STATE FOREST SERVICE. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF FORESTRY FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1940.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1940 Session I, C-03

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1940. NEW ZEALAND.

STATE FOREST SERVICE. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF FORESTRY FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1940.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 64 of the Forests Act, 1921-22.

The Director of Forestry to the Hon. the Commissioner of State Forests. Sir, — Wellington, 15th July, 1940. I have the honour to present herewith, pursuant to section 64 of the Forests Act, 1921-22, the annual report of the operations of the State Forest Service for the year ended 31st March, 1940. I have, &c., Alex E. Entrican, Director of Forestry. Hon. Frank Langstone, Commissioner of State Forests.

CONTENTS.

PAGE Summary .. .. .. .. •. 2 Chapter I—Policy—— Personnel and Planning .. .. .. 2 Indigenous Timber Sales .. .. .. 2 State Exotic Forests.. .. .. .. 3 Inter-relationship between Indigenous and Exotic Forests .. .. .. .. .. 4 Forest Finance .. .. .. .. 4-5 Soil Erosion .. .. .. .. 4-5 Review .. .. .. . • • • 5 Chapter ll—Administration — Personnel and Temporary Staff .. .. 5 Casual Staff .. .. .. • ■ 6 Honorary Staff .. .. .. .. 6 Health Safety of Employees .. .. .. 6 Staff Training .. .. .. . • 6 Staff and Office Inspections .. .. .. 7 Modification of Executive Charges .. .. 7 Departmental Relations .. .. .. 8 Chapter III —Constitution of State Forests— Charges in Area .. .. .. .. 8 Charges in Status .. .. .. •• 8 Chapter IV—Forest Management— Surveys .. .. .. •. • • 8 Forest Management Staff .. . . .. 9 Preparation of Working Plans .. .. 9 Chapter V—Silviculture— General .. .. . • .. .. 10 Natural Regeneration .. .. .. 10 Artificial Regeneration .. . . .. 11 Tending of Forest Stands .. .. .. 11 Silviculture Investigations .. .. .. 12 Forest Botany .. .. .. • • 13 Chapter Vl—Forest Protection — From Fire .. .. .. .. • • 14 From Animals .. .. .. • ■ 16 From Insects and Fungi .. .. .. 17 Damage from Natural Causes.. .. .. 18 Offences .. .. .. .. 19 Chapter VII —Forest Engineering —• General .. .. . • • ■ 19 Roads and Bridges .. .. .. 20 Other Transport Facilities .. .. 20 Buildings .. .. .. .. 20 Water-supply .. .. • • 20 Utilization Plants .. .. .. 20 Transportation .. .. .. •. 21 Communications .. .. .. .. 21 Village Planning .. .. .. •. 21 Chapter Vlll—Extraction and Commercial Development— State Forest Sales .. .. .. 22 State Forest Log Sales .. .. .. 22 Production and sales of Manufactured forest products .. .. .. .. 23

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PAGE Chapter Vlll—Extraction and Commercial Development—continued. Equipment and Operating Technique in the Forest Industries .. .. .. 23 Timber-production .. .. .. 24 Domestic Markets .. .. . . 24 Imports .. .. . • • • 25 Exports .. .. .. . • 25 Chapter IX —Utilization — General .. .. .. . • 26 Industrial Investigations .. . . 26 Timber Mechanics .. .. .. 27 Timber Physics .. .. . . 27 Wood-preservation .. .. • • 28 Derived Products .. .. .. 29 Chapter X—Miscellaneous — Legislation .. .. .. ■ • 29 Finance .. .. ■ ■ • ■ 29 Recreation .. .. ■. • • 31 Opossum Trapping .. .. .. .. 31 Mining Privileges .. .. •. • ■ 31 Forest Grazing .. .. . • • • 31 Government Timber Price Committee .. .. 31 Centennial Exhibition .. .. 32 Timber Emergency Regulations .. .. 32 Export Butter-box Pool .. .. .. 32 Commercial Afforestation Companies .. .. 32 Appendix I— Areas added to Permanent and Provisional State Forests .. .. .. • • 33 Appendix II—• Areas withdrawn from Permanent and Provisional State Forests .. .. . • 33 Appendix lII— Areas of State Forests .. .. • • 33 Appendix IV— Progress of Reservation of State Forests .. 34 Appendix V —• Planting Operations .. .. . . 34 Appendix VI — Fires in State Forests .. .. ■ • 35 Appendix VII — Animals killed in State Forests .. .. 35 Appendix VIII — Forest Sales .. .. • • 35 Appendix IX —■ Imports of Sawn Timber, &c... .. 36 Appendix X — Exports of Sawn Timber, &c... .. .. 36 Appendix Xl— Sawmilling and Sash and Door Manufacturing.. 37 Glossary ~ ~ .. •. 40

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REPORT.

SUMMARY. Salient points of general interest in the operations of the New Zealand State Forest Service for the year ended ' USt Sate forests.—The total area proclaimed in terms of the Forests Act, 1921-22, is now 8,450,546 acres, of which over 5,000,000 acres have been permanently reserved ; 96,579 acres were added during the year, while _,725 acres were Wlth 7Zxotic'Forest Establishment.—Tree-planting was completed on 6,447 acres, bringing the grand total of State forest exoto plaitechnical staff was appointed and assigned to duty on these two important branches. The preparation of six working plans was commenced, and provision was made for sustained silvicultural treatment of exotic forests and those indigenous forests suitable for management. Forest Fires —The summer season was one of low fire hazard, but even so seventy-four recorded fires menaced the safety of State forests and thirty-two actually penetrated into the forests. Twenty fires were caused by locomotives and seventeen bv. " burning off," while fifteen were from causes unknown. Timber Sales —One hundred and fourteen sales were made, totalling 77,372,710 board feet, and valued at £97,739. Timber-production. —The total quantity of timber cut from State forests was 1 12,000 000 board feet, or about 13,000,000 board feet less than in 1938-39. Rough sawn timber from all sources-during the year 325,000,000 board feet, which is, however, 8,000,000 board feet more than the recorded cut ol 317,000,000 board teet fOT feS-AHhe close of the year the number of recorded sawmills was 598, being 12 fewer than the preceding year's figures ; of these, 337 operated full time, 148 worked part time, and 113 were closed down. Mills cutting in indigenous forests numbered 453, and in exotic forests only, 95. Exports and Imports.—The quantity of timber exported for the year 1939 aggregated a little more than 13,000,000 board feet, valued at £152,200. The quantity imported was very much the same as for the preceding year viz., 43 000 000 board feet —the major item being Australian hardwoods. j , ~ Erosion. —The question of combating erosion is being investigated with a view to establishing demonstration projects in order that the most practicable and economic methods of checking the destruction and restoring a protective vegetative cover on denuded areas may be ascertained. CHAPTER I.—POLICY. Section A. —Personnel and Planning. 1. A technically trained personnel has been secured and assigned to professional duties covering every phase of forest-management. For the first time in the history of New Zealand forestry, silvicultural, utilization, and working-plans officers have been able to concentrate upon the orderly planning and development of the Dominion's 8,000,000 acre national forest resource. Timber-sales and exotic-forest establishment, hitherto the most important activities, have now ceased to exist as haphazard short-term developments and are being revised in conformity with fundamental concepts of the forest business. Section B. —Indigenous-timber Sales. 2. Five hundred mills continue their annual cutting of thirty-odd thousand acres of indigenous forest. A great number of these are the result of the past century of " extensive farming.'"' The urge to grow " one blade of grass where two trees grew before " has left countless pockets of forest as their support, and far too many are as poorly equipped and operated as the mills of fifty years ago. With the rapid depletion of these privately owned forest resources, the State is in a position to improve matters. The Forests Act, 1921-22, requires that working plans be prepared for State forests, and for all such important areas as must now be opened up to meet the deficiency in private forests resources working plans are being prepared to ensure long continuity and efficiency of operation. The implications are a marked reduction in the number of mills and an increase m the size of forest units. . . 3. Every major forest area remaining in the Dominion should be brought under actual working plan even where the plan is merely a form of cutting control designed to secure a greater element of stability in the indigenous-timber industry. Such a form of control, by conferring more stable conditions, would allow the substitution of better sawing equipment, the provision of dry kilns, and also the development of living-conditions for employees more in keeping with the standard of living enjoyed by workers iri other industries. Industrial units of this type are preferable to the ghost townships at present characteristic of the timber industry. The former will be natural adjuncts of permanently managed forests with selective logging, but should also be made possible in the remaining major clear felling operations which must bridge the transition from the old " one timber crop " exploitation of the indigenous forests to the perpetual-yielding, managed forests of the future. The social and economic benefits are obvious. No less obvious should be the necessity for training more specialized staff to achieve these objectives.

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Section C. —State Exotic Forests. 4. Even the preliminary work of tlic forest-management personnel has brought sharply into focus the expediency nature of previous forestation activities, both public and private, over the last twenty years. That this was due to the exigencies of a post-war period makes it all the more imperative to institute immediate steps against any repetition at the close of the present conflict. A review of the forestation policy has accordingly been instituted. A timber-famine scare in all English-speaking countries was one of the products of the Great War, and it was perhaps inevitable that under the existing conditions of those times extensive tree-planting with quick-growing exotics should follow. Employment was required for large numbers of repatriated soldiers ; the massproduction psychology born out of munitions and automobile manufacture favoured large-scale forestry operations ; the " extensive farming" philosophy then still paramount precluded the planting of other than sub-marginal agricultural lands; whilst the trained forest-management staff was entirely inadequate for long-range planning. The results have been far-reaching : A large portion of the exotic-forest resource has been located in remote localities, and some not-unimportant districts are without any local exotic forests either public or private, largely because of the restricted availability of extensive tracts of cheap easily plantable land in either Grown or other ownership. Owing, also, to the shortage of forest investigative staff and to the enforced use of local seed-supplies of exotics —principally insignis pine, already well established throughout the Dominion —extensive areas have been planted with unsuitable species. 5. Unfortunately it has not been appreciated that land which is too poor for agriculture may be also too poor for the growth of commercial trees, and, indeed, a number of sub-compartments in both public and private exotic forests will never be anything more than protection forest yielding little, if any, timber, though protecting the soil against erosion. The other factor contributing to unsatisfactory establishment of commercial timber crops has been the use of unsuitable species due to the inability to secure tree-seed supplies from abroad for future planting even a few years ahead. The use of the most suitable species on any site requires careful planning ahead, and, as an apt illustration, tree-seed of the most suitable species must be ordered from abroad twelve months before it is sown, whilst the seedlings must remain in the nurseries for as long as two or three years before planting out. Once the best programme has been decided upon, any variation must be accompanied by major losses of nursery stocks and of land-preparation costs. 6. But by far the most serious result of urgent large-scale planting has been the creation of a 750,000 acre forest resource with complete disregard of the paramount necessity for the creation of well-distributed-age classes. The underlying principle of this requirement may be illustrated by considering a forest unit of 7,000 acres to be established with insignis pine having a maturity period or rotation of, say, thirty-five years. One acceptable arrangement would then be the annual planting of about one thirty-fifth of the forest, amounting to 200 acres, so that in the thirty-sixth year the 200 acres planted in the first year might be harvested and regenerated. In the thirty-seventh year the next 200 acres planted in the second year might be similarly treated, and so on ad infinitum. An instance of past experience is in striking contrast. Three State exotic forests totalling 41,000 acres were 91 per cent, planted during the five-year period 1927-31. During the same period over 80 per cent, of the total State insignis-pine stands were planted and over 50 per cent, of the privately owned stands. 7. To manage this resource of ill-distributed age classes is one of the most difficult problems with which any forest authority has ever been faced. In the older age classes significant losses of usable wood by the death of large suppressed trees have already occurred. Only by intensive planning and organization may enormous losses be avoided in the medium-age classes which form such a large proportion of the exotic-forest resource. The activities of the forest-management staff are therefore being centred upon stock and increment surveys of each forest, the drawing-up of felling budgets setting forth where and when the planned timber cut is to be harvested, and the laying-down of silvicultural works deemed necessary for the betterment and regeneration of the stands. The long-term objective is, of course, a better distribution of age classes.

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Section D. —Interrelationship between Indigenous and Exotic Forests. 8. Already it is evident that the distribution of age classes in the exotic forests is so bad as to make any normal plan of management virtually impossible. Anticipatory cuttings may well be required to avoid enormous future losses and to avoid reversion of stands to an unproductive condition. Indeed, the enormous areas in the medium-age classes make it imperative to transfer as much cutting as possible from indigenous to exotic forests within the next few years, serving thereby the double purpose of conserving the limited supplies of virgin high-quality native* timber and avoiding large losses on exotic timber. Such is the urgency of the transfer that it can be effected only by appropriate regulatory measures to ensure the use of exotic in substitution for native timbers throughout the Dominion, for to leave this to the normal processes of education and evolution is impracticable. Section E. —Forest Finance. 9. Correction and future avoidance of the serious position described is fundamentally one of securing stability and independence of finance, preferably by creating a permanent appropriation to implement a long-term policy covering at least a fifty-year period but providing a review of conditions at ten-yearly intervals. The mere adoption of long-range planning cannot of itself effect the desired result. With the best intentions in the world no Administration can escape the restrictions imposed by an annual allocation and a rationing of loan funds according to the exigencies of the general State finances. Inevitably they result in major sacrifices of forestry works partly established and in tremendous losses through lack of or in delay in applying recognized silvicultural treatment to established areas. The entire financial and accounting system under which the Service operates requires, indeed, a complete revision, and a commencement has been made with the limited staff available. In particular, having regard to the long-term nature of all forestry operations, the practice of compounding interest not only on establishment and maintenance charges but also on revenues seems far from logical. It is one of the results of operating on loan-moneys instead of a permanent appropriation. Section F.—Soil Erosion. 10. As one of the chief features of the Dominion forest policy, prevention of avoidable denudation and soil erosion is an important function of the Forest Service. While nothing can be done about the geological erosion which is constantly going on above, and even to some extent below, the vegetation limit of the mountainranges, the staying of further avoidable erosion at lower levels is definitely possible. It is well known that erosion results from misuse of our land covering, and in New Zealand at least the fundamental causes have been fire and grazing. It follows that control of these two factors is fundamental to the solution of the erosion problem. Every possible attention to these two matters has been devoted in upland State forests, but the problem is far from being an easy one. This may be due to the misconstruing, common in forest history, of occasional privilege as an inalienable right. However that may be, it seems more necessary than ever that legislation for dealing with the problem of fire-prevention should be widened so far as State forests are concerned and extended to embrace other land tenures as well. In the meantime, constant appeal is being made to settlers to do all possible in protecting watershed bush against fire and overgrazing. Such a form of protection, if effected on a national scale, will secure re-establishment to some type of vegetative cover and, in any event, is a necessary pre-requisite to any local attempts to control erosion by planting of any kind. As an integral part of future forestation activities, it is proposed to incorporate a number of erosion-control projects to investigate and demonstrate the various methods of control which hold any promise of effective remedy.

