FORESTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 June 1918, Page 3

FORESTRY.

-OR TREE PLANTING AS APPLIED TO THE FARM. Following is the continuation of the excellent address on Forestry in New Zealand delivered by Mr E. Maxwell, at New Plymouth on Friday, last:— SOLVING THE WORLD'S TIMBER (PROBLEM. The trees that will do most to solve the timber problem of the world—l hold the opinion that the 'Pinus Insignis and some of the gums, amongst them those I have particularly referred to—are the trees that will go more to solve the timber problem of the world than all other trees put together, because of the j immense rapidity of their growth.

Now to return to the uses of the In* signis, it has been proved a good butterbox timber, the next best practically available to follow our fast disappearing white pine. The timber of trees from i about 12 years of age upwards is suit' ( able for the purpose. Younger trees—the thinnings in fact —are suitable for i fruit cases, etc. Only quite the first I thinnings would answer no purpose but t firewood. All the timber of any size is [good for ordinary packing case timber. [And the timber of reasonably old trees from 20 years upwards make good ser- ■ vieeaible building material There are iouses down South now over 25 yeais old built of Insignis which are quite sound. In fact, timber of 30 years old, Insignis ia superior in durability to much of the timber now sold of some of our native trees As to the growth of the Insignis, it hardly seems necessary to give any particulars, for it is so well known that anyone interested will have knowledge of its marvellous rapidity of growth. But I will just say that trees of mine grown under somewhat unfavourable conditions now, after being planted 13 years only, are over 80ft. in height and although those somewhat branched have considerably greater diameter, the clean straight stemmed ones have a diameter of from 16 to 20 inches. In Pukekura Park there are numbers of very fine Insignis, well over 100 to 120 or even 180 f- in height, straight, clean stemmed with diameter up to over 4ft. Judging by the appearance of the trees they must have been fairly closely planted in the first instance, though by removals from time to time they are fairly wide apart. I would now wish to give some hints to those who may not have knowledge lis to raising seedlings, planting out, distances, thinning, etc. PLANTS. As to young pines, any way for the start, it will generally be advisaible to obtain supplies from the nurserymen, but as to gum and wattle seedlings it is always best to raise them on the place. SEED. H possible always get your seed from the very best growing trees. SEED BED AND SOWING. By preference the seed bed should be on the south side of a low hedge. Prepare the bed thoroughly, getting as eleaJi as possible of weeds, weed roots and seeds, and for gum seeds beat or press .down the surface quite smoothly, sow the seed on the surface and sprinkle on a very slight covering, not more at mosi than a quarter of an inch deep of fine soil and press gently with back of the spade. For wattle or pine seed do not press soil liard before sowing and cover more heavily

Wattle seed must have very wet or boiling water poured over it, and left to soak for several hours before sowing. Pine seedlings must be protected from the birds from the first, otherwise every seed as it springs will be pulled out.

I TIME OF SOWING. Gum and wattle seed should not be sown till quite late in the spring, otherwise seedlings will grow too largo before the time for transplanting, the best time for that being the early spring following, though if the seedlings have grown very rapidly they can be transplanted from autumn onwards. TRANSPLANTING, or rather planting out. All wnttle and gum seedlings should be planted out whilst quite small, not Exceeding at most one foot in length. When lifting take great care to keep roots moist and covered from the air, untie, put in. Once exposed to the air and dried the ■ percentage of loss will be very great. Pines usually will he best transplanted as yearlings and put out as two-year-olds. CARE OF ROOTS. Care should be taken with all seedlings or young plants—especially very particular core must ibe taken with young pines—that the roots are not tangled, crossed or cramped together. The slow growth, ill doing and the death or blowing over of many pines is entirely due to plants being put in with compressed or crossed roots. Use the knife freely sooner than risk such condition. With gums and wattles much of the roots can safely be cut straight otf. Young gum or wattle seedlings can be put in almost anyway in such soil as ours, so long as the plant is put in straight, fairly deep and the soil primed all round it. Pines, of course, require greater care, larger holes and careful spreading of the roots. DISTANCES. There is much diversity of opinion on the question of distances at which to plant. Personally, 1 am satisfied that it is much better to err on the side of density, especially in planting on the farm, for the reason that their thinning is a source of profit instead of expense. To,produce straight, clean, serviceable .poles and timber and to induce rapid growth of system whilst young dense planting is necessary, I will refer to the question of thinning later. For gums I on. the farm anyway I advocate about three feet apart each way—about 4,840 to the acre. Of course, some gums, such as Viminalis and Regnaus, would do with more room, and some such as Stuartiana OWiqua and Gigantea with that or even less, say, 2% x 3—about 5600 to the acre. For pines 4ft. apart, 2720 to the acre if in simple (or pure) plantation or if .with naiMs in alternate rows the same

