FARM SHELTER.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20272, 14 August 1937, Page 11

FARM SHELTER.

FORMING PLANTATIONS. ESSENTIALS INDICATED. (No. 2.) I-n the establishment of shelter belts, the Erst essential was that they must be securely fenced and the total exclusion of rabbits and hares wfcs imperative, stated Mr N. J. Dolomore, Conservator of Forests, in a paper read at the New Zealand Grassland Association’s conference. Generally speaking, and more particularly in Southland, it was desirable that the belts should run approximately north and south in order that paddocks should not be unduly shaded by trees. In establishing plantations adjacent to homesteads, farmers very frequently used tall-growing species too close to dwellings. This practice was due to the desire to secure early shelter from winds, but the ultimate effect was the undue shading of the buildings, blocked spoutings through needle fall, and interference with drains by Iree root systems and finally, the danger of damage by falling trees. A\ here difficulty was experienced in securing planting stock, farmers might without much trouble undertake to raise their own trees from seed and bulletins dealing with the establishment of small nurseries for this purpose might be obtained from any office of the. State Forest Service, said Mr Dolomore. In the establishing of small plantations the site should be selected, fenced, cleared of any very rank growth and the ground should be Pitted in the autumn by lifting a spit of soil where each tree was to be Planted, breaking it up and leaving It to be replaced when the tree was finally planted usually late in the winter. In placing the trees the roots should be spread and not bunched together. The ground round young trees should be thoroughly firmed after planting. Where rank grass was present, a certain amount of clearing would bo necessary the following year and possibly for two years. The same might apply on sites Infested with gorse, weeds, manuka, or other rank growth. The drier part of Central Otago could not be regarded as a forest district, in that it bad never supported indigenous forests, and it was not economically practicable to undertake the establishment, or exotic plantations of nnv magnitude in a district with so ! low a rainfall. The few species, which were recommended for use there were those proved best by practical trials j extending over a great many years, but i llieir rate of growth was definitely! slower than In more favourable siiua- ! lions where winter elimatic conditions j are less severe and the rainfall heavier, i Fencing Timbers. Fencing limbers had so far been pro- I duced almost exclusively from indigen- 1 'His forests, hut owing to the difficulty of access and exhaustion of supplies,

Iho position for the future demanded serious consideration. Where farmers had grown suitable exotic timber such as rnaerocarpa or durable eucalypti, these would be very valuable but reliance must be placed largely upon the remaining indigenous forest timbers and upon exotic, softwood posts which had been subjected to preservative treatment. The State had during the past twelve years, used or sold quantities of both posts and poles which had been rreosoted. and three steamoperated plants were now In course of preparation for work on a large scale In this direction. It was anticipated that the production would within two years be sufficiently large to ovoroome the shortage which was seriously threatened in many districts. Mr Dolomore stated that during the last seven or eight years the sale of plantation timber for saw logs had steadily increased and many farmers have derived considerable benefit from royalties received for plantations established by an earlier generation. It was apparent, however, that the de- 1 mand for saw logs from this source would not continue indefinitely. With the approaching maturity of large areas of State plantations throughout the Dominion, local body plantations in some districts and also plantations of private forestry companies in the North Island, a change would take place in the present generally wasteful and uneconomical methods of manufacture. The trend would be towards larger and more economically operated centralised permanent sawmills and factories producing timber and box shook of higher quality than that now generally marketed. It was an opportune time to sound a note of warning to those who might contemplate the establishment of large shelter plantations of short-lived, trees 1 with a view to the. ultimate production of saw timber; and farmers were re-, commended to plant only such species ! and areas as might be regarded as use- ! ful within the limits of properties on which they were grown. It was highly probable that plantations carrying from a few hundred thousand to perhaps a million feet of timber of the rather indifferent quality—now so keenly sought tn ninny" districts—would not End a ready sale.