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Section G.—Review. 11. Benefiting by past experience, it is submitted that the essential elements of a sound policy of long-range forest planning and management, with special provision for war rehabilitation activities, are as follows : — (a) The creation of a permanent appropriation to ensure stability of finance and continuity of policy. (b) The training of additional forest-management personnel. (c) The placement under working-plans management not only of all State exotic forests, but of all major indigenous-forest areas remaining in the Dominion. {cl) A comprehensive land-procuring policy to establish local forests in poorly timbered districts and to demonstrate promising erosioncontrol measures throughout the Dominion. The objective will be the creation of a number of medium-sized forest units with selfcontained nurseries, planted to give a good distribution of age classes in a variety of species best suited to the different sites. This is an especially urgent phase, in that any large-scale repatriation employment on new forest areas must be centred on roading and other developmental works rather than on planting. A certain amount of large-scale employment will, of course, be available on silvicultural improvements in existing forests. (e) The adoption of a long-term programme of seed purchase and nursery operations. (/) A progressive programme of utilization activities for the marketing in both New Zealand and Australia of all classes of forest-produce ranging from sawn timber to pulp and paper products. CHAPTER lI.—ADMINISTRATION. Section A.—Permanent and Temporary Staff. 12. Soon after the inception of the State Forest Service in 1921 a permanent staff of 97 officers was required for the administration of less than 7,000,000 acres of permanent and provisional State forest, the management of less than 40,000 acres of exotic forest, and the annual sale of only 7,000,000 board feet of State timber. To-day only 176 officers are available for the administration of 8,500,000 acres of State forest, the management of 440,000 acres of exotic forest, and the annual sale of 80,000,000 board feet of State timber. During the intervening period, more especially over the last three years, the Department has been entrusted with many new responsibilities. Supervisory duties in connection with the control of timberprices, &c\, advisory duties to the Dairy Board in the administration of the Export Butter-box Pool Regulations, and more recently the timber-control activities necessitated by the war emergency have imposed extra and onerous duties upon many members of the staff, but all have been cheerfully arid willingly accepted, and appreciation is herewith recorded of the capable and loyal co-operation received from the staff on all occasions. Following the inauguration of working-plans management and the commencement of new ereosoting and milling operations it was necessary during the year to increase the permanent staff from 144 to 176. Large as this increase may appear, it is entirely inadequate to the growing needs of the Service, and further additions must be effected as speedily as suitable officers can be obtained or trained. The same proportional increase has taken place in the number of temporary staff, the total at the end of the year being 99, or 23 more than the previous year. The appointment of a Senior Working Plans and Silvicultural Officer and a Senior Utilization Officer have rendered the positions of Conservators of Forests in Southland and Westland vacant, and applications to fill the vacancies are under consideration. Altogether ten appointments were made to the Professional Division,

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most of the appointees being officers of the Service who held the necessary academic qualifications to undertake various duties in connection witli silvicultural and working-plans activities. A welcome addition to the staff was secured by the appointment of eighteen cadets, many of them engaged in University studies, and from whom it is hoped to select a number of officers for future training m both forest-management and field activities. A Staff Committee was set up to consider and make recommendations regarding staff transfers and promotions and the training of officers of all ranks. _ Section B.—Casual Staff. 13. The average monthly casual staff of conservancies was 1,399, as compared with 1,128 for the previous year. During the month of June the grand total of this staff was 1,576, as compared with 1,240 in January, the low period of employment. As usual, the Rotorua Conservancy was the largest employer, the average monthly staff being 707, equivalent to 51 per cent, of the total. The policy of dovetailing forestry with farming employment was further developed during the year, and a system is being evolved whereby preference of employment is being afforded to efficient seasonal farm workers. The objective is to ensure the nearby farmers an assured supply of labour at critical periods, which almost invariably correspond with slack periods of forest employment. ' ' n Section C.—Honorary Staff. 14. Appreciation is again recorded of the helpful service rendered by the corps of honorary forest rangers, who, actuated by a sense of public duty and a love for the flora and fauna of the Dominion, have in arid out of season worthily done their part, without thought of praise or reward, to protect the forest from fires, trespass, illicit shooting, and vandalism. The total number of the honorary staff now stands at 226, there being 22 appointments and 10 resignations over the past year. Section D. —Health and Safety of Employees. 15. Many of the field duties of forest officers are of such an arduous nature, that the health of the staff requires to be kept constantly under review, and this duty is one of the most important functions of the Staff Committee set up during the year. The health of officers engaged on cruising-work for long periods has in particular received the consideration of the Committee, and, wherever necessary, arrangements have been made for officers to be transferred to less arduous work in order to safeguard their health and preserve their efficiency to the Service. 16. Although the introduction of large-scale tree-felling, logging, sawmilling, and boxmaking operations has increased the accident hazard, it is gratifying to report that, with the exception of one fatal accident, injuries to workmen have been below normal. Of the 251 accidents recorded, cuts account for 88, or 35 per cent, of the total; crushes and bruises 65, or 26 per cent.; strains 55, or 22 per cent.; eye injuries 20, or 8 per cent. ; and sceptic wounds 16, or 6 per cent. ; leaving miscellaneous at only 7, or 3 per cent. A Safety Committee has been set up, and comprehensive instructions are now being prepared regarding the precautions required to minimize the risk of: accidents not only in the mills and box-factories, but also in all silvicultural and logging work. It is believed that by educational and propaganda work it should be possible to reduce still further the accidents which occur owing to improper methods of carrying and using sharp-edged tools. if ft i: ' ; i>'!Y Section E. —Staff-training. 17. Supplementary to the Public Service staff-training scheme inaugurated by the Public Service Commissioner for Clerical and General Division officers, plans were begun for the development of a departmental system of training for all ranks

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of field and professional officers. Although these have been temporarily suspended owing to war activities, they must be revived as early as possible in order to meet the serious shortage of trained officers which had developed before the outbreak of war and has become even more serious as a result of subsequent enlistments. Rehabilitation work at the conclusion of the present conflict must involve important additions to the staff, and it is imperative that some interim training scheme be initiated. The plan already instituted of affording cadets engaged on University studies some experience in field-work during their long vacation has proved of considerable benefit to the Service, and will be persevered with wherever practicable. The encouraging attitude of the Service towards University studies and the employment of graduate officers was favourably commented upon by the committee set up by the Public Service Commissioner to investigate such matters throughout the Public Service. 18. Departmental efficiency examinations for which entry was entirely optional were made under the supervision of the Public Service Commissioner's Office. In the remote and even isolated locations of many of the junior officers, preparation for formal tests of this nature present difficulties greater than those experienced by most other departmental officers, and a voluntary entry of fourteen was under such conditions satisfactory. 19. As one of its essential functions the Staff Committee has been engaged on a survey of the departmental experience of all officers. From the outset it was apparent that too much specialization has been allowed to develop, and all transfers and promotions are being reviewed with a view to improving the general experience and training of all officers and particularly of ensuring that field officers become well versed in both indigenous- and exotic-forest work. Section F.—Staff and Office Inspections. 20. Inspections of regional office and field activities have been made throughout the year as opportunity permitted, the inspectional staff having been strengthened by the appointment of the Accountant as an inspecting officer. This arrangement has given the Chief Inspector more time to devote to general field inspectional work, but the ever-increasing magnitude and variety of the Department's operations will necessitate still further inspectional work which, however, it is anticipated, can be carried out, by the forest-management and other Head Office staff already appointed. Section G.—Modification of Executive Charges. 21. For the more efficient and economical administration of the southern and • eastern portions of the North. Island and the provision of more expeditious service to the public, the boundary between the Rotorua and Wellington Conservancies was altered by (a) placing the country lying between Lake Taupe and the Hauhangaroa Range to the west and south of the Oruapuroto Stream in Wellington Conservancy, and (b) placing the land lying to the north of the Waikare River, Hawke's Bay, in Rotorua Conservancy. Briefly, seven State forests containing 4,563 acres of provisional State forest and 203,686 acres of permanent State forest were added to the Rotorua Conservancy, while the changes in total land area are as follows : — Rotorua : Increased from 5,025,000 acres to 7,896,500 acres ; and Wellington : Decreased from 14,969,000 to 12,097,500 acres. The area added to Wellington Conservancy is easily accessible from the south but only with difficulty from the north, and includes the large tract of heavily timbered country known as " West Taupo timber lands " which is supervised by the Service under an arrangement with the Native and Lands and Survey Departments. The area added to Rotorua Conservancy, comprising the land east of the Huiarau and Raukumara Ranges and embracing important protection forests in Gisborne district, is jnore easily accessible to Rotorua.

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Section H. —Departmental Relations. 22. Regular routine inspections of all the accounting and stores branches of the Service were made by Inspectors of the Audit Office with satisfactory results, and such requisitions as were made to ensure better and safer control over State assets were immediately complied with. Close contact was maintained with the Treasury, the Stores Control Board, the Post and Telegraph Department, and the Public Works Department in the purchase of stores and equipment, the facilities provided by these Departments being taken full advantage of. CHAPTER TIL—CONSTITUTION OF STATE FORESTS. Section A. —Changes in Area. 23. As a result of the continuation of land classification throughout the Dominion in co-operation with the Department of Lands and Survey, the area of the State forests increased by 95,685 acres, and now stands at 8,450,546 acres, representing 12-72 per cent, of the total land area. The areas withdrawn from State forest reservation —ten in number, and aggregating 2,725 acres —were required for settlement purposes ; all but 3 acres were in the South Island, being situated in Otago, Westland, Nelson, Southland, and Canterbury, in that order of acreage. The additions comprised 96,580 acres contained in fifty-five separate lots. With the exception of fifty-six acres of freehold obtained by exchange, these areas were unoccupied Crown lands. The land set apart as provisional State forest (5,899 acres) is located mainly in the Auckland Conservancy (4,157 acres), and is considered suitable for settlement after the milling-timber has been removed. The areas proclaimed permanent State forest (90,680 acres) contain— Protection forest, approximately .. • • .. 84 Virgin milling forest .. . ■ • • • • 8 Cut-over forest .. • ■ _ • • • • . • • Open land required for additions to exotic afforestation projects 1 The protection forest includes certain open land above the timber-line, and is located mainly in the Nelson Conservancy. Section B. —Changes in Status. 24. A number of provisional State forests containing 163,225 acres were set apart as permanent State forests during the period under review. These areas are located in Auckland, Rotorua, and Nelson Conservancies. The Rotorua area (18,404 acres) is situated near Mamaku, and consists of heavily timbered country not'suitable for settlement, while those in Auckland and Nelson, 688 acres and 144,133 acres respectively, are protection forests. The reclassification of provisional State forests is proceeding, and further areas totalling over 400,000 acres will be permanently reserved in the near future. Detailed figures regarding these various changes m the forest area will be found in Appendices I to IV. CHAPTER IV.—FOREST MANAGEMENT. Section A.—Surveys. 25. During the year 10,441 acres were topographically surveyed, while internal surveys in connection with subdivision into compartments covered 10,458 acres. Aerial surveys were carried out over 186 square miles. Other survey work accomplished included 20,018 acres of forest reconnaissance, 30,362 acres of timberappraisal coupes, and twenty-nine miles of tramway surveys.

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26. The year's work resulted in the addition to the permanent forest atlas of one new topographical plan (part of Ashley Forest) and three new stock plans (Tongariro (two) and Waimiha), while one stock plan was renewed and additions made to forty-six stock and topographical plans ; fifty-seven copies of these plans were prepared for general use. State forest areas affected by Proclamations, totalling 262,529 acres, required 64 entries in the forest registers. The additions and deletions to State forest areas and the recording of privileges necessitated 1,578 additions to the forest atlas, while for general purposes 741 tracings and 151 plans were prepared and 490 lithographs coloured and 225 plans mounted, 181 licenses and 330 permits had plans drawn thereon, 80 honorary ranger and forest officer certificates were engrossed, and a total of 1,643 helio prints and 766 photostat prints were used by the Service. Two forest atlas sheets, one fire-district map, one specimen plan, and 1 lettering-plate were lithographed, and seven new fire-prevention stickers —Nos. 30-36 —were printed. The number of negatives in the photographic record was increased by 594, and now stands at 14,818. A five-paged article entitled " Notes on the Draughting of Cruise Plans," with plates, was prepared and distributed for the guidance of junior field officers and draughtsmen. Section B. —Forest-management Staff. 27. The paramount necessity for controlling timber-cutting in State forests in accordance with written working plans has been emphasized in previous reports, but hitherto staffing difficulties have hindered this development. This deficiency has now been remedied by the appointment of nine technically trained foresters recruited from the graduate foresters both within and without the Service. One senior and one junior forest officer were posted to Head Office, and seven junior forest officers to six Conservancies, but two of these latter have since enlisted and proceeded overseas. In addition, two junior forest officers have been appointed to Head Office as co-operating specialists on utilization and forest-production. Section C.— Preparation of Forest Working Plans. 28. At the close of the year, preparation of six forest working plans was in progress, five for exotic and one for kauri forests. In Rotorua Conservancy, basic data have been obtained in Whakarewarewa and Waiotapu exotic forests, including diameter and height growths, volume increments, tree-stem forms, timber volumes, and numbers of trees per acre. Similar data have been collected in Hanmer exotic forest in Canterbury Conservancy from selection and measurement of twenty-one sample plots, while compartment description forms were largely completed for sixty-two forest compartments. Equal progress was achieved in Dusky and Conical Hills exotic forests in Southland Conservancy. The necessary work of preparing and incorporating in working plans a written description of each compartment is facilitated by the detailed compartment histories which have been carefully compiled in the past as a routine operation and kept posted to date. Inventories of all the older exotic stands were made some years ago, and although these require to be carried out afresh to give current volumes, a comparison between the two inventories yields valuable data on increment and changes in the composition and development of the various timber stands. Preparation of a working plan for the purpose of controlling cutting in all State kauri forests was well under way at the end of the year. Surveys, tree enumerations and measurements, and subdivision into compartments were completed for Puketi and Omahuta kauri forests, and good progress made with Waipoua kauri forest. Pending allocation of the necessary trained staff to tlie duties of assembling available basic data and of securing data on increments, certain kauri forests have been managed for several years past under prescriptions of a policy statement issued to control cutting and regeneration in each of the forests concerncd.

