AFORESTATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 April 1917, Page 6

AFORESTATION.

' TXTERESTIN'G ADDRESS BY MR. MAXWELL. Mr. E. Maxwell, of Rahotu, who is recognised throughout' Taranaki a; an authority on tree planting, gave an interesting address to the teachers of Taranaki in the flood Templar ifall for anliour and a-balf yesterday morning. Mr. R. E. Browne, in introducing thespeaker, stated that he had recently spent a most pleasant time-visiting Mr. Maxwell's plantation at Oatmui. Mr. Maxwell was a specialist in afforestation and the speaker strongly urged all teachers to visit the plantation if possible, strongly urging on the teachers of schools near at hand to make n point of taking the children there. He also expressed a hope that some of the teachers would specialise in tree planting also. A SUBJECT FOR CHILDREN". Mr. Maxwell deprecated the idea that botany was a subject the theory, and practice of which should be. taken up later in life. Childhood, he considered, was the time to start. If one could infuse into the child a desire and taste for a certain tiling it was more likely to stick than if attempted loter in life. He himself had the fortune to live in a mountainous district, close to virgin trnsli, and also had the fortune to spend many hours with a noted botanist as a child. This gave him a start, and though he never had an hour's instruction on the subject, his knowledge had grown. He did not pretend to be a hotanist, hut ho had taken advantage of his opportunities early in life New Zealand was wonderfully adapted for this study. There was no other country that had such luxuriant growth with varied foliage in the limited area. It had been remarked that Xew Zealand was not as rich in Held flowers as the Old Country, but this was to a certain extent made up, for by the fine flowers belonging to tW moss or peat area, and we had a great deal more tharf compensation when we considered our 'native bush with its fine flowers find shrubs and its marvellous variety of colour and foliage. This was one remarkable thing about Xew Zealand. Australia had brighter flowers, but in its foliage there was a sameness of form and dullness of colour. His club was the bush. He had started by collecting and tabulating ferns, over 100 of them in an immense number of varieties, but hod ceased this 3ft years ago. Still even to-day every page of that collection brought to his mind some particular occasion, day/, or event of his life. TREE PLANTING. In dealing with the subject he would approach it not from the point of view of afforestation on a l.irga 'eale, which was the work of the State, but more particularly from the point of view of the smaller settler. It was said that every man who planted a tree did a service to the State. He would say that evenman who planted a tree with judgment did a greater 'O.rvico. To plant a worthless tree, or a good tree in a bad situation, was a waste of time, while to plant a tree wrongly was to lose it. Botany appealed as the mo-t un-:elfi.-h and at the same time selfish of the sciences. It was rePlly the most unselfish because it unconsciously benefited all around. The first direct benefit of judicious planting was its advantages as to how it affected the climate or rainfe'!. It was a matter of controversy whether rain followed the trees or the trees followed the rain. The weight of opinion was again»t the popular idea that rain, followed tiie trees. Personally he thought the forest followed the rain or moisture belt. This v.as important because if they thought tree planting would alter the rainfall they wouki be doomed to disappointment. It had however been experienced in most countries n.:;i particular!y in Fiance that the destruction of forests had disastrous effects, and the State had decided to expend immense sums i:i reafforestation. 'The effect of the rainfall where forests were removed on tiie sterp slope; \vas to remove the fertile soil and wise them to become barren, and (lie rivers after rainfall won hi immediately fiood and become very low in dry weather instead of maintaining an even flow. As the rivers were affected, so was the countrv. One of the great benefits of afforestation therefore was to conserve and retain ::s far as possible such rainfall as we got naturally. I BEAUTIFICATION. The next point for the welfare of thecountry was its beautification. This might not appear of practical value but it was important He held the idea that there was an association between the oak and the greatness of the English people, whom he could not conceive loving a barren country. If we wanted to foster patriotism in our children we must beautify the country, and so also the hpmc. A house in the middle of a barren field was riot attractive to a child. No matter What its interior was like it would always appear cold. If they wanted to attach the child to the soil they could not more easily Benefit themselves and the children than by beautifying the home with wise planting. From the point of view of shelter, especially in a climate like ours, tree .planting was important. Both in hot and cold weather eattlo reqitlr-irt shelter. Xo matter how well cattle wore fed in winter they would not do well unless irarmfU in the shape of shelter was provided. That was the inaction! point tie iainior had to sludr. RATE OP GROWTH. He wished to emphasise ore point—and if he could get that home, he believed he would have done a service—and that was in connection with the rate of growth. There was a false idea that trees wore planted for those who came after. That was absolutely wrong, as he had proved. A man of GO even, had ample time to derive huge benefits from trees that he planted. Tin idea had arisen from the fact that the majority of trees in Europe were slow growing. Most of the large oak trees at Homo were hundreds of years old. The colonial mind had not yet reached that stage of love of country to look three or four generations ahead. Xothing retarded the planting of trees so much as (he idea thp.t early results would not be obtained. Msji often put off planting long enough for the trtet, if planted, to have given returns. The rate of growth in Xew Zealand was much greater than at Home, and they now knew of trees which would bccouit useful very quioiriy. both for providtog hard wood and salt food, THE TIMBER PROBLEM. Forostiy books dealt with Euiopeaii tiees pimeipallv, a l.umbci of pine;. th<j pUfitms °f in many tv« neuVt > ~ ~"H

