FOREST TREE PLANTING.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 626, 25 May 1876, Page 2

FOREST TREE PLANTING.

At a late meeting of the Kaiapoi Fanners Clnb, a Mr Andrew Dnacaa wad • paper on Forest Tree Planting, from which we teak* tfee following extract :— ** I will proceed to give you my thsws on what may be considered the more practical part of my subject, and will brat treat of the preparation of the soiL Some are of opinion that the ground for a plantation requires, or .hould have, as careful a preparation as for corn. JNow, I have no objection to a careful preparation for anything, whether oaks or firs, corn or cabbages ; but in many situations .uch preparation fc impracticable ; in fact the bilk V plantations of forest trees of any «xten» is usually confined to situations that cannot be utilised, except at a larga cost, for any other purpose. In ft great many instances, on farms in this province, there are smaller or larger patches of inferior ground that are often left in tbeie native state, because the cost of reducing or waking them into productire would entail a larger expendituro/ipo taa reclamaUon would be worth, and rt v i just tho>ela*tic*lar portions of farms that are peculiarly adapted for plantation of forest trees. „.. . Icoaldgive maty instances, ifrt w necessary, to piH>ve the iact ftat it is not required, where planting is earned out»

SJST WkSLg up the subject WnitaUf «Hde front the preparation of X non-preparation, to the 4ext p^cess reqmsite to colder, and Sit ii ' WhAt is the boat plan as regards to be followed exit in planting ? Any person planting for timber should fcave his miud made op prior to commencing operates, as to the mrt of tree that to bo allowed to grow to -maturity. I have considered this matter •very carefully, from an economic point of T^, and am of opinion that there is no LrXnd Douglas fir will not give satisC^Ubndia trees for planting on uplands and the precipitous lion of thin an against thick planting. In «S rrimfiuft y«* ftfc tto Btarfc fix on tllo t£+s*£l*y* i^nd tooocupy ground permanently, or op to the time St^«riJSr«ta»fall«atarity. These Ire usually hardwood, and are p anted from ten feet apart, «*ord«g to the object in view, filling m firs as nurses^ so Wat the trees stand from three to three *nd-a*al£ feet apart, end this dose plantlueis for the following reasons-. In all ♦cnL where trees *« raised as'weUaß shelter, they should bo kept rather closely together than etherise, ..and upon -observation tiio most advantageous distance throughout *c whole time ihat a plantation remaiusas bucJi, shmikl Ibethat 4lie distance from each other is abontone Aird the belglitof the h-ees. Now as to thin .planting, that is, planting *be or eight, or more feet apart. On this astern, say at the med.ura distance of 1,117 plants to the acre, 3et us sec what would be the tcbmU The *reea«»i»t afieid necessary shelter to *ac»«tJieri tl,ey Why and *tn-uM>v,andwtentheydo w tl.e course *h*lter from eao4t otlwr, ihey have become so coarse in then- hamt ihattbeyTeqnire an excessive amount ot which, checking the flow of sap, iitowH *lrti tree back for a considerable lime, 4K produces tl*e worst result ofliavwK'a large amount oi twigs springing from l-he -place where the branch was flopped off. , Tlwn planting can oa^y bo necessary and .commendable "' one case, and that is upon „tcep battles ««d slopes of giens aft then -youtoJl snd that nUlwogh you should phi* upon Xl>e rorfoce of the bank or -ilopo etswKJ feet distance, measuring upon Hue dope, of the trees when thoy grow n> along 6 idc of one another vonld *o found to stand about the distance *dwt Have *lready TBOoramended. If TTToprietors were to adopt the system ♦tf &in planting -no profitaWo return could a^Jkrived from land much within a period *<lf'3pirty years, more particularly m a j\ A^mg situation, awd even then a roin tnany caaes be out of the -q'»eilSon,<br™ m uncongenial soil, trees almrtedtipon it thinly, never will succeed; Jut where shelter ts prodnced, even m an Hmoongenial soil, trees will mostly do well •and <become of iisetul size. I have attempted to show in tlw tore.porogTeniarks the method to be adopted in earning <nit planting operations, but .another^uestion will arise in your mmds, sod that is, « Is planting profitable ? lime will not permit me to do more than sliriitly touch <m this phase of the subject, i but I Wild submit that if you have not a large profit, yonkive oomforfc, beauty of; secDery, the increased value of your open i lands now effectually sheltered from the | --winds, and thus improved in ckraate. I trust, in conclusion, that the remarks on 'Forest Tree Planting 1 that I have , attempted this evening may bo of some *dranW« to your Club, that some of your wrnberi may have learnt, however imit may be, that improvements way be made on their properties which vill tend to Increase its value, and bea jneau of developing a taste for improved rural scenery, the need of which ib p*Unt .io every careful observer. On the motion of Mr Parnhara, seconded by Dr Dudley, a unanimous vote of tnanks waa passed to Mr Duncan for 3iis «x<»llent paper. A letter was read from Mr R Brown, Christehuwn, stating that if sufficient indent offered he would start a cheese factory on the American principle. it was resolved-" That the Secretary Write to Mr Brown and invite him to attend the next ordinary meeting of the <flub, an« enter into a full explanation of the suheow, and the manner in which ho intended to raise the capital.