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At Omahuta Forest, five kauri logs obtained from two dry trees were extracted under skeleton working plan, while salvaging of fencing-wood from old workings and cleaning up of the ground with the object of assisting regeneration were continued. One of the two dry trees yielded £201 14s. net after deducting felling and extraction costs. Kauri, totara, and taraire logs were extracted from Herekino Forest in accordance with a similar skeleton plan and sold to a sawmiller. Preliminary work is well forward with respect to a plan to provide for silviculture and controlled felling and marketing of mine props in an indigenous beech working circle in Nelson Conservancy, and similar progress has been made in Whirinaki podocarp forest in Rotorua Conservancy. Forest working plans will eventually be made for protection forests as well as the primarily timber-producing forests, and although no plan has as yet been actually prepared, prescriptions have for several years been observed in certain forests. One of these, which may be taken as typical, is in steep-country, and forestmanagement there aims at minimum disturbance of the forest cover and its prompt re-establishment where removed by permitted felling or other cause. Overmature trees in the stand are felled, dead windthrows, &c., removed and cleaned up by expert firewood-getters under strict supervision, and the stand interplanted with shadetolerant exotic trees. CHAPTER Y.—SILVICULTURE. Section A.—General. 29. Silvicultural technique has been made the responsibility of the new forestmanagement staff appointed during the past year. The ranger staff remain responsible for executive silvicultural works and have, during the past two decades, assembled a store of valuable information. The technical side of silviculture deals mainly with choice of felling systems to ensure economic re-establishment, and with the important matter of period and severity of thinning. Other aspects concern the establishment and tending of forests on lines that will minimize harmful effects of windstorms, insects, and fungi; the reconditioning of forest stands that have been damaged by such agencies ; the changing over from unsuitable to more suitable tree species without, as far as is possible, diminishing the productivity of the forest; and the forming of mixtures of different tree species with the object of foiling insect epidemics or of maintaining fertility of the forest soil. Section B. —Natural Regeneration. 30. At Whirinaki forest, Rotorua Conservancy, where 800,000 cubic feet in logs were extracted and sold during the year, logging operations have been systematically followed up by splitting small material from tree-tops, &c., and generally cleaning up the ground ready for restocking of the forest. The main tree species are rimu, kahikatea, and matai, and where natural restocking is deficient it will be completed by planting indigenous or suitable exotic trees. Two hundred and seventy pounds of indigenous-tree seed were collected and sown in a local nursery established during the year. A small quantity of exotic-tree seed was sown. In Auckland Conservancy, kauri forests were similarly subjected to cleaning up to assist natural regeneration on recently logged portions and on older workings wherever kauri-seed trees were available. Apart from the Whirinaki forest, already referred to, no natural regeneration operations were actually carried out in podocarp forests, but explorations were made of existing regeneration in other podocarp forests with a view to locating areas suitable for future treatment. Attention has been devoted for the most part to forests yielding special-purpose timber, such as kauri and beech, and capable of producing timber in a rotation period considerably shorter than that required by rimu and other podocarp trees. At Tawhai beech forest in Nelson Conservancy, regeneration operations were successfully carried out for the first time in the year 1936. During the summer of 1938-39, 87 acres in this forest were prepared for seed-fall by girdling surplus

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overmature trees, partial removal of underscrub, and exposing the soil on the forest floor so that seed falling could germinate and not be lost on deep litter, &c. Though there was a good seed crop, results were not equal to those of the year 1936, but the light seedling crop obtained may prove sufficient to re-stock the stand. No soil preparation was done during 1939-40 as there was no seed crop. It was found that opening up the forest canopy too severely in damp places gave rise to an abundant growth of forest ferns and grasses, and this will be guarded against in future. In another beech forest in Nelson Conservancy, 50 acres carrying little or no regeneration and ripe for felling for mine props had been prepared for seed-fall in 1938-39 by pulling out patches of the fern Blechnum discolor, and here the operation was entirely successful, the whole area now being fully stocked with beech seedlings. For the most part, these beech stands were recently in a primitive state, characterized by overmature and decaying veteran trees, no trees in the pole stage, and little regeneration. Along with certain pole stands which have followed exploitation by miners three to six decades ago, they are being managed with the object of obtaining beech pole stands capable of sustained production of mine props. In Reefton, the locality concerned, mine props are in good demand and miners have experienced difficulty in some instances in securing supplies. The general objective is to convert selected portions of the beech forests from overmature into young pole stands which will yield supplies of mine props in perpetuity. Section C. —Artificial Regeneration. 31. Interplanting Indigenous Forests. —A total area of 1,622 acres of indigenous forest was interplanted with tolerant exotic trees after logging and cleaning up : 1,555 acres in podocarp forest in the central North Island region and 67 acres in beech forest in the South Island. This operation is undertaken with the object of securing an early timber yield from cut-over indigenous forests while the natural regeneration and the pole-trees of the original indigenous species are developing to maturity. In every case the latter are interfered with as little as possible. It is found that the introduced exotic trees are able to maintain height growth with the competing shrubby second growth of the original forest only if the exotic trees used are sufficiently large and planted within a year of completion of logging operations. This method of improving the indigenous forests was carried out on a very minor scale between the years 1919 and 1929 with the planting of 26 acres in four conservancies. Since 1929, a further 5,649 acres have been dealt with. The chief species used have been Thuya plicata, Cryptomeria japonica and Lawson's cypress. The above figures relate solely to cut-over areas that have not been burned. 32. Afforestation. —Apart, from 1,622 acres of bush interplanted as above, 4,825 acres of open country were afforested, details of the forests affected being shown in Appendix V. With the exception of 2 acres of kauri, the trees used were exotic species. Mixtures of exotic species were established over 1,303 acres : 1,125 acres in one operation, and the remaining 178 acres by introducing a second species into areas previously planted. Replanting of unsuccessful, windthrown, and otherwise damaged areas and of felled areas was carried out over a total area of 4,032 acres, while the blanking up of 3,359 acres was completed. Tree seeds were collected and extracted to the quantity of 1,300 lb., including 300 lb. of indigenous-tree seeds. 33. Nursery operations. —A total of 1,792 lb. of tree seeds were sown, yielding up to 15th March, 1940, a total of thirteen million seedlings. Included in the seed sown are 267 lb. of indigenous-tree seeds. The total number of trees lifted for planting out amounted to 11,800,000, while 900,000 seedlings were lined out. At the end of March, 1940, the total tree stocks in all nurseries amounted to 22,000,000. Section D. —Tending of Forest Stands. 34. Indigenous Forests. —Hitherto revenues derived from the removal of a single crop of mature and overmature trees from the indigenous forests have been devoted to purposes such as the establishment of planted exotic forests. Under

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forest management and attendant silvicultural treatment a higher proportion of revenue will" be returned to each forest. Only in this way can the indigenous forests be maintained in a perpetually productive state, and only in this way can the sudden fall in forest revenue which would result from the entire removal of mature and overmature trees be mitigated. Thus with kauri, maintenance of an annual level of forest revenue is possible only by some expenditure on tending the kauri forest stands with a view to enhancing their rate of growth and increasing their density by means of improvement fellings. Since the remaining stands of kauri are so limited and care must be taken to spread the removal of overmature and mature trees over a long period, it follows that the consumption of kauri timber will have to diminish somewhat. This will become possible by restricting kauri timber to essential uses. Briefly, the choice is one between devoting a single large kauri revenue to purposes other than kauri-production, or returning a smaller periodical revenue to each kauri forest as expenditure that will be productive of further revenues in the future. Other indigenous forests are in a similar position. Actual work on releasing natural regeneration from competing scrub trees, &c., was confined to beech forests, and a commencement will be made in the coming year in certain compartments in kauri forests. In Nelson Conservancy, 153 acres of native beech pole stand were lightly thinned and 1,670 cubic feet of mine props adjacent to a road were extracted for marketing. The same area was also underscrubbed. Four acres were heavily thinned, yielding 7,747 cubic feet of mine-prop timber, which was sold at 6d. per cubic foot. In Wellington Conservancy, 468 acres of indigenous cut-over forest interplanted with exotic trees in the past three years were gone over, with the object of releasing the exotics from overtopping indigenous growth of secondary shrubs, _ &c. This operation was rendered necessary by an unusually prolific growth of the indigenous ground cover. 35. Exotic Forests.—The necessity for tending planted forests right through to maturity cannot be overstressed. In order that maximum yield and maximum quality may be attained in a minimum term, tending operations of one kind or another must be carried out periodically as silviculturally required by the condition of each forest stand. Tree-cleaning.—Recent plantings of 2,076 acres were cleaned by releasing tree plants from suppressing bracken-fern, gorse, &c. Loiv Pruning.—Pruning to a height of about 7 ft. from the ground was done over a total of 14,660 acres, the object being to improve access and reduce the fire hazard. High Pruning.—This operation, which is performed on selected stems with the object of ensuring one or sometimes two clean saw-logs in each tree at maturity, was carried out on 748 acres, persistent dead branches being removed by the use of long-handled pruning-saws. Thinning— Altogether 1,567 acres were thinned with different degrees of severity, chiefly light improvement thinnings. As far as possible, wood material from such thinnings is utilized as camp firewood. That from more severe thinnings is sold to sawmills as saw-logs, or utilized as poles, posts, mine-props, &c. Section E. —Silvicultural Investigations. 36. General.—ln the latter part of the year an inspection of cut-over indigenous forests that have been interplanted with exotic trees was made by two senior forest officers. As a result of their recommendations it was decided to discontinue interplanting of unburnt indigenous beech, forests, since beech itself regenerates strongly and tends to suppress all exotics. It was also decided to use Lawson's cypress on a more limited scale for the interplanting of cut-over podocarp forest, owing to its susceptibility to serious attack, generally proving fatal, by the fungus Armillaria mellea. An important investigation was carried out at Hanmer forest into the occurrence and density of natural regeneration of exotic trees. This investigation has already enabled a decision to be formulated of the felling system to be adopted for each of

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the main tree species. Planting commenced there in the year 1903. The rainfall is 46 in., the soil a light friable clay with little humus, and the altitude 1,100 ft. to 2,800 ft. above sea-level. Snowfalls, sometimes fairly heavy, occur on 18 days (average) and frosts on 139 days (average). The prevailing north-west wind occasionally reaches gale force, causing windthrow. In spite of uninviting conditions of ground cover, varying from bare soil to very dense grass sole, and deep duff under dense forest stands, natural regeneration of the main species is remarkably good. Ample regeneration of the following species occurs, the number of seedlings or saplings per acre being shown in parentheses : Corsican pine (2,320), insignis pine (2,840), Douglas fir (2,880), European larch (3,500), and Pinus muricata (6,520). The vigour and growth-rate appear to be greater than in the case of planted trees, while the proportion of double leaders is considerably lower. In Wellington Conservancy height increments of planted trees ten to fifteen years old and at altitudes varying between 2,100 ft. and 3,800 ft. were further studied. In Auckland Conservancy two temporary sample plots established by spot sowing kauri-seed in manuka and fern were planted tip in nursery-raised kauri plants, spot sowing having proved a failure. Ten kauri saplings near the forest edge showed an increase in height from 6-9 ft. in 1933 to 13-0 ft. in 1940, a mean annual increment of 0-9 ft. Observations in practically all conservancies confirmed that green pruning of Pinus radiata in summer causes no ill effects as compared with pruning in winter. 37. Sample Plots and Statistical. —Unfortunately a small forest stand in Westland comprising rimu, kahikatea, and silver-pine in pole stages, and purchased in the year .1921, when permanent sample plots were established, had to be destroyed during the year in the interests of local aerodrome extension. A final remeasurement of diameters and heights was made before the stand was felled for utilization as saw-logs and mine props. A sample plot established in 1937 to study kauri regeneration revealed these results : —

Tlie plot was established under a well-stocked stand of mature kauri, and the heavy ground cover of kauri-grass (Astelia trinervia) and bush cutty-grass (Gahnia xanthocarpa) was cleared and removed from the sample plot. Many permanent sample plots in Rotorua, Canterbury, and Southland Conservancies were remeasured for increment data required in connection with preparation of working plans. Section F. —Forest Botany. 38. It is felt that the insularity and long-growing season of New Zealand's climate has a strong influence upon the silvicultural characteristics of the tree species forming the major portions of the Dominion's exotic forests. The home of many of these species in the Northern Hemisphere is characterized by a Continental climate, and their silviculture and management as practised in the Old World does not fit in with New Zealand conditions. Altered silvical characteristics developed by these trees in their new home are felt to be so fundamental to our silviculture and management that a definitely organized procedure was inaugurated during the year for the recording by the field staff of seasonal observations, and the appeal issued to field officers to co-operate in this work has met with an enthusiastic response. An extension of this project to cover indigenous trees is felt to be an urgent need.

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Seedlings Seed SeedUng8 per Aore . 1937 .. .. 1,000 360 1938 .. .. .. 25,864 6,368 1939 .. .. 18,880 12,488 45,744 19,216

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CHAPTER VI.—FOREST-PROTECTION. Section A. —From Fire. 39. Tlie fire season 1939-40 was, generally speaking, a welcome antithesis to the preceding one. Widespread hazardous conditions were absent except for two short periods early in November and in January just after the New Year holidays, but localized risk was grave in late autumn in Nelson and Marlborough. Appendix VI gives particulars of fires reported this season recorded in detail to show that even in such a season of minimum fire hazard the forest-fire risk and damage are severe enough to be significant. In addition to the thirty-two fires which actually penetrated into State forest areas, forty-two other fires endangered State forests and were brought under control by State Forest agencies at a cost of Summary of Fires, 1939-40. (1) Total fires endangering State forests . . .. • • 74 (2) Fires in State forests .. • • • • . . 32 (3) Causes of fires — Burning off and settlers' fires .. • • . . 17 Unknown .. . • • • • • .. 15 Hunters . . • • • • • • .. 6 Billy fires Carelessness .. • • • • • ■ . . 2 Locomotives . . . • • • • • . . 20 Mill haulers . . ■ • • • • • . . 8 Mischief .. • • • ■ • • .. 3 74 (4) Distribution of fires in State forestAuckland Region .. • • • • .. 5 Rotorua Region .. .. . • • • .. 0 Wellington Region .. . • • • . . 16 Nelson Region .. .. • • • ■ .. 1 Westland Region .. .. • • 2 Canterbury Region .. .. • • .. 0 Southland Region .. • • • • .. 2 32 (5) Acreage burned over in State forest — Milling-timber .. . • • • • ■ 42 Logged areas .. • • • • I>64B'^1 >648'^ Young timber .. • • • • • • 408 Protection forest Exotic forest . . • • • • • • "75* 3 Fern, scrub, &c. .. .. • • • • 683 • 2 2,858-9 40. Fire-prevention measures of a permanent character were carried on despite this lessened seasonal risk ; and new patrolmen's huts, notices, and firebreaks were erected and constructed, particularly in much frequented areas where tourists favour forest roads and forest camping. Arrangements were made to co-ordinate fire protection of scenic reserves and national parks with that of State lorests m various districts, and every year will see improved protection in this direction. Arrangements had been made in the central North Island to enlist the assistance of the Public Works Department and its special land stumping and clearing machinery in stump-removal from roadside fire-breaks, when flood damage elsewhere necessitated sudden removal of the equipment to affected districts. It seems, however, that such machinery will in many cases be very useful in initial lire-break formation in worked-over forest areas, and the initial formation cost will be much cheapened by its use.

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With a view to ensuring as far as possible that an effective field organization is available to combat any outbreak of fire which might be beyond the capacity of a normal staff to control and which might threaten to develop into a major conflagration, arrangements were made with all Government Departments concerned for the assistance and co-operation of available field staffs, equipment, and transport and communication facilities. When such an emergency does arise it is, of course, vital that all necessary assistance should be forthcoming immediately, and most field officers have accordingly been instructed by their respective Departments to respond to the call of local forest officers. The New Zealand Railways, which is notable amongst the Departments in a position to render practical help, made the necessary internal arrangements for the Service to receive the support of the entire local Railway staff concerned, while special precautions were effected in the dumping of ashes and in burning off on Railway land. The co-operation extended by all Departments is gratefully acknowledged, and should the occasion arise it is confidently anticipated that the precautions taken will go far in averting what might otherwise develop into a national disaster. Important in the suppression of fires in their incipient stages is convenient communication, and authority of the owners of telephones in the vicinity of important State forests was secured either for the use of the telephones or for the relay of messages to the nearest forest officer. Necessary extensions of the firepatrol service were made during the year, and in the Tongariro district of the North Island a considerably strengthened fire prevention and control organization was established, including the erection of hut accommodation at suitable points for patrolmen and the erection of telephone communication facilities between all points in this hitherto practically isolated region, but which with improved access has become a popular tourist district. In the Kaingaroa State Forest of the RotoruaTaupo district good progress is being made with the installation of radio transmitting equipment to supplement the existing telephone communication system, and it is anticipated that this will be in operation during the next fire season. An additional forest lookout station was erected to deal with the Hurunui River-bed boundary of the Balmoral State Forest in Canterbury, and further lookouts in other State forests will be erected from time to time as deemed necessary. One trailer-type power-driven pump was added to the fire-fighting equipment. 41. The scheme envisaged for the prediction of hazardous conditions in the principal forest areas has advanced a step further. Eighteen fire-hazard-recording stations, representing an increase of seventeen, were in use throughout the spring, summer, and autumn months in several major indigenous-forest areas and in the principal exotic forests. In addition to the immediate application of the readings to determine relative hazard in the individual forest areas, they have a wider usefulness : upon reaching a point, regarded arbitarily as dangerous, the relevant readings are telegraphed to the central co-ordinating station in Wellington. Under the normal conditions in this country such a danger-point is reached only in the mid-afternoon ; in the event of very hazardous conditions being unrelieved by a dewy night, the 9 a.m. readings of the following morning are of particular interest. All related features, including wind force, are discussed in conjunction with the Weather Bureau's forecasting staff, and, when necessary, radio warnings are broadcast. The equipment described in the 1939 annual report has proved very satisfactory. A new instrument, an inexpensive cup-type anemometer to give instantaneous records of wind velocity, has been under trial and may find a place in future expansion of hazard-prediction facilities. The comparatively mild fire season had not been conducive to the development of a fire-hazard-rating chart for future guidance of forest officers. For new hazard-indicator sticks, Pinus strobus has been preferred to the timbers previously employed, as it conforms most nearly in moisture-content changes to the vegetative fuel type most prone to carry fire. 42. The comparatively small damage sustained by State forests and other forested areas included in fire districts is again a significant endorsement of the protection afforded by the authority of the relevant provisions of the Forests Act, 1921-22, and regulations.