prove a waste of time. Ho thought the whole lumber problem as ;':u- as New Zealand was concerned, would be covered by planting t!ie pinus in.-ignis and gums of different varieties. He referred to the necessity of ;i rudimentary knowledge iif t!iu subject being imparted at technical schools. A man might be a good i!Ur-oryma:>. and yet have mi knowledge of afforestation. \ 'USELESS LABOR. ITc referred at some length lo tlic wasto of time and money alHhe Stale forests in experimenting' with maintrees, such as-tlje Austrian pine, eatalpa and totarei, which were useless for early results. The Department had also experimented with gums until someone found fault, and then for a period almost eeased planting them. The speaker had totara about the thickness of his wrist. pines ISin. thick and 100 ft. high, hardwood gums lGin. and 40ft. to 50ft higli, all planted at the samet ime. The pinus Insignis, he considered, would eover ad their ordinary needs in soft woods. For butter boxes and cheese crates it came next to white pins. It made good fruit cases and packing cases, and fairly good firewood. He stated he knew of belts of pinus insignis that were felled and milled 20 years agO|, and dwelling houses built out of them, which had turned out serviceable. On the average, pinus insignis made the greatest growth of any tree in the world. Many people considered it worthless, but it was really serviceable, and would grow from tlu North Cape to the Bluff, r.n the hilltop or in the valley, in wet 0.~ poor ground, and was the easiest to rear under ordinary conditions.

HARDWOODS. Gums supplied all the reasonable requirements in hardwoodA There were COO varieties, ranging from good to bad,, but on the whole good. Some varieties were very good when young, but omy comparatively good when old; others were useless when young; but when matured were very durable. Blue gum was absolutely worthless when yoiiiig, but when a very old tree was one of the most durable. He had,'therefor?, put it out. It was not even good firewood. For a tree that was ;i good grower and durable, for farm work, supplying firewood, palings, slabs, ->te, and when older good milling lumb'er, he would pick out stringy bark (Eucalyptus Oblique). The bull; of the Hobart shiniles and fruit cases were split out of this tree,, which split more freely than most gums, ant? urew more rapidly than the blue gum. He had one that is 53ft. high and tOin. through, and only eight years old. Those in the plantation ranged 2',n. ti loin, in diameter and 40ft. to";"0ft. or (10ft. high for eight years' growth, and are. planted at from ITOOto.-dlOOperacre. The thinnings of such a plantation w?:d invaluable for the stockyard and otao: rails and thousli not extremely durable made reasonable firewood and posts. He had measured a lot of tree? that be knew not to be more than 2:1 years old, and they ranged from lOin. to Sim. in diameter, and were 100 ft. high. He alsa mentioned Regnaus, .which was the tallest tree in the world, growing to a height of 300 ft. and over. The apple .Turn tE. Stnnrtiana) and the black peppermint amygdalina were al>o touched on, the latter being very durable for fencing when quite young.'

CARE IN PLANTING.

11l planting' seeds, oaro should bo taken to obtain seeds from the best trees, and be considered the .State siionlil assist in this. It was best to make your seedbed on the south sic!.of the hedga wliere tlie moisture was morn even and the seedling sheltered to a certain extent from tiie snn. The ground should bo prepared well and the seed sown in narrow strips, and in sowi«S pine seed, as birds were specially partial to the young plants, it would be necessary to cover the plants with netliny. Before transplanting, it was essential to wrench the plants, and when transplanting care should be taken not to overlap the root*. Where possible, he believed in sowing "in situ/' but tiiis was usually impossible.

FOR SHELTER,

He considered there was no tree equal to the iiiui'kata for shelter purposes. U grew very dense and never got beyond control, as its maximum height was 40ft. He did not favor maritima for shelter. Reverting to hedge plants), be said that 'along the coast boxthorn wa< well known, but it. would not grow in poor ground, nor in wet or shady places. Inland barbaries were grown. He spoke strongly in favor of eleagnus as a means of obtaining quick shelter from the draughts of a belt of pines, as It would grow densely from the bottom to 30ft., 40ft, or even iiOft. up. In'sowing gum seed, lie stressed the need of care, as they were a very light seed. It was necessary to prepare the ground well, and then to press it down very firm, as otherwise the first rain would drive the seed too far down to germinate. When the seed ivil; put on the ground, soil should be .sifted lightly over it, and then carefully pressed down. Stock should always be kept away from young tree;. THE WATTLES. i There were also some most useful timbers among the wattles, viz., the black wattle. In Australia they considered there was no firewood like it, and he considered it beat the rata. It was also useful for other purposes. He had a-ouarter of sn acre of four-year-old trees, and had .ised a four-yoar-old sapling for a pole for a drilling machine, etc. liciore. planting wattle seed it was notessary to soak it in boiling water. In •transplanting wattie and gum wrenching was not essentia!; in fact, it was noccs6ar» not to let the skin of the plant get dry. WHAT CAN BE DONE. Tn conclusion, as showing the immediate results to be derived, be pointed out that 1?) years ago, when he took over his property, the. site of his plantation was very rough and poor land. Ho bad planted from seeds or cuttings 20,000 trees, apart from native trees. For many years past he had derived tremendous benefits in the shape of posts and rails for his farms, as well as all his firewood. These trees had been raised tinder rough farming conditions; that wa3 the veal test of merit. Moreover, ho pointed out that nothing was better for coping with blackbeiry-ii;!e?tcd areas than pinus insignis or oihef .'ompletoly overshadowing tree. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded Mr Maxwell, who had., spoken for over an hour and a-haif, and was most attentively listened to. In fact, as Mr It. 13. Browne, in moving the resolution, remarked, no one but Mr Maxwell could tuv« kept them during the last halfhour, which encroached on the dinner kcur. ,