[distance for all pines- to acre 'but the question of nurses cult. THINNING. In thinning the greatest*.&rt in-fores-try is needed. Nothing but long experience and souud judgment will answer for the best work in this direction. The ordinary planter must rely much on his judgment, for it is impossible to lay down any fixod rule as to times, etc. The only reliable general guide to all is to bear carefully in mind at all times ■ the principals that govern, as follows:—*' •(1) To insure the production of good,, I straight, clean timber and rapid stem- | growth when young, which is essential, J dense planting is necessary, (2) To : | insure continued rapid and steady .growth both in height and diameter, which is essential for the production of the best timber in the shortest thinning is necessary whenever in any part of the plantation the density is ceasing to "benefit and is tending to retard the healthy development of the trees. A strict watchfulness on .these lines is all essential for rapid and satisfactory production of good pine timber, and ia more or less so with all kinds. Perhaps gums more than any other kind of tree wiil stand a certain amount of neglect in this matter. The farmer, however, can use a free hand in his plantations and remove serviceable poles whenever and wherever he judges there would be advantage to those re. maining. All his thinnings of gam plantations anyway, will lie of value from the first np to when he has reduced his, say, 5000 trees to the acre down to those for the final crop of,.say, 600 or 800 left to grow intor large milling timber. MIXTURES AND NURSES. This presents a difficult problem when dealing with the fastest growing trees. Obviously one would wish to avoid when planting pines the use of more plants (which in case of pines are costly) and the extra time taken up in planting over more trees than would toe ultimate value, but the Insignis is such a rapid grower that it out-strips almost any nurse. However, in some situations alternate rows of Black Wattle may be used to advantage, thus saving half the number of pine plants, and the wattle when | removed will make useful poles and ex> | cellent firing, but judicious shortening or cutting off of the branches of the wattles will be necessary from time to , time. Mixtures for gums.—Gums axe a very light demanding tree, but Tasmanian Blackwood (Acacia Melanoxylen) can be used in alternate rows with safety and advantage, but the spacing of each must be mueh wider. The gums, of course, soon out-grow the Blackwoods, but in turn they tend to draw up the Blackwood into straight growing trees which will ultimately produce very valuable timber. Beware blackwoods sucker but not black wattle. BLACK WATTLE. Here I would like to remark that the black wattle (Acacia Decurrens, Var. Mollis) is a hardy, beautiful and most useful tree, especially so on the farm. It grows easily, grows densely, and very rapidly either in simple plantation or as shelter or as nurses. It will in six or seven years grow to serviceable size for use. It is the most excellent firewood, makes good poles and fairly good posts. Of course it does not rank as a "timber tree." It does not sucker, and has no equal as a tree close to the homestead, for early production of firing rails, poles, implement poles and tool handles, etc. SLOW GROWTH AT FIRST. I would here warn all not to be in .the least discouraged by the slow growth of trees at the first, especially of gums and wattle. After transplanting and for the first year or perhaps two years they make little progress, but after that rush along. GROWING IN SITE.

I would always advocate sowing seed where the tree is to grow where possible. It always results in much tetter growth and much better trees, but there are many difficulties, and now there is no time to deal with them. WEED SUPPRESSION. Planting under forest conditions of any over-shadowing evergreen trees, such as pines, and of all the pines Insignia is the best for this, is an absolutely certain means of suppressing and destroying weeds of all' kinds, and I am convinced is the proper course to adopt in all poor broken weed infested places. I am often asked if gums will answer. Well, a dense gum plantation will ultimately weaken the weed growth so as to kill it out, but the process is slow. But tree-planting of gums with alternate row of Blackwood as (before suggested will be much more effective. PROTECTION. No timber trees will grow to absolute perfection and reach their extreme dimensions unless grown under conditions such as are obtained in valley and narrow gullies. But as such conditions can rarely be obtained for the "plantation" as apart from the "forest area," the next best is to protect your plantations as far as possible. First by suitable hedges or low growth to prevent cold and drying winds entering low down, and next by high wind brakes. I might mention here that I have for a number of years been collecting data, especially as to rates of growth of numbers of trees, including our native ones, and have also been carrying out practical experiments with a view to ascertaining what trees are the most suitable and reliable especially for farm planting. As you know, the coastal part of Taranaki, south of Mount Egmont anyway, II by no means a favorable part for growing' trees, even of the hardiest kinds, and as my home is south of Rahotu, just on the sea side of the main road, any favorable results can justly be looked upon as representing the minimum of what might be obtained in more favored localities, such as around New 'Plymouth. My experiments liave been carried on under the roughest conditions, such as mlgbt obtain in case of ordinary farm tree-planting. Practical observation is more convincing than written information. I am, therefore, as an enthusiast in forestry matters, always ready and pleased to show any who may deair©4he results of my experiments. There are many other features- of the subject that no discourse on it ia complete without, hut just as time has. necessitated the curtailing of what is t dealt with so must otlier features be cut out altogether. But before closing I wish to bring | to your notice that there is in existence a Forestry Lea«ue, with its head- j

quarters in Wellington, and oi Which Sir. E. £ Jack, of the Farmers' Union, is secretary. The League is doing a very good work, and among other things from time to time issues in pamphlet form matter of interest and value, The •anhacription of membership is small, and* I would advise all who areinterestedUor; join, 'the- JLeague. ■