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Fire districts now constituted total fifty-nine, covering a total area of 3 336,199 acres. The efficacy of fire district protection rests in the hands of the administering authority, and a thorough field organization and equipment must be provided' and maintained, otherwise just and efficient administration is not possible. Several applications for private fire districts have had to be declined during the past year owing to the fact that applicants could not satisfy the Service that an adequate personnel and fire-fighting equipment would be provided and maintained. . „ . For these reasons it may be necessary in the near future to review some ot the existing private fire districts to ascertain whether provision for fire control and prevention should not be strengthened in the light of modern technique and locality requirements or, alternatively, the statiytory authority removed. It is known that in some cases almost entire reliance is placed on the legal provisions for protection, and burning (including safe outdoor domestic fires) is entirely disallowed under threat of the penalties at law. Such administration, which is, of course, confined to certain private fire districts, is not in the best interests of forest-protection, and corrective measures will be considered when these are reviewed. For effective and smooth working it is necessary that the forest officer concerned should be intimately acquainted with all settlers or other residents affected by a fire district and with the local climatic conditions and generally be in a position to deal expeditiously with an application for a permit to burn, thus avoiding irksome and unnecessary delays when conditions are safe for burning. In all State forest fire districts a comprehensive organization of protection is instituted immediately danger from fire is likely, and functions continuously throughout the dangerous summer months. Such fire districts and attendant personne and equipment are being extended as experience shows the necessity for exercising control in the use of fire. In the past the Service has received valuable co-operation from certain sections of the public, biit this must be voluntarily given by all interested parties—farmers and forest visitors and privilege-holders alike as only by constant vigilance and the unqualified support of every person concerned can reasonable safety from fire be assured. The fire district, with its season of contro << burning, has proved to be a valuable means of reducing the danger to forests from fire. Only forest officers are placed in charge who are fully acquainted with loca conditions of districts for which they are responsible, thus little inconvenience is caused by the administration, and inquiries are dealt with sympathetically an< expeditiously. Any inquiries from landowners and others resident m the vicim }< of State forests or within fire districts are welcomed by these officers, who, althoug i constantly vigilant in the exercise of their duties to protect the forests, will be foun ever ready with helpful advice and co-operation. Provision for the safety of life and property in State forests and fire districts in the event of a major conflagration is a matter which has received earnest consideration, and it is anticipated that ere long the necessary statutory authority will be forthcoming requiring right-holders in State forests and all nre districts to make suitable arrangements to meet any emergency which might arise. Genera regulations governing fire protection in State forests and fire districts are m couise of preparation. Section B.—From Animals. 43. The total kill of all animals shows a reduction on the previous year's work, the figures being 18,286, as compared with 19,435 recorded in the 1939 report. Rabbits and hares were the most numerous, and in Canterbury alone ncaily 10,700 were destroyed, while 4,174 in Southland and 1,353 in Rotorua Conservancy completed the total of 16,433. The whole cost of this work was £2,393 14s. 5 . Wherever possible, rabbit-skins were saved and sold to offset the cost of killing, and £252 were received from the sale of skins in Canterbury Conservancy. Deer-shooting was continued in the exotic forests, and the recorded kill by forest workmen was 973 ; Southland Conservancy suffers most from this pest, and 666 animals were destroyed there. Dominion-wide deer-destruction is carried out by organized shooting parties under the direction of the Department of Internal Affairs.

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Goats are reported to be plentiful in some of the North Auckland forests, but unfortunately attempts to arouse the interest of local settlers in reducing the herds were unsuccessful, apparently due to the fact that some farmers do not yet realize the great damage these animals do to the young growth. Goats appear to be increasing also in Wellington and Westland Conservancies. The number of opossums killed by forest employees was 581. These animals are most prevalent in Southland and Westland, and in the latter conservancy their attacks on the young leaders of Thuya plicata were again in evidence, although little damage to the indigenous forests was noticeable. Further details of animal-destruction will be found in Appendix VII. Section C.—From Insects and Fungi. 44. A general ecological survey was continued, whenever opportunity offered, of all factors operating upon the trees in the forests, with the object of selecting salient factors for more intensive study and to correlate the various climatic, edaphic, physiographic, and biotic factors with any observed pathological condition of the trees. In kauri forests the factors found to require attention were soil conditions, heart-rot fungi, bark beetles, and damage caused by gum-bleeders ; in podocarp forest lieart-rot fungi and Armillaria received attention ; while in beech forest heart-rot fungi, Cyttaria gunnii, Armillaria mellea, the buprestid Nascioides ensyii, defoliators, Platypus beetles and other borers, the wood-boring moth Charagia virescens, and climatic factors were studied. In exotic forests the most important appear to be soil and climate factors and pathological conditions resulting from abnormally severe climatic conditions acting upon accumulated suppressed trees in unthinned plantations, particularly on poor sites. Milling is still being continued in the area of indigenous forest burnt in December, 1937, on the central volcanic plateau. Insect damage is only now becoming at all severe and is caused by Platypus douei. There has been no new growth of burnt or scorched trees, although many are still alive in the butts and trunks. Attack by Armillaria mellea from the roots to a height of at least 20 ft. in some cases and by Stereum in the upper parts of the trees has resulted in the decay of the sapwood in the majority of all species. There is also attack by Schizophyllum commune and Polyporus. As a result of the destruction of sapwood rimu, kaliikatea and miro are now practically non-millable, but the lieartwood of matai and totara is still sound and there are also patches of bush which escaped the fire. 45. (a) Termite investigation received considerable attention during the year, and with the co-operation of the Australian Council for Scientific and Industrial Research the position with regard to the introduced termites has been considerably clarified. Mr. F. N. Ratcliffe, of the C.5.1.R., an entomologist specializing in termites, visited New Zealand by arrangement between the C.S.I.R. and the State Forest Service, and as a result appropriate control measures are receiving urgent consideration. In the meantime regular inspections of incoming shipments of Australian hardwoods have been instituted throughout the Dominion, and although no infested material was located amongst the first twenty shipments examined, suitable arrangements have been made for dealing with any such material which may be located in the future, and much information was secured as to the prevalence of termite pipe and tunnels and other defects in the timber. (b) The known distribution of Hylastes ater has been extended through investigation during the past year. It is now known to extend from Bankside, Hororata, and Greendale in Canterbury, where it occurs in the Selwyn Plantation Board's plantations, to Waipoua Forest in the North. Between these localities it is to be found wherever suitable conditions occur. None of the introduced predators, Rhizophagus spp., has so far been recovered, but the accidentally introduced Australian beetle, Metriorrhynchus rufipennis, which is reputed to be a predator, is frequently found associated with Hylastes larvae. The fungus Armillaria mellea exercises some control by occupying the stumps and destroying the cambium, rendering

3—C. 3,

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it unfit for the Hylastes. There is also a fungus which attacks the larvwc and kills them. Sample plots have been laid out to determine the length of time the Hylastes will remain active in stumps of various species and size felled at different times of the year. Attack on regeneration has been noted ; it is not severe, but with the extensive felling and regeneration programmes for ! 940, more damage may be expected in the future. Hylastes has been found at Rotorua attacking suppressed trees, logs, and stumps of all the species of pine and also larch stumps. Only general observations have been recorded for the steel-blue wood-wasp, but field recoveries of the parasite Rhyssa persuasoria were made from Hanmer Springs in the South Island and Rotorua in the North. (c) Investigation was continued upon the main insects attacking timber in buildings, Anobium spp., Ambeodonius tristis, and Calotermes brouni. To these must now be added Coptotermes acinaciformis, 0. frenchi, and C. lacteus. Four main lines of investigation were followed up : — (1) Their occurrence and life-histories in the forest and in shade trees. (2) Their occurrence in sawmills and timber-yards. (3) Their occurrence in buildings. (4) Preventive measures and preservative treatment. 46. (a) No new fungal diseases have been reported in the exotic or indigenous forests, and of those already known none has done damage of any great significance during the past year. . (b) Armillaria mellea continues to cause many deaths among trees planted m cut-over native bush, particularly Cwpressus lawsoniana, and in addition is now found in practically all of the older stands of planted exotics, where it is the apparent cause of the death of trees weakened from lack of thinning. Armillaria appears to be one of the most common fungi in all types of native forest and is the apparent cause of many deaths in kauri, nothofagus, and podocarp stands. It may be expected to become of considerable significance when the more intensive regeneration of the exotics and the management of the indigenous forests is put into operation. Attack by Armillaria on the roots is frequently accompanied by attack by cambium-destroying insects such as Hylastes ater in Pinus radiata,, Xenocnema spinipes followed by Mitrostethus bitubercidatus in kauri, Nascioides enysii in nothofagus, and Eburida sericea in Cupressus lawsoniana and totara. (c) The loss caused by heart-rot fungi to living trees is very considerable, and the preliminary survey served to reveal the importance of this study. In kauri a severe brown cubical rot completely destroys the heartwood and is caused by a fungus near to Polyporus schweinitzii ; another fungus, apparently Fomes annosus, causes a white rot of kauri. Fames robustus was found to cause " kaikaka " or pocket rot in totara and honeycomb in matai and beech. Fomes applanatus causes heart-rot in many trees, while Polyporus eucalyptorum causes a brown cubical rot in beech and in many stands is particularly severe. Armillaria mellea is suspected of causing heart-rot in kahikatea and beech. There are also known to be a number of heart-rots the causal agency of which has not yet been isolated ; amongst these are brown cubical rot of totara, kaikawaka, and matai, and heart-rots in mature Pinus radiata stands. By the end of the next year it is expected that much information will be added to existing knowledge of these fungi. (d) The study of fungi causing decay in logs and clead trees was continued. Of these, Armillaria mellea is probably the most significant. Sehizophyllum commune, Stereum spp., Polyporus spp. and Lenzites trabea are frequent causes of decay. Work during the year consisted of collection and identification of rot fungi and the formation of a standard collection and cultures of the main species. Section D. —Damage from Natural Causes. 47. Flood damage on State forests was reported from Wellington, Nelson, Westland, and Canterbury Conservancies. In Wellington, a bridge over the Whakapapa River was washed away by exceptional flood, and in Nelson sheep-stops

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across creeks at Golden Downs were damaged considerably and road-maintenance greatly increased. In Westland, small areas of State forests fronting rivers, particularly in South Westland, were washed away, and on private lands silting due to floods in the Waitangi River killed a considerable quantity of kahikatea, while in Canterbury an exceptional flood in the Hurunui River washed away 3 acres of twelve-year-old Pinus ponclerosa, \ acre of thirteen-year-old P. radiata, and 25 chains rabbit-proof fencing. Flood-waters also seriously interfered with sawmilling in parts of Westland and Southland. In Wellington and Canterbury Conservancies the usual snow damage was reported. At Karioi ( Wellington) branches and double leaders of P. radiata along margins of compartments were broken, and in Canterbury snow lay for two to three weeks on 20 acres of newly planted stock, weakening the young trees and making them an easy prey for subsequent cold winds. In Rotorua Conservancy a severe frost on 12th March, 1940, is believed to have been responsible for the loss of fifty-eight thousand P. radiata nursery stock. Wind damage was reported from the Auckland, Rotorua, Wellington, and Canterbury Conservancies —viz., Auckland : Strong drying winds were rather severe on newly planted trees. Rotorua : Line-sown and lined-out stock at Rotoehu Nursery suffered owing to lack of adequate shelter. Wellington : Double leaders on P. radiata and new growth on P. Murrayana and P. laricio were broken off at Karioi, and seeds were twice uncovered in nursery beds at Kiriwhakapapa, near Masterton. Canterbury : As already mentioned, cold winds killed 20 acres of snow-weakened newly planted stock at Ashley. Section E. —Offences. 48. The principal offences under the Forests Act may be said to be timber trespass, grazing trespass, lighting fires, and illicit shooting. The most serious and the most difficult to detect is, of course, fire-lighting, and every year cases occur where lack of evidence prevents the taking of Court proceedings, although the presumption of guilt of the offender is often based on more than mere suspicion. It may be necessary to extend the existing legislation to strengthen the hands of the Crown in this respect. Only one conviction in connection with fire was recorded, and this concerned two juveniles who set fire to an exotic State forest in Westland Conservancy ; the youths pleaded guilty and were dealt with in the Children's Court. Over 40 acres of young trees were destroyed by this mischievous fire. Altogether seven minor cases of timber trespass were reported, four concerning sawmillers and the remainder post-splitters. One unusual case was detected where a post-splitter deliberately trespassed on a sawmill area held under license and felled and removed some dry totara trees which were not included in the timber sold under the license. He pleaded guilty, and was fined £7 10s., the illegally cut produce —eighty-four posts and fifteen strainers —being seized by the Department. Grazing trespass is difficult to control, as in many instances common boundaries between settlers' holdings and State forest are unfenced and cattle and sheep stray into the adjoining bush. CHAPTER VII.—FOREST ENGINEERING. Section A. —General. 49. All engineering work is now co-ordinated and supervised from Head Office in order to secure maximum economy and efficiency and standardization of construction. Standard designs are already in general use for houses and huts, and new designs are in course of preparation for timber bridges and culverts constructed from creosoted pine timber. The supervision of' day-labour work has been carried out by conservancy staff, and major contracts, for which plans and specifications are prepared in Head Office, have been under the control of a Clerk of Works with inspections by Head Office staff as required.

