TUNG OIL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 December 1938, Page 8

TUNG OIL

FAILURE OF PLANTATIONS IN NEW ZEALAND OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION AND REPORT. GREAT BULK OF TREES DEAD OR DYING. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. An official investigation into the state of tung oil plantations in New Zealand discloses 55 acres of apparently satisfactory trees, 733 acres of unsatisfactory trees, and 3760 acres of worthless, dead and dying trees. This information is given in the December issue of the “Journal of Agriculture,” which states, that the inquiry _ was undertaken as a result of conflicting claims concerning the growth of the ■ trees. During the past eight years, the journal states, 10 companies have attempted to grow tung oil trees on the plantation scale in various parts of the North Auckland Peninsula. As nothing was really then known regarding the possibility of growing tung in New Zealand, the undertaking was undoubtedly one of speculative character. Because of the conflicting nature of the claims made concerning the growth of the trees, investigations have been undertaken by the Departments of Agriculture and Scientific and Industrial Research. The position revealed is approximately as follows: (1) Parengarenga Tung Oil, Te Paki; Australian Plantations, Limited, Rangiputa; Northern Tung Oil Co., Lake Ohia. These plantations were a complete failure, and the controlling companies have ceased to operate. (2) Parapara Development Co., Parapara. There are about 10 acres of apparently satisfactory trees with an additional small area of very unsatisfactory and worthless trees. (3) Tung Oil Securities, Matauri Bay. Acres. Trees apparently satisfactory 0 Trees unsatisfactory .'. 26 Trees very unsatisfactory 0 Trees dead and dying 314 (4) Empire Tung Oil, Waitangi. No map has been made of this property, but the whole ’of the area planted has been inspected, and the position is approximately 40 acres to 50 acres of unsatisfactory and very unsatisfactory trees, with a similar area of dead and dying trees. (5) N.Z. Tung Oil Corporation, associated with N.Z. Tung Oil, Ltd., and Kaikohe Tung Groves, Ltd.. (a) In Kaukakapa most of the trees are dead, and the .company has ceased operating here and transferred activities to Awarua. (b) In Waipapa many trees are removed. The remainder are practically all dead. The company has ceased operating here, and has transferred operations to Awarua. (c) Awarua: — Block 1. Acres. Trees apparently satisfactory 15 Trees unsatisfactory -. 244 Trees very unsatisfactory 106 Trees dead and dying 404 Block 2. Acres. Trees apparently satisfactory 8 Trees unsatisfactory 192 Trees very unsatisfactory 190 Trees dead and dying 390 Block 3. Acres. Trees apparently satisfactory 14 Trees unsatisfactory 149 Trees very unsatisfactory 60 Trees dead and dying 401 These three blocks comprise the largest plantation in New Zealand, and a summary of the position today shows: — Acres. Apparently satisfactory trees 37 Unsatisfactory trees 585 Worthless dead & dying trees 1551 (6) Tung Oil Plantations, Ltd., Mamaranui. Acres. Trees apparently satisfactory 0 Trees unsatisfactory 52 Trees very unsatisfactory 14 Trees dead and dying 266 (7) Tung Acres, Te Arai. The whole area has been inspected, but the maps prepared are not at present available. Approximately 500 acres have been planted, over which 90 per cent of the trees are in a dead or dying condition, and the remainder are quite unsatisfactory. (8) Tung Oil Debenture Trust, Pakapuka. Acres. Trees apparently satisfactory 7 Trees unsatisfactory 20 Trees very unsatisfactory 24 Trees dead and dying 201 Summary. To summarise, over the whole of the plantations the position is approximately:— Acres. Apparently satisfactory trees 55 Unsatisfactory trees 733 Worthless dead & dying trees 3760 ’4548