a cheap and sure method of killing weeds and making tlie land worth a great deal more than if left to grow rubbish. Some of your readers will say that the hind should ill properly prepared by trenching. This method would be expensive. My plan does not kill the weeds at onee, but it arrests their growth while the young pines keep ahead and overgrow the weeds. There is one great danger which 1 wish to point out, and that is accidental fire. To minimise this, cattle could he run in the plantation when the pines are five and six feet high; At this stage, the trees should he high enough not to he trodden down, and cattle will not eat them, but would eat the fern, etc., growing in the plantation. I have planted on" this plan an acre and a half last November near Westown which are doing well, 1200 trees being required. Just think of this! Gully ami hill-side land now not worth more than fives or si:. l pounds per acre, being worth .€2OO in 2"i years' lime, flood hardy pines can he procured from the nurseries at a low price at the end of the planting season, and, planted with a little care, should nearly all grow. 1 might mention that the macroearpa also grows very rapidly and makes splendid fencing posts and firewood, but the plants would be more expensive than the pinus insigmis.—l am, etc., W. B. DAVJES. New Plymouth July 10, l!)l(i.