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Section B.—Roads and Bridges. 50. With the modern road building and maintenance equipment secured during the last two years it has been possible to keep all forest roads in a good state of repair. The hydraulic angle-dozer tractors have been of particular value in that they have permitted external fire-breaks to be constructed and maintained as peripheral emergency roads. The major road-development in the Puketi State Forest, North Auckland, is being proceeded with as rapidly as available plant and man-power will permit. Good progress has also been made with the formation of the main extraction route to the State sawmill at Whakarewarewa, and the internal roads on the mill site are being prepared for sealing during next summer. At Whirinaki (Rotorua Conservancy) the extraction road is being extended as cutting proceeds. Roadconstruction necessary for the development of the Ashley State Forest, North Canterbury, has been commenced and is making satisfactory progress. Extraction roads at Conical Hills State Forest, Southland, have also been constructed. Section C. —Other Transport Facilities. 51. Arrangements have been made for investigating the extension of the railway-line from Rotorua to Reporoa in order to give access to the Waiotapu and Kaingaroa State Forests. Transportation and handling costs on timber products from these forests would be materially reduced by the construction of this line. A railway-siding has been constructed at the Conical Hills (Southland) mill-site, enabling plant and materials to be railed directly into the store and timber to be loaded on to railway-trucks without rehandling. At and adjacent to the Kaingaroa State Forest (Rotorua Conservancy) an investigation is being carried out of the possibility of constructing emergency-landing fields for aircraft, these facilities being required for aerial surveying and protection activities. Section D.—Buildings. 52. In addition to the buildings which have been completed for utilization projects, eighteen staff houses have been constructed, one being located at Omahuta (North Auckland), one at Waiotapu, eight at Whakarewarewa, two at Golden I)owns (Nelson), one at Eyrewell (North Canterbury), one at Ashley (North Canterbury) remodelled, and four in Southland. Good progress has also been made with the substitution of one- and two-man huts for the old type of tent hutments. A garage and repair-shop with necessary plant have been erected at Kaingaroa, also a garage at Waiotapu, and a garage, workshop, and temporary store at the Conical Hills mill-site. In a large number of the buildings which have been constructed, the timber from exotic pines has been used in order to demonstrate its usefulness for building purposes. Particular attention is also paid in the designs and in the qualities of timber specified to securing a more balanced utilization of the cut of the log. Section E.—Water-supply. 53. Field investigations for establishing water-supplies for Hanmer and Balmoral State Forests (North Canterbury) have been made and proposals developed for these schemes. Similar investigations are necessary at Kaingaroa and will be proceeded with at an early date. These developments are necessary both for immediate fire protection and also for future utilization projects. Section F. —Utilization Plants. 54. The principal activity under this heading has been at Whakarewarewa, where the work on the sawmill, timber-drying kiln, and box-mill have been advanced to a point where several of these activities are now in production, while others are well under way in that direction. The sawmill plant which has been installed comprises modern efficient sawing machinery, conveyors, anti-sapstain dipping-bath,

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sorting-table, &c. Modern boxmaking and drying-kiln plant is now being installed in recently completed buildings. The whole of the project is powered by electricity generated in the mill powerhouse from boilers which are fired with waste fuel from the sawmill and boxmill. Supplementary power is also available from the Tourist Department and will be used when it is most economical and advisable to do so. A suitable water-supply for industrial and fire-fighting services has been installed and with supplementary trailer pumping sets gives adequate protection. A portable sawmill plant has been installed at Waiotapu, and similar plant is also operating in the Conical Hills district (Southland). 55. Additions and minor alterations have been carried out at the creosote plant at Whakarewarewa to ensure the best operation and control of supplies. This plant and also that at Conical Hills is now in full production. The installation at Hanmer has been completed only recently, but operations have already commenced on a small scale. Section G. —Transportation. 56. The Service fleet of motor-trucks was of necessity increased during the year to cope with the expansion of activities. The most notable acquisition was the utilization fleet at Whakarewarewa, a number of these trucks having trailers attached for hauling logs from loading-banks in the forest to the sawmill-yard. Orders have, been placed for a straddle-type lumber-carrier and for an end-lift truck for transporting and stacking sawn timber in the sawmill-yard. The layout of the yard has been based on the use of these vehicles for handling sawn timber in unit packages—a system which has been widely adopted in North America for many years, and its use at Whakarewarewa will, it is believed, prove efficient and economical. The three-axle trucks with two rear axles driven have proved particularly useful, being the only really satisfactory vehicle for operation on loose pumice land and on unformed forest tracks. Section H.—-Communications. 57. During the period under review 21 miles of new line (12 miles metallic and 9 miles earth-working) were erected, and 13 miles renewed and converted from earthworking to metallic circuit. The total mileages are now 273 earth-working and 93 metallic, a grand total of 366 miles. To guard against interruption between Kaingaroa and Rotorua, an alternative route has now been provided by means of a line to Rangitaild Post-office. It is hoped to be able to connect to the Taupo Exchange at an early date on account of better facilities being available there. A notable improvement in the Service effected during the period was the replacement of our old private eartli-working line between Kaingaroa and Rotorua Headquarters by a new four-party metallic circuit connected direct to the Rotorua Exchange. Four portable magneto-type telephones utilizing part-used table instruments fitted with modern type handsets and three-cell flashlight batteries, and housed in stout leather cases with ringing handle outside, were made by a local firm for the Southland Conservancy. On field tests on both earth-working and metallic circuits proving satisfactory, further supplies have been obtained for use in other conservancies. 58. In order to supplement the existing telephone system at Kaingaroa, it has been decided to install a radio-telephone service to link up both ends of the forest and regional headquarters at Rotorua. After preliminary tests carried out in conjunction with the Public Works Department's short-wave stations at Tuai and Mangahao, suitable equipment has been ordered from a local manufacturer and will be installed prior to the next fire season. Section I.—Village Planning. 59. As a result of the expanding activities of the Service, it is becoming increasingly necessary to create small communities at various points, and the careful long-range planning of village sites is being carried out to ensure orderly development.

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CHAPTER VIII.—EXTRACTION AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT. Section A. —State Forest Sales. 00. Due to the policy of making block sales of State timber smaller and at more frequent intervals than previously, the quantity of timber sold was slightly less than the previous year, the figures being 77,372,710 board feet, as against 90,292,600 board feet for the year 1938-39. The effect of the war on the milling industry is being closely watched, and sawmillers are being discouraged from entering into long-term commitments which, through force of circumstances, they may ultimately be unable to fulfil. Ihe quantity of timber measured under all heads was 156,919,900 board feet, larticulars of sales in each conservancy appear in Appendix VIII. Permits to cut small lots of firewood, fencing-material, &c., were m keen demand, and many hundreds were issued. These rights are for a period of three months only and are neither renewable or transferable. The forest-produce cut under permit was slightly less than last year ; nevertheless, the posts cut numbered 320,000, strainers 12,300, battens 303,700, with minor quantities of firewood, mine props, sleepers, stakes, house blocks, &c. , . 61 A reduction in the quantity of timber produced from State forests m cotnnarison with the previous year's total must also be recorded ; for the year ]ust closed the total recorded cut was 112,000,000 board feet, whilst for 1939-40 the cut was 123 000,000 board feet. Whilst this reduction is due largely to fortuitous circumstances, a contributory factor has been the policy of withholding white-pone forests from sale until additional supplies of this timber are required by essential users, the objective being to restrict production to domestic demand. Section B. —State Forest Log Sales. 62 The sale of logs as distinct from standing trees, which was commenced only a few years ago, has been extended to embrace both exotic and indigenous forests and has been conducted over the past year in nearly all conservancies. In North Auckland eleven kauri logs were extracted from Omahuta State Forest during road-formation work and used for bridge stringers planking, &c„ while five more were obtained from two dead kauri trees and sold locally. One tree which had been dead for at least twenty years was a particularly large specimen with a bole 45 ft long, girth at butt 38-3, ft., and girth at top 44 ft; although badly piped, it yielded 3,673 cubic feet of sawn timber. The net price realised on roadside was £201 14s From Herekino State Forest, kauri, totara, and taraire logs cut and dry trees abandoned by a sawmiller more than thirty years ago were salvaged and sold for a total sum of £1,813 14s. The quantities were : Kauri, 277,903 board feet. , totara, 7,922 board feet; and taraire, 16,310 board feet. Fourteen totara logs were ako extracted from Puketi State Forest and sold for £29 18s. Id. In Rotorua Conservancy log sales from Te Whaiti State Forest {vide last year s report) were continued. A quantity of 799,438 cubic feet, comprising kahikatea 40i 177 cubic feet, matai 107,441 cubic feet, nmu 285,074 cubic feet, and totara 5 806 cubic feet, was extracted and sold for the sum of £19,309 18s. .Certain white nine peeler logs were also sold from the same forest to an Auckland firm for the manufacture of cheese-crate scale boards ; the total quantity was 5,87., cubic feet aTld In. 6 Nelson Conservancy the silvicultural treatment of the beech regeneration areas at Staircase Creek and Globe Hill was continued; from the former area 11 262 pieces of mining timber, lathes, pass logs stopers &c with a cubic content of 6 680 ft., were cut and sold for £164, while from the latter the mining produce cut and sold numbered 700 pieces (stopers and mine props) with a volume of 753 cubic feet and a sale value of £22. At both places much sale material was carried ° Ver From'the°exotic forests log sales aggregating 25,000 cubic feet, valued at £156, were made at Balmoral (Canterbury Conservancy) from wmdthrown trees and in Southland Conservancy sales of thinnings were made from Dusky State forest amounting to 134,095 cubic feet, for a sum of £2,152.

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Section C. —Production and Sales op Manufactured Forest Products. 63. The portable sawmill at Waiotapu (Rotorua) was operated for seven months during the year and produced 505,000 board feet of sawn timber. From the new sawmill at Whakarewarewa a trial run produced 110,000 board feet obtained from clear felled P. radiata and thinned P. laricio. In Southland Conservancy the small portable mill at Conical Hills was worked from Ist May, 1939, to 21st February, 1940, and cut 367,000 board feet. A considerable quantity of the timber produced by the portable mill at Waiotapu was used in the construction of buildings for the large log-gang sawmill and box-factory, but 46,570 board feet were sold. The quantity sold from the log-gang mill was 7,000 board feet. A total sum of £652 was received from these sales. Portion of the timber produced from the Conical Hills mill has been used for houses and other buildings, and that not required for the next year's building programme will be disposed of when dry. The position of the log-gang-sawmill project is that the powerhouse, log-pond, sawmill proper, and sorting-table are complete, ready for operation, with traverser, dry kilns, and air-seasoning yard scheduled for completion in July. Protracted delays in the delivery of logging tractors and of minor but nevertheless essential equipment as a result of the war emergency have prevented the earlier functioning of the sawmill section of the project, and by the time adequate supplies of seasoned stocks are available the box-factory section will be in a position to commence operation. 64. During the financial year, 48,204 fencing-posts (32,896 cubic feet) and 2,315 poles (16,010 cubic feet) were creosoted at the State Forest Service treating plants at Rotorua, Hanmer, and Conical Hills. In addition to the above, 9,268 cubic feet of miscellaneous produce, including strainers, stakes, stays, piles, and sawn timber, were also treated with creosote. Conical Hills was in operation during the twelve months, Rotorua started treating in October, 1939, and Hanmer in January, 1940. A ready demand for creosoted posts is already noticeable, and favourable comment is widely expressed on their regular appearance and serviceable sizes : large numbers of posts ranging from the light 3 in. class to strainer dimensions have been produced. The demand for telephone and light transmission poles has been considerable, and an increasing demand is anticipated, as creosoted poles become more widely recognized as a standard product and as durable untreated pole timbers prove more difficult and costly to obtain. Other creosoted produce treated during the year includes culverts, bridge timbers, and sawn timber for special constructional purposes. That the proper seasoning of timber prior to creosoting is an essential and difficult part of the preserving treatment is not always appreciated by the users of creosoted produce. During the last six months of the financial year 60,000 posts were stacked in the seasoning-yard, at Rotorua ; by means of test stacks the rate of seasoning is accurately traced and no timber is creosoted until it has fallen to the specified moisture content. During the establishment period a considerable proportion of creosoted posts and poles were used for S.F.S. purposes, but 8,129 posts (7,597 cubic feet) were sold to private individuals and to Government Departments, whilst 344 poles (3,320 cubic feet) were sold to the Post and Telegraph Department and to Electricpower Boards. Miscellaneous sales of other creosoted produce amounted to 1,706 cubic feet. Section D. —Equipment and Operating Technique in the Forest Industries. 65. Following the successful use of tractor arch logging at the Whirinaki State Forest (Rotorua Conservancy), several logging arches have been ordered by private operators. The Forest Service experience indicates the necessity for heavy-duty track-units, with which new arches are accordingly being equipped. The log-gang sawmill erected by the Service at Whakarewarewa has, as anticipated, fully demonstrated the accuracy of sawing which is inherent in this type of equipment. Consumers who have used the log-gang-sawn timber have been high in their praise not only of the sawing, but also of the quality of this plantation-grown timber for boxmaking purposes,

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The first modern slicing-machine to be installed in New Zealand for the production of veneers came into operation during the year and has already demonstrated that the native timbers will yield a wide and attractive range of veneers for the manufacture of high-grade built-up panels for furniture-manufacture and the finishing and fitting of buildings. To" meet the increasing demand for well-seasoned timber, kiln drying-facilities were materially expanded during the year—particularly in the North Islandby the addition of two new chambers at two existing installations and by the completion of five new installations totalling seven chambers. Two other new installations are in course of erection, one consisting of four chambers for the Service and the other of two for a private operator. The demand for high-quality drying for core stock for both built-up panels and flush doors has resulted in improved kiln operation. Much room for improvement still exists in air-seasoning practices. Increasing interest is being shown both in the dipping of green timber to minimize sapstain and of seasoned timber to minimize insect and fungal attack, a number of installations having been completed during the year. Section E.—Timber-production. 66. For the first time in seven years, production of rough-sawn timber has fallen below that for the previous year, the cut reported by the Government Statistician for the year ending 31st March, 1939, being 317,000,000 board feet, or 6,000,000 board feet less than that for 1938 and 18,000,000 board feet less than the predicted cut. The discrepancy is almost wholly due to the reduced cut of kauri and whitepine. It has been necessary to revise accordingly the estimate made in last year's report that production for the year ended 31st March, 1940, would be in the neighbourhood of 345,000,000 board feet. As judged by the monthly timber-loading statistics issued by the New Zealand Railways, it is highly improbable that such a figure will be reached, and the present indications are that the production for the year will not exceed 325,000,000 board feet. The reported production by provincial districts is listed in Appendix XI. (page 37). 67. As disclosed by Appendix XI, the fall in production of white-pme to only 33,000,000 board feet is a reflection of the Government's policy to reduce the cut to meet local essential demands. For many years it has ranked in quantity second only to rimu, but this year it gives way to insignis pine, which has steadily mounted in production from 9,000,000 board feet in 1929 to 42,000,000 board feet in 1939. As white-pine has increased in price due to steadily rising costs associated with procuring more remote supplies, insigms pine has gradually ousted it for the manufacture of virtually all containers except butter-boxes. The general utility of this timber is such that present consumption is limited only by the fact that it represents the maximum quantity which can be produced from mature stands. The exploitation of younger stands in both State and private forests, already commenced, will rapidly expand production. _ . Kauri is as conspicuous this year by a substantial fall in production as it was last year by an equally significant rise. The approaching exhaustion of private kauri' forests will mean a still further decrease in production, but the long-term management policy of the State will ensure that supplies for really essential purposes will be available in perpetuity. In spite of the reduction in the reported cut of all species, rimu for the seventh vear in succession registered an increased production, reflecting the wide distribution of this species throughout the Dominion and its universal employment for building purposes. Not until the easier seasoning, working, nailing, and other good properties of insignis pine are better appreciated for building-work is the supremacy of rimu likely to be challenged. Section F. —Domestic Markets. 68. In most districts the year was favourable for the timber trade, and the total reported building permits for the Dominion were 4 per cent, above the figures for the preceding year. Up to the outbreak of war, monthly building permits showed a rising tendency, but from September onwards the figures fell, due to the transfer of men'and materials to the urgent construction of defence works.

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With demand and supply generally in good balance, the price structure remained stable. Only in Southland and Otago, where production exceeded demand, did any uneasiness develop in respect to prices. Price increases were negligible and entirely of a localized nature, resulting from increased transport charges on whitepine and insignis pine logged from remote localities. Prior to September, large stocks of relatively slow-moving lines were being accumulated by some operators, but these were readily absorbed by and indeed expedited the defence building programme. They were, however, quite unable to meet the sudden demand occasioned by this programme, and for some weeks many mills in the North Island were engaged almost continuously in cutting special defence requirements. As a result, unfilled orders for other purposes tended to increase during the latter part of the year and seasoned stocks have fallen to extremely low levels in some districts. Section G.—lmports. 69. The total quantity of timber imported—43,ooo,ooo board feet—was the same as for the previous year, but, as set out in Appendix IX, there was some variation in the individual species. As usual, the major item was that of Australian hardwoods, but while the import of sawn hardwood decreased, that of sleepers rose to 15,250,000 board feet, the highest import for more than ten years. Sleepers have hitherto been an essential import on account of the limited supplies of durable New Zealand timbers, but with the recent installation of wood-preservation equipment by this Service it should be possible to supply a larger proportion of the country's annual sleeper requirements from New-Zealand-grown timbers. The imports of Douglas fir, or Oregon pine as it is often called, were nearly 2,000,000 board feet less than for the preceding year. Redwood imports increased from 3,000,000 board feet to just over 3,750,000 board feet, but other items remained approximately the same, and for the first time for many years no butter-box importations were recorded. The restricted use of Douglas fir and redwood recently imposed under the Timber Emergency Regulations will have an important bearing on future imports, and for the year ending 31st March, 1941, the imports of these two timbers will probably be reduced. Section H. —Exports. 70. Exports have been steadily falling since 1935 and have now reached the lowest figure for more than fifty years. Kauri was originally the principal item of the export trade, and subsequently in more recent years white-pine was in strong demand. With the necessity for restricting production of these two species to meet only essential local demands, both have been virtually eliminated from the export trade, thus accounting for the record low export of 13,000,000 board feet for the calendar year 1939. % Efforts to stimulate the export of other species, particularly rimu and matai, were not very successful prior to the outbreak of war owing to the price competition on the Australian markets with North American softwoods. With the outbreak of war the position was completely changed. Trans-Pacific shipping difficulties, combined with increased prices for North American softwoods, served to stimulate the Australian demand for both building and boxmaking timbers. As part of the war emergency activities, control of all exports was instituted at the beginning of September, but later it was possible, after ensuring that all local requirements were being met, to release a considerable quantity of rimu for the Australian market, and during the five months ended 31st March, 1940, the total quantity of rimu exported was 4,750,000 board feet, as compared with 1,750,000 board feet for the same period last year. Present indications are that the overseas demand for rimu will much exceed the quantity available for export. The figures for the calendar year 1939, shown in Appendix X, do not reflect these developments, as shipments prior to the beginning of J 940 were negligible. Matai, beech, and kauri exports were only half those recorded for the previous year, but for 1940 matai and beech exports are expected to increase considerably on account of the improved Australian demand. Keen inquiries were received from.

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Australia for large quantities of insignis pine for general boxmaking purposes, but production so far lias been barely sufficient for local requirements and, in consequence, it has been necessary to restrict exports until an exportable surplus can be produced. The domestic demand for the timber increased considerably during the immediate months following the outbreak of war, and, while all efforts are being directed to increase production to allow a greater export, it is unlikely that the trade will develop to any greater proportions during the next year. The present outlook for the export trade is brighter than it has been for several years, though it so happens that the improved demand has come at a time and under circumstances which preclude full advantage being taken thereof by the New Zealand producers. CHAPTER IX.—UTILIZATION. Section A.—General. 71. On the principle that a tree saved is a tree grown, investigations have been extended into every phase of wood use. The purpose is to eliminate waste at all stages of conversion. Commencing with field studies in the forest aimed at the disposal of thinnings and branch wood for fuel and charcoal, mining props, posts, and rustic work, the investigations have ranged during the year through multitudinous laboratory tests of wood properties to final demonstrations of the utility of various processes and products under commercial conditions. Section B.—lndustrial Investigations. 72. The introduction of improved grading practices has been the major industrial objective of the Service since its inception. The universal employment of the National Grading Rules originally formulated in 1928 was achieved during the year by their adoption in all important timber-producing regions throughout the Dominion and by their incorporation in the price-lists issued by the various timber-merchants' associations. These rules, known officially as New Zealand Standard Specification No. 169, "New Zealand Standard Specification for Classification and Grading of New Zealand Building Timber (National Grading Rules)," have been policed by inspecting officers both of this service and of the various sawmill era' organizations. Check inspections have been made whenever applied for, and the outstanding result is to indicate the necessity for standard conditions of sale to fix, inter alia, the percentage of degrades which will entitle the purchaser to rejection of the complete shipment. Considerable progress has been made with the finalizing of the draft standard specifications for New South Wales hardwoods. Field inspections of various hardwood products were made during the year on behalf of the Timber Committee (Hardwoods Sub-committee) of the New Zealand Standards Institute, and it is anticipated that a standard specification will become available during the forthcoming ye^r. 73. Rivalling in importance the National Grading Rules, a study has been initiated aimed at the standardization of profiles for weatherboarding, flooring and lining.' One hundred and ten firms have submitted samples of these products together with particulars of planer-cutters and production. An analysis of these data is being undertaken in order to reduce the large number of patterns now in general use and which necessitate sawmillers and timber-merchants either carrying excessive stocks or setting up machines for uneconomic runs. As time allows, similar studies will be initiated into the standardization of other finishing-lines such as moulding, &c. 74. On behalf of the Timber Building Code Committee of the New Zealand Standards Institute, several investigations were undertaken for the purpose of finalizing the Light Timber Construction Section of the National Building Code, and a commencement has been made likewise with the development of a Heavy Timber Construction Section for the same Code. As part of the departmental housing programme, improvements in light timber construction have been incorporated in a number of representative houses, and this policy will be actively pursued in respect to the adoption of exotic pine timbers for general building purposes.

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75. A large number of inquiries were received during the year, more particularly since the outbreak of war, regarding the substitution of New-Zealand-grown timbers for imported woods. Increased difficulties in securing supplies of special timbers from overseas sources have stimulated the use of New Zealand substitutes, and increased interest is recorded in the use of the native timbers, particularly silver beech, for furniture manufacture. The recent installation of modern slicing equipment must undoubtedly expand the supply of native woods for decorative purposes, particularly in the form of built-up panels carrying matched veneers produced from knots, burrs, and stumps. For handles, clothes-pegs, and general turnery products there is an expanding demand for tawa and similar hardwoods, but considerable difficulty has been experienced in organizing supplies owing to the difficulty of marketing the lower grades produced incidental to the cutting of the high-grade stock required for turnery purposes. Other inquiries dealt with since the outbreak of war have been the supply of woods suitable for aeroplane-construction and for the manufacture of battery separators. Sponsored by the Timber Development Association in conjunction with this Service, modern developments in the more effective and economical use of wood for a wide variety of purposes were prominently brought before the public by a display in the Industries Court of the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition, 1940. The theme of the exhibit was " Use Wood—lt's Best," and a select choice of decorative panels and photographs set in a dignified and yet striking display won universal commendation for wood as a constructional and decorative medium. Section C. —Timber Mechanics. 76. Active interest in the substitution of New Zealand timbers for imported woods resulted in a wider use than ever before of the physical and mechanical property test figures derived and accumulated by the Service over the last twenty years. Although no new testing-work was actually carried out during the year, plans have been developed for reviving this particular activity, particularly to expand the available knowledge of the mechanical and physical properties of the exotic timbers. Specimens of a number of indigenous timbers were despatched to Great Britain for check testing for special purposes. 77. To allow formulation of the Heavy Timber Construction Section of the National Building Code for the New Zealand Standards Institute, considerable work has been done on the development of working stresses for both indigenous and exotic timbers, and tentative Working Stress Grading Rules are being developed for trial and submission to all interested authorities. In the meantime they are being used in the design of standard creosoted bridges and fire lookout towers which are being constructed and used by the Service. All such structures are incorporating the most modern developments in design, including ring and other connectors and sheer-developers for combination timber and concrete bridge-decks. 78. A new programme of box and crate testing has been initiated and has already proved successful in solving current shipping problems in connection with export containers. Tests in the revolving box drum have demonstrated not only the excellent strength properties of the rimu butter-box, but have resulted in the development of a more satisfactory and more economical nailing schedule than hitherto employed. Similarly, tests of cheese-crates have warranted the continued employment of rimu, mi.ro, and matai battens by increasing their thickness from the present unsatisfactory standard of f in. to | in. New types of crates and bindings are also under test. Section D. —Timber Physics. 79. Numerous inquiries in connection with wood identification have been received, and the departmental collection of reference microscopic slides received considerable additions during the year. Analyses of wood structure are made on well-defined lines laid down by the International Association of Wood Anatomists. Through the efforts of this body, comparison of the diagnostic microscopic features of woods all over the world is possible, while much duplication of work is at the same time avoided. The microscopic studies were also of assistance in investigating variations in creosote penetration and in specific gravity of exotic timbers.

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80. Tests have been continued for determining moisture equilibria of timber under various conditions of use, and the results indicate that for office furniture going into use in steam-heated buildings timber should be dried down to 10 per cent, moisture content, thus indicating the necessity for kiln drying. It should be emphasized, however, that, while this moisture content will avoid shrinkage and splitting under normal conditions of exposure in such buildings, 110 furniture, or for that matter any finisliing-timber such as panels, &c., can be expected to resist further shrinkage and/or splitting if subject to direct radiation at close quarters from electric radiators, &c. Further experience gained with the use of both resistance and capacity types of electric moisture meters only confirms the previous findings that such instruments whilst giving a valuable approximate indication of moisture content, cannot be regarded as sufficiently reliable to replace the standard oven-drying method of determining moisture content. Of the two types, the resistance moisture meter appears the more reliable. The use of shrinkage measurements for the control of seasoning has made further progress during the year and has proved particularly valuable in the investigation of drying-conditions within both air-seasoning and kiln-drying stacks. With the initiation of forest management and utilization activities the problem of specific gravity has become of fundamental importance. Related as it is to the use of the exotic timbers both for structural and boxmaking purposes, a specificgravity survey is being made in connection with all sample-plot work. Already extremely wide variations in specific gravity indicate the necessity for grading and sorting timber to avoid the use of weak material for purposes in which strength is of major importance. 81. Three new dry-kiln installations were serviced by the Department during the year, and the drying of special charges of timber also supervised in a number of other kilns. In connection with this work, a number of operators were trained and improvements effected in the schedules previously employed for the drying of both indigenous and exotic timbers. In spite of continued investigation, no satisfactory method has yet been developed for controlling the development of sticker staining in the kiln drying of heart 111atai, but it is hoped that success will ultimately be achieved by an intensive study of the temperature and humidity variables. The year's work again emphasizes the necessity for restricting the width of kiln loads to 7 ft. and for maintaining an adequate space between the edges of piles and the kiln walls. These precautions are essential if a uniformity of drying is to be attained throughout the piles. Commenting on the new kilns now being erected, the outstanding development is the almost universal adoption of some type or other of permanent buildingconstruction. In particular the elimination of wooden roof construction is to be commended, but considerable room for improvement still exists in the steam and mechanical engineering work. It is to be regretted that owing to the war emergency, considerable difficulty has been experienced in securing double dry-bulb control instruments a« «<ibstitute for the single dry-bulb type. Section E. —Wood-preservation. 82. Studies of decay causing organisms and wood-destroying insects have been continued. Other investigational work has included the routine testing of different types of creosote and other wood-preservatives either in use in New Zealand or which have promise of general commercial application. The Forest Service continues to emphasize that measures for the protection of building-timber against both decay and insect attack should be based primarily 011 good design and maintenance aimed to preclude conditions suitable for deterioration and. to facilitate correction. In conjunction with these measures, the intelligent use of suitable preservatives such as pentachlorphenol in a light oil solvent is being encouraged, particularly for the protection of those timbers peculiarly subject to attack by virtue of their exposure conditions.

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Particular attention has been directed to the use of anti-sapstain chemicals to ensure the production of bright clean stock from the exotic pines, and the excellent results obtained under even the worst conditions of block stacking indicate that the small expenditure involved will result sooner or later in the almost universal use of such treatments for all exotic pine timbers other than those which are to be kiln dried. 83. The experience of the Service in the use of exotic timbers in its house building and constructional programme has demonstrated forcibly the necessity for further investigating the painting of exotic timbers. The resinous and relatively knotty nature of much of the exotic timber necessitates the development of special paints and painting methods, and to solve these problems a special set of exposure panels has been established and is being kept under close observation. 84. The adaptation of creosoted timber to a wide range of structures has been investigated. Specimen culverts, bridges, and fire-towers are in course of fabrication, and inquiries have been received for the supply of prefabricated timbers for both bridges and pontoons. The production of creosoted farm gates is also receiving attention. As referred to elsewhere in the report, large quantities of fencing-posts and telegraph and power poles are being produced, whilst it is anticipated that during the forthcoming year a market will also develop for creosoted mining props where other than temporary timbers are required. Section F. —Derived Products. 85. Far-reaching studies into the economies of local pulp and paper manufacture continue to be made, and the recent commencement in the southern States of the United States of America of the first newsprint-mill in the world to operate entirely on pine timbers as a substitute for the spruce, fir, and hemlock hitherto universally employed augurs well for the establishment of an industry in this Dominion which sooner or later will supply not only local but also a portion of the Australian newsprint requirements. 86. The necessity for conserving petrol supplies as a result of the war emergency has at last focused public attention upon the possibilities of wood charcoal as a substitute fuel, and as a result of its long-continued investigations into the use of charcoal-gas producers for both vehicular and stationary engines it has been possible for the Service to expedite the production of charcoal from a wide variety of indigenous and exotic timbers. Suitable types of beehive, portable, and makeshift kilns have been evolved and a number of officers trained for instructional purposes should any nation-wide programme of production prove necessary. CHAPTER X.—MISCELLANEOUS. Section A.—Legislation. 87. Legislation amending the Forests Act, 1921-22, was enacted by sections 24 to 29 inclusive of the Statutes Amendment Act, 1939 ; these widen the definition of " forest produce " and include the necessary consequential amendments. Section 7 of the Land Laws Amendment Act, 1939, amended section 18 of the Forests Act, 1921-22, by abolishing the reservation of any land as national endowment and declaring it to be ordinary Crown land, but did not affect section 39 of the Forests Act, 1921-22, nor section 3 of the Forests Amendment Act, 1926. Section B.—Finance. 88. The general increase in gross expenditure over the past few years is largely due to the fact that hitherto lack of finance prevented the application of very necessary silvicultural treatment to the valuable State exotic forest assets. The accelerated State planting from 1924 to 1930 and the national urge for strict economy in subsequent years prevented the introduction of fundamental forestmanagement plans and thus created arrears of work which must be overtaken at the earliest possible date. Added to this, the introduction of log sales in lieu of block sales, involving selective logging of overmature indigenous stands and the establishment of a modern sawmill and box-factory plant at Rotorua, have naturally increased the vote expenditure considerably.

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The following table shows expenditure over the past four years classified undei main headings : —

Payments.

Increase in expenditure of £151,671 over 1938-39 figures. 89 The gross receipts from all sources, amounting to £160,638, sliow an increase of over £7,000 when compared with those for the previous year. Allowance must be made, however, for increased revenue resulting from extended activities of the Forest Service in several forests where in. sales of logs extracted by the .Forest Service personnel have been made instead of sale of standing timber on a stumpage basis. The revenue from this source totalled £21,664, which amount includes the recoupment of working-expenses as well as of stumpage. Net revenue, therefore, shows a slight decrease. A summary showing receipts for the past four years under main headings is appended : —

Receipts.

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Item , j 1939-40. 1938-39. 1937-38. 1936-37. Final charges and staff salaries — £ £ £ £ Interest and expenses of raising loans .. ■ ■ 278 Staff salaries . . 70,858 63,422 57,185 51,616 Allocation of revenue — 1ft n „. National Endowment Account .. .. 14,416 18,712 ia'^qo Local-body payments .. 15,612 12,566 16,32J 16, Management, establishment, and developTHprif Indigenous, forests 59,951 47,765 22,205 17,863 Fire-fighting equipment and prevention .. 1,331 .)oo 88 < Educational : Reference library, &c. .. 847 534 341 1 Research and experimental equipment .. 869 1.318 Afforestation: Nurseries and plantations 287,572 214,721 177,141 139,761 Land purchase .. •• •• 1,884 Miscellaneous • • • • • 60 1^ Sawmill and creosote plant, &c 120,344 52,777 4,873 Xotals 573,744 422,073 297,859 238,974

Item . j 1939-40. | 1938-39. j 1937-38. 1936-37. £ £ £ £ "arJ™ 4 :: :: »,«. »,»io %,™ »M» Timber royalties and trespass .. 7,000 9,300 8,151 6,257 Leases, grazing 1,»1 > f 1,493 1, 9 Sawmills, sites, industrial, &c. .. .. 8,215 1,616 638 Miscellaneous .: 6,177 6 673 4,934 4,252 National endowment allocation .. •• 22,114 20,085 24,756 21,807 Log sales from managed forests .. . • 21,664 6,584 Nurseries and plantations — Trees and seeds .. •• •• j ,, D n Firewood and poles .. •• .. V 10,468 11,224 8,o55 7.0J7 Miscellaneous .. . • • • ■ • J Totals 160,638 153,737 145,268 133,790

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Section C.—Recreation. 90. Increasing use continues to be made of State forests as the national playground. Authorized tramping and kindred sports clubs carried out their normal programmes of visits and recreational pursuits in several State forests, while the number of campers and casual visitors constituted a record. In one camping area in Southland eighty-two permits were issued, and some hundreds more were granted for use in less-frequented areas throughout the Dominion. To assist visitors, guide maps of the more important State forests are being prepared showing the principal topographical features, access roads and tracks, together with post-offices and the location of forest officers, and with useful information for campers, trampers, &c., and safety rules. Signs indicating forest names, directions, and distances are also being prepared for erection in the morefrequented State forests. Section D. —Opossum-trapptng. 91. In certain acclimatization districts open seasons were declared for trapping opposums during 1939, and the State forests within those districts were made available for that purpose. Trapping is administered in terms of the Animals Protection and Game Act, 1921 22, but trappers must obtain permits to enter State forests before trapping commences. Permits are granted for specified areas and for one season only. State forests are subdivided into blocks, the boundaries of which are fixed, to conform as far as possible to natural features, and rights over the blocks are sold by public auction. In all, 121 permits were issued, compared with 263 during 1937. Section E.—Mining Privileges. 92. Applications for mining privileges referred to the Service numbered 306, of which 109 directly affected State forests. In order to safeguard the forest interests, an arrangement exists whereby applications relating thereto are referred from the Mines Department for examination and report. Section F. —Forest Grazing. 93. Except in isolated cases where there are unusual circumstances not prejudicial to forestry, it is an established practice to grant no right of a permanent nature in State forests, as it is necessary from time to time to review all such activities. Consequently, grazing is permitted on a temporary tenancy only and is confined to such open areas as may safely be grazed without damage to the forest. Such tenancies may specify the maximum number of animals to be grazed, and are granted for terms not exceeding one year, but may be reviewed for similar terms or may be cancelled on giving three months' notice ; also, limited grazing may be permitted by agistment for short periods, the charges being assessed at a sum per head of cattle or sheep to be grazed. Section 7 of the Forests Amendment Act, 1925, restricts the right to grant leases of land comprised in a provisional State forest to a term of one year save with the written consent of the Minister of Lands, while under section 32 (3) of the Forests Act, 1921-22, no lease may be granted in a permanent State forest for a term exceeding twenty-five years. Upon the expiry of a lease no compensation is payable to a lessee, but certain improvements may be removed. At the 31st March, 199 temporary grazing leases and 8 term lease's (periods exceeding one year) were in force covering a total area of 187,716 acres. Portions of State forests which are suitable for land-settlement and are not required for forestry purposes are released from reservation from time to time so that they can be dealt with under the Laud Act, 1924. A total of 2,725 acres (shown in detail in Appendix II) were thus dealt with last year. Section G.—Government Timber Price Committee. 94. Prices of all types of timber products are now subject to the provisions of the Price Stabilization- Emergency Regulations 1939, which came into force on the Ist September, 1939. Previously the supervision of timber-prices was carried on by the Government Timber Price Committee consisting of officers of the State Forest

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Service and the Industries and Commerce Department. This Committee, however, continues to function in an investigative and advisory capacity to the Price Tribunal set up to administer the Emergency Regulations. Section H. —Centennial Exhibition. 95. As an exhibitor in the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition, 1940, held at Wellington during the period Bth November, 1939, to 4th May, 1940, the Service combined with several other Government Departments in a composite display illustrating in historical sequence the process and progress of land-development in the Dominion over the past century. The Service also co-operated with the Timber Development Association, which embraces sawmillers, boxmakers, merchants, and allied trades, in an industrial display of wood products. Section I.—Timber Emergency Regulations. 96. The Timber Emergency Regulations 1939 came into force in September last and provided for the appointment of a Timber Controller, authority for the control of forests (sale and purchase thereof), the regulation and control of timberworks, and the control of timber materials. By notice dated 4th September, 1939, and published in the New Zealand Gazette, page 2408, the Director of Forestry was appointed Timber Controller. A notice under the Supply Control Emergency Regulations 1939 instituting control of the use of redwood and Oregon (Douglas fir) imported timbers was published in the New Zealand Gazette, 1940, page 705. 97. Production being much in excess of demand in the Otago and Southland Districts, and the reverse operating in Westland, the Dunedin market was zoned entirely to the Southland and Otago mills, thereby enabling the West Coast mills to export increased quantities of rimu to Australia. Following the outbreak of war the construction of many additional buildings for defence purposes became an urgent necessity, and it is estimated that these works absorbed 15,000,000 board feet of timber; of this quantity it was possible to use at least 8,000,000 board feet of slow-selling stocks valued at over £80,000. In February last the fruit industry was threatened with an acute shortage of boxes, due to the fact that certain boxmakers had undertaken to supply orders much in excess of their capacity to do so. To overcome the difficulty it was necessary to invoke the powers of control given by the regulations, and in consequence some manufacturers were required to make fruit-cases exclusively for two months. Formal control measures have only been taken as a last resource, the general aim being to so administer the regulations as to cause a minimum interference with trade and to achieve the desired objective by negotiation or voluntary agreement. Section J. —Export Butter-box Pool. 98. The Service continued to co-operate with the New Zealand Dairy Board in the purchase and distribution of export butter-boxes in the North Island. It was estimated that dairy production during the 1939-40 season would show a slight decline when compared with the 1938-39 output, but contrary to expectations a rise occurred and provision had to be made for 5,179,000 boxes for North Island factories instead of 4,320,000 as was anticipated. This unexpected demand seriously depleted reserve stocks of boxes, of which 470,000 were in hand at the commencement of the season. Steps are being taken to supplement the surplus of white-pine timber for nextseason by manufacturing 500,000 boxes out of sap rimu. The total quantity of white-pine delivered to North Island boxmakers was 19,092,000 board feet, of which 7,903,000 board feet came from South Island mills. Section K.—Commercial Afforestation Companies. 99. Inquiries concerning the operations of commercial afforestation companies in the Dominion continue to be received from home and abroad ; these should be addressed to the Commissioner of Stamp Duties, Wellington, C. 1. According to information furnished by the Government Statistician, the area planted by these companies at 31st March, 1938, was 310,253 acres, which was increased during the year by 192 acres, making a total of 310,445 acres at 31st March, 1939.

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APPENDIX I. Summary of Areas added to Permanent and Provisional State Forests, 1st April, 1939, to 31st March, 1940.

APPENDIX II. Summary of Areas withdrawn from Permanent and Provisional State Forests, 1st April, 1939, to 31st March, 1940.

APPENDIX III. Areas of State Forests as at 31st March, 1940.

s—o. 3.

33

Permanent State Forest. _ Provisional State m „ a. i . Forest Conservation Region. Forest • Ordinary • „ ,. __ National ' J ' Ordinary. Elldowme nt. Aores. Acres. Acres. Acres. Auckland .. .. •• 18,548 .. 4,157 22,705 Rotorua .. .. .. .. 82 .. .. 82 Wellington .. .. .. 962 .. 502 1,464 Nelson .. .. .. .. 58,265 12,693 698 71,656 Westland .. .. 245 245 Canterbury .. .. . . 130 . . ■ ■ 130 Southland .. .. .. .. .. 297 297 Totals .. .. .. 77,987 12,693 5,899 96,579 V< y ' 90,680

For Settlement Purposes. Forest-conservation Region. ; Totals. Permanent Provisional State Forest. State Forest. Acres, Acres. Acres. Auckland .. .. .. .. 3 .. 3 Nelson .. .. .. .. 122 .. 122 Westland .. .. .. .. .. 1,001 1,001 Canterbury .. .. .. 36 . . 36 Southland .. .. .. .. .. 1,563 1,563 Totals .. .. 161 2,564 2,725

Permanent State Forest. Provisional State Forest. Percentage of Total Area Forest-conservation Totals. ' of Region Region. National National under Ordinary. i Endow- Ordinary. Endowment. I Reservation, ment. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Auckland .. 383,916 89,789 124,616 14,006 612,327 7-12 Rotorua .. 622,393 289,939 135,052 63,108 1,110,492 14-06* Wellington .. 890,021 37,308 27,463 7,649 962,441 7-9o' Nelson .. 740,614- 177,573 882,496 586,228 2,386,911 34-06 Westland .. 621,183 163,304 501,244 422,881 1,708,612 44-23 Canterbury .. 433,140 3,647 .. .. 436,787 Southland .. 529,101 56,234 633,901 13,740 1,232,976 7-26 Totals 4,220,368 817,794 2,304,772 1,107,612 8,450,546 12-72 5,03M62 3,412,384 * The boundary between Rotorua and Wellington Conservation Regions was ohangcd during the period, resulting in an increase in the former region and a corresponding decrease in the latter of 2,871,526 acres, of which 208,249 acres are State forest.

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APPENDIX IV. Progress of Reservation of State Forests, 1920-40.

APPENDIX V. Summary of Planting Operations as at 31st March, 1940.

34

Permanent State Provisional State Total State Forest. Forest. Forest. Year. P 3ST *—• F T£T *-*■ 1920 .. .. .. 1,666,302 33-6 3,293,372 66-4 4,959,674 1921 1,668,319 24-5 5,134,651 75-5 6,802,970 1922 .. .. .. 1,777,169 24-7 5,404,806 75-3 7,181,975 1923 .. .. .. 1,716,544 23-4 5,619,466 76-6 7,336,010 1924 .. .. .. 1,771,351 23-8 5,661,830 76-2 7,433,181 1925 .. .. .. 1,854,922 24-8 5,630,668 75-2 7,485,590 1926 .. .. .. 1,866,990 24-7 5,686,700 75-3 7,553,690 1927 .. .. .. 1,957,483 25-6 5,699,361 74-4- 7,656,844 1928 .. .. .. 2,044,142 26-5 5,664,347 73-5 7,708,489 1929 .. .. .. 2,064,514 26-6 5,679,936 73-4 7,744,450 1930 2,036,247 26-4 5,663,004 73-6 7,699,251 1931 .. .. .. 2,126,837 27-4 5,634,329 72-6 7,761,166 1932 .. .. .. 2,196,033 28-1 5,632,090 71-9 7,828,123 1933 .. .. .. 2,920,006 37-2 4,921,432 62-8 7,841,438 1934 3,025,789 38-4 4,855,785 61-6 7,881,574 1935 3,872,456 49-1 4,015,829 50-9 7,888,285 1936 4,043,693 51-1 3,866,479 48'9 7,910,172 1937 .. .. .. 4,193,139 52-7 3,762,250 47-3 7,955,389 1938 4,383,249 54-0 3,739,441 46-0 8,122,690 1939 .. .. .. 4,784,419 57-3 3,570,442 42-7 8,354,861 1940 .. .. .. 5,038,162 59-6 3,412,384 40-4 8,450,546

p . Year of New Area Total Net Area Gross Area of J ec ' Commencement planted, 1939. planted. Forest. Acres. Acres. Acres. Mangonui .. .. .. .. * .. .. 8,927 Waipoua 1925 579 2,195 12,600 Puhipuhi 1904 29 1,205 1,565 Riverhead .. .. .. .. 1926 .. 11,078 11,965 Tairua .. .. .. .. 1930 786 12,575 48,510 Kauaeranga .. .. * .. .. 4,000 Maramarua .. .. .. .. 1928 .. 12,311 14,087 Rotoehu >t 1937 1,433 1,747 30,402 Whakarewarewa .. .. .. 1898 .. 8,033 10,065 Waiotapu .. .. .. .. 1901 .. 7,051 7,974 Kaingaroa .. .. .. .. 1913 .. 259,021 328,667 Tongariro .. .. .. .. 1937 919 1,616 4,500 Erua .. .. .. .. 1930 538 4,299 6,648 Karioi .. .. .. .. 1927 .. 17,195 33,689 Golden Downs 1927 1,415 21,094 24,175 Westland .. .. .. .. 1922 17 3,081 5,839 Hanmer .. .. .. .. 1901 .. 7,784 10,372 Balmoral 1916 64 21,306 24,148 Eyrewell .. .. .. .. 1928 .. 18,343 19,266 Ashley .. .. .. .. 1939 395 395 4,900 Naseby .. .. .. .. 1900 .. 3,098 4,032 Dusky .. .. .. .. 1898 .. 4,470 6,866 Conical Hills 1903 .. 3,612 3,906 Pukerau .. .. .. .. 1915 .. 565 628 Blue Mountains .. .. .. 1925 .. 8,822 10,058 Pebbly Hills 1930 14 4,341 5,330 Minor Areas .. .. .. 1875-1939 258 1,873 14,372 Totals .. .. .. .. 6,447 437,110 657,491 * Now project.

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APPENDIX VI. Schedule of Fires in State Forest, 1939-40.

APPENDIX VII. Animals killed in State Forests during the Year ended 31st March, 1940.

APPENDIX VIII. Forest Sales.

35

Date. Conservancy. Forest No. Origin of Fire. Pirc-fighting. Remarks. Acres. £ s. d. 14/4/39 Wellington .. S.F. 31 120 Trespassers —shooting .. 1 0 0 20 acres young timber. „ „ .. „ 31 10 Settlers burning off 10 0 „ „ .. „ 31 100 „ .. 1 0 0 10 acres young timber. ,,31 1 „ ..100 20/4/39 „ .. „ 31 400 „ .. 8 0 0 100 acres young trees, 10 acres merchantable. 6/10/39 „ .. „ 42 8 Locomotive .. .. 7 18 2 6 matai trees. „ „ .. „ 42 2 Suspected incendiarism 55 11 10 Marton Sash and Door Co.'s mill destroyed and 250,000 ft. timber, £6,000. „ Rotorua .. „ 1 25-65 Unknown .. .. 193 6 8 4-year P. taxifolia destroyed. 30/10/39 Westland .. „ 17 46 Mischief .. .. 44 11 1 Thuya plicata and C. lawsoniana, valued at £460. ,, Wellington .. ,, 100 0'05 Locomotive .. .. .. 15 P. ponderosa and (5 P. murrayana. 3/11/39 Rotorua .. „ 86 .. Unknown .. .. .. Approximately 230 totara trees damaged. 6/11/39 Wellington .. „ 67 .. „ „ „ .. „ 67 4 Tourist boiling billy .. .. 3 acres regenerating silver-pine. 7/11/39 Rotorua .. „ 1 15 Unknown 8/11/39 Auckland .. „ 5 150 Burning off .. .. 20 4 8 9/11/39 Wellington .. „ 42 2 Mill hauler .. .. .. Thuya plicata. 17/11/39 Auckland .. ,,97 1-6 „ .. .. .. 500 G. lawsoniana burnt. £8 paid by company. 30/11/39 Wellington .. P.S.F. 85 8 Splitters boiling billy .. .. Cut-over bush. 6/12/39 Southland .. S.F. 10 660 Probably hauler 17/12/39 Nelson .. P.S.F. 132 0-2 Unknown 4/1/40 Rotorua .. 23 \ ggg t| 8 0 0 Cut over and second growth. 6/1/40 Wellington .. P.S.F. 42 10 Locomotive .. .. .. Cut over. „ „ .. S.F. 42 275 Contract splitters .. .. Cut over and regenerating silverpine, £25. 7/1/40 „ .. „ 42 210* Mill hauler .. .. 57 4 7 Milling bush (private), £650. Firefighting costs paid by company. 12/1/40 Rotorua .. P.S.F. 23 0-2 Spark from previous fire 0 15 0 Cut over. 4/2/40 Westland .. „ 1605 10 Carelessness .. .. 0 10 0 5/2/40 Southland .. S.F. 69 500 Unknown .. .. 16 18 0 9/3/40 Auckland .. „ 4 .. „ .. .. 14 17 0 Scrub. 17/3/40 „ .. „ 34 10 21/3/40 „ .. „ 1 2 Settler burning off .. .. Stunted native bash. 25/3/40 Wellington .. ,,24 0-2 Hunters .. .. 16 0 10 Total number of fires .. 32 2,858-9 .. £447 17 10 * 30 acres groen ; 180 acres cut over.

Rabbits and Hares. n5^i, a Opos- Rats, Stoats, TotaIs ' Conservancy. — J I' J> (Ws sums: and Ferrets: Number. Number. Uoats. Nllmh( , r Nlllnh -, Number. Cost. Number. I "" n " er ' dumber. Number. Cost. £ s. d. £ s. d. Auckland Rotorua .. .. 1,353 907 14 10 93 33 2 .. .. 1,481 907,14 10 Wellington .. .. .. .. 49 .. .. .. .. 49 Nelson .. .. .. 211 41 15 10 76 15 11 89 86 488 41 15 10 Westland .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 242 .. 242 Canterbury .. .. 10,695 1,044 12 1 89 .. .. .. .. 10,784 1,044 12 1 Southland .. .. 4,174 399 11 8 666 135 .. 250 17 5,242 399 11 8 Totals .. .. 16,433 2,393 14 5 973 183 13 581 103 18,286 2,393 14 5

*+* feafeg" ["***• £ Auckland .. .. 4 10,031,230 21,376 Rotorua .. .. 9 5,446,150 8,832 Wellington .. 16 13,125,000 22,475 Nelson .. .. .. 18 8,727,530 9,091 Westland .. .. 57 35,070,800 31,506 Southland .. .. 10 4,972,000 4,659 Total .. .. 114 77,372,710 97,739

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APPENDIX IX. Imports of Sawn Timber and other Forest Products.

APPENDIX X. Exports of Sawn Timber(1) and Forest Produce.

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(From information supplied by the Comptroller of Customs, All figures refer to the years ended Jlst December, 1937-39. Value represents value in country of export, plus 10 per cent, expressed in terms or New Zealand currency.) 1937. 1938. 1939. Item. i Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Hardwoods — Ft. b.m. £ Ft. b.m. £ Ft. b.m. £ Australian hardwoods .. 24,169,000 342,890 29,186,000 435,760 30,840,000 456,600 Oak .. .. .. 3,518,000 66,350 2,094,000 48,900 2,512,000 53,100 Total .. .. 27,687,000 409,240 31,280,000 484,660 33,352,000 509,700 Softwoods — Douglas fir .. .. 6,509,000 53,230 7,048,000 53,370 5,237,000 41,800 Butter-boxes .. .. 1,456,000 30,530 947,000 17,400 Redwood .. .. 1,718,000 24,760 3,064,000 47,500 3,788,000 68,700 Total .. .. 9,683,000 108,520 11,059,000 118,270 9,025,000 110,500 Other 2,084,000 39,570 892,000 6,100 1,160,000 18,700 Grand total .. 39,454,000 557,330 43,231,000 609,030 43,537,000 638,900 Laths, palings, shingles, &c. .. 2,909 .. 3,731 .. 2,752 Tanning-bark .. 862 8,309 595 5,811 922 10,555 Wood-pulp .. .. 5,030 59,227 7,478 85,178 6,220 50,647

(From information supplied by the Comptroller of Customs. All figures refer to the years ended 31st December, * ~ 1937-39.) 1937. 1938. 1939. Item. Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value. Quantity. ; Value. Ft. b.m. £ Ft. b.m. £ Ft. b.m. £ White-pine ( a ) .. .. 3,110,000 32,370 2,021,000 25,790 3,137,000 40,500 Rimu( 3 ) .. .. 8,711,000 84,800 7,407,000 74,010 6,673,000 63,900 Beech .. .. 2,076,000 24,570 2,427,000 30,150 1,258,000 13,400 Matai .. .. .. 1,829,000 17,950 563,000 5,520 241,000 2,400 Kauri ( l ) .. .. 639,000 21,240 661,000 20,500 303,000 11,300 Insignis pine box shooks ( 6 ) 1,161,000 17,930 1,263,000 19,340 1,222,000 18,700 Other New Zealand .. 131,000 1,990 188,000 2,090 86,000 900 Foreign .. .. 58,000 690 60,000 670 167,000 1,100 Totals .. .. 17,715,000 201,540 14,590,000 168,070 13,087,000 152,200 Tons. Tons. Tons. Kauri-gum .. .. 3,226 151,590 2,034 103,777 2,385 111,901 Tanning-bark .. . . 19 150 2 27 1 15 Fungus .. 46 6,070 38_ 3,980 28 3,724 (') 1937 : 91 per cent, to Australia, 6 per cent, to Pacific islands, 3 per cent, to United Kingdom ; 1938 : 90 per cent, to Australia, 9 per cent, to Pacific islands, I per cent, to United Kingdom ; 1939 : 90 per cent, to Australia, 9 per cent, to Pacific islands, 1 per cent, to United Kingdom. ( 2 ) Exported for butter-boxes, shelving, whitewood furniture, dunnage, &o. ( 3 ) For flooring, linings, joinery, and framing. ( 4 ) For tanks and vats, &c. ( 6 ) Principally for Pacific island fruit-cases.

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APPENDIX XI. STATISTICS OF SAWMILLING AND SASH AND DOOR MANUFACTURING. (Reprinted by arrangement with the Government Statistician from the Statistical Report on Factory and Building Production for the year 1938-39.) Sawmilling and Sash and Door Manufacturing.

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Character of Organization. Persons engaged in connection with m Registered Felling, Hauling, <fcc. Production of Sawn Timber from Logs. ° Company. -n n a • I i „ ~ : ~ j Provincial District. || >2 ' §*§ Sg§ I gS g« S § J - 3 1| III |I« 1 1114 4§ I -Ota,. HI III 1IJ4 ,1 I li ! I „• 4 ?1 s aS i 3° a 5 I £ ss ss S I CM > J- S3 <a T--J 1 ■ ■ ; aH 3 S 3 > ° I I ! ! >§ 0 |g g ,g M. M. M. M. M. M. M. 1 M. 1 M. F. M. H. M. F. Auckland .. .. 139 33 29 22 55 .. 13 20 4 619 96 752 36 68 68 18 1,194 3 1,369 18 Hawkes Bay ..25 8 3 1 13 1 2 j 53 21 77 8 7 5 98 3 121 laranaki .. 23 6 1 5 9 2 1 3 196 22 222 5 11 8 209 233 Wellington .. ..51 9 6 5 30 1 4 9 1 246 28 288 8 21 16 4 367 14 426 4 Marlborough .. .. 9 2 6 .. 1 .. 4 .. .. 19 4 27 4 21 .. 25 2? Is ° n , ..47 8 16 1 22 15 5 1 138 21 180 15 12 4 2 180 22 233 2 Westland .. 47 3 6 1 37 2 18 3 402 53 478 6 27 21 4 555 14 623 4 Canterbury .. ..36 8 6 3 19 .. 3 2 .. 46 3 54 10 6 2 .. 105 .. 123 Otago — Otagoportion ..23 4 6 3 10 5 3 66 1 75 7 6 1 1 93 107 1 ■Southland portion ..44 6 6 2 30 7 12 .. 241 3 263 6 20 8 2 275 3 312 2 Totals, 1938-39 .. 444 87 85 43 226 3 55 74 9 2,026 252 2,416 105 178 133 31 3,097 59 3,572 31 " „ '• 474 103 95 49 224 3 66 62 11 2 > 275 249 2,663 133 169 131 23 3,191 139 3,763 23 „ 1936-37 .. 467 108 97 45 214 3 79 67 8 2,254 281 2,689 147 176 124 26 3,011 ' 70 3,528 26 Persons engaged in connection with Salaries and Wages paid to Persons engaged in connection with aesawing, Dressing, &c. Total. » a . o I : | . "3 2 . aT -2 - oq cfi „ ~ ® aj e3 o£o Provincial District- S-g-J S S Snf g || g„-g & . Ho g g 1 Total. If I IM illH I s 1 TotaL III II 4 ill* J | 1 TotaL I III si £** So 8 £ g § 2§g |°- I § g p * j <j > Q I ; j 4J 8 M - M - ' M - F - M. M. M. F. M. M. M. F. M. M. M. F. M. M. F. M. F. M. F. \ ! . m i | I j ! £ £ £ £ £ £ I £ Auckland .. .. 14 48 44 14 603 709 14 63 136 116 32 2,416 99 2,830 32 200,798 346,462 2,185 167,774 2,186 715,034 4,371 Hawke s Hay .. 1 5 5 1 71 82 1 10 14 10 1 222 24 280 1 19,783 31,756 .. 20,322 45 71,861 45 laranaki .. .... 9 8 3 168 11 196 3 6 23 16 3 573 33 651 3 55,606 61.201 .. 47,670 199 164,477 199 Wellington .. .. 4 18 24 8 221 267 8 16 48 41 12 834 42 981 12 73,023 103,348 522 59,987 999 236,358 1,521 Marlborough .. 2 2 .. 10 40 4 54 .. 6,126 5,263 .. 300 .. 11,689 .. w if a " 5 9 46 60 9 33 23 10 11 364 43 473 11 36,526 51,254 338 13,953 1,042 101,733 1,380 Westland .. " 1 •• 20 21 8 46 24 4 977 67 1,122 4 129,623 165,959 781 5,513 .. 301,095 781 Canterbury .. .. 4 15 23 9 242 284 9 17 23 25 9 393 3 461 9 11,036 24,963 .. 61,724 1,002 97,723 1,002 Otago — Otago portion .... 7 13 5 112 132 5 12 16 14 6 271 1 314 6 18,214 26,087 75 31,160 550 75,461 625 southland portion .... 7 4 1 84 95 1 13 39 12 3 600 6 670 3 64,088 76,313 142 22,721 230 163,122 372 Totals, 1938-39 .. 28 116 126 50 1,567 11 1,848 50 188 368 268 81 6,690 322 7,836 81 614,823 892,606 4,043 431,124 6,253 1,938,553 10,296 " '• 28 104 130 44 1 1 579 30 1,871 44 227 335 272 67 7,045 418 8,297 67 631,853 885,459 2.612 411,688 5,289 1,929,000 7.901 1936-37 .. j 30 106 128 40 1,457 1 1,722 40 256 349 260 66 6,722 352 7,939 66 564,661 743,279 3,246 353,921 4,490 1,661,861 7,731 I I *v> I

Sawmilling and Sash and Door Manufacturing— continued.

C.—3

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— . Cost of Materials used or operated Expenses of Operation, other than Salaries and Wages and Cost of Materials. upon. 5 ~ " _ , . _ r _. , , T Resawing, Dressing, and Manufacturing from £ Production of Logs at Mill. Production of Sawn limber from Logs. Sawn Timber. . ■§ § ® - - - —— — 73 .5 .2| Provincial I ri | A . . I j K S ® I I | _ a t 8 «£•§ District. | L°S g i IS * ta"?! 3 I s i | \t £i 3 \ ■§ t «£ > /g pu • £ p !d 33 I . ' 1 (2 i 5 „ - iz a rjfl §> * 'l-g-js 2 1 - "i ■ S S'SIa | * i sl 1 « |.gs§ ! -I a Ss » Jgs I t 1 ffl 1 I 1 I 1 I 1 I flH | I ! r j i j I 1 l 1 i I f f I a3 m j o I •< « w ph i i L__ n o ! £ £ £ £ £ £ £££££ £ £ £££££££ £ £ £ f 81 117 04311 200 8 918 24 767 32 394 31 539226,342 4,112 6,90217.813 20,368 41,123 60,025150,343 4,589 6,299 9.924 9,16711,802 19,899 61,680 188,890 670,696 859,586 Auckland .. ttim.WSU.aOO 8 32,394 o 6 , , 2 3g4 68g gn g44 725 2j2(H 5>816 3,475 62s38 o 70,855 Hawke s Bay .. 35 12,716 618 923 bZ5 A171 , 552 3.329 3,383 8,564 3,596 20,650 268 613 2,226 1,350 2,227 3,413 10,097 25,059 63,737 88,796 ■' U' 40'«55 2 284 3 569 7 718 338 6,458 72 365 760 405 5,950 6,231 15,693 14,323 43,362 1,033 2,084 3,809 3.655 6,044 6,242 22,867 24,966 220,541 245,507 Wellington .. 143 40,85o .,-84 3,569 7,718 ii,3d» 0 [24 269 56 477 497 1,541 .. 26 10 20 .. 200 256 .. : 249 249 Marlborough .. .. 1,195 70 15S U oyo ' 257 2,500 2,973 3.964 6,887 7,794 24,375 764 1,019 657 933 1,625 5,709 10,707 5,101 45,353 50,454 w el T H '■ i il'?2l S 5 mil 060 18 858 17 737103 712 1,818 4 289 6 676 8 279 12 579 16,577 50,218 .. 30 52 25 157 296 560 277 23,811 24,088 SnterCy " l',421 388 822 X 457 12,254 125 2,010 1,450 887 2,574 4,043 11,089 1,152 3,747 3,250 2,774 3,78318,195 32,901 16,871 202,908 219,779 „ « fi 967 1 124 1 132 1 396 4 168 2 334 16,427 177 708 1,398 1,012 2,849 2,980 9,124 1,77511,430 1,711 1,493 2,312 5,216 13,937 .. 75,910 75,910 SoutMand por- 363 !;875 3J56 i',272 9,6 17 9,205 757 1,612 3,975 2,508 5,667 6,368 20,887 209 1,423 1,177 1,391 2,228 2,815 9,243 1,647 64,116 65,763 tion ! m , , 1Q oo ,Q o oon 9QO 722 28 343 ?8 328 66 "04 99 859 80 358596,634 9,46619,870 45,316 47,863 99,195 120,438 342, 148 10,174 17,359|23, 787 21,652 30,903 64,189 168,064 |271,286 1,429,701 1,700,987 Totals, 938-39 2,820 290, 722 28,34328, 32866, 204 w 9 994 19 273 43 81448,030 92,398 170,798 384,307 10,831 17,26423,298 21,46233,588 74,806 181,249 |329, 979 1,240,620 1,570,599 : 3;S02TO;0903?;7i625;l8056;442 97;566 109',204599,56810: 134 14,566 37,394 44.741 78,782152,608 338,22510,72214,81219,260 21,738 27,980 83,721 178,233 204,5091,165,2021,369,711 Total Costs of Operation (including Salaries and Products. Wages). Resawing, Log Sawmill Products. | Resawing and Planing-mill Products. Provincial TtVliinu Production Dressing, — ' Tatha I I . , j ' j j j Total Value District. Hauling, and of Sawn Ma^ ac . Total R 0 ugh-sawn Timber. hosts' lc Sashes • i °' a » Delivering Timber from Waste Tntfll mg, Moulding, Ac. Sashes Butt( , r . chee3e . Frmt- Joinery . Tota) Products. Logs at Mill. Logs. f,!Svn —\ ; " Total - - I | boxes. crates. cases. 01net y- Products. ° ■ Timber. Quantity. Value. ducts, Quantity. Value. ! &C. j l_ . 1 £ £ £ £ Ft. b.m. £ £ £ Ft. b.m. £££££££ £ £ ,, , 427 140 687 880 902 336 2 017 356 112 797,457 1,162,92122,343 1,185,264 34,038,258 570,761 69,172145,328 9,302 29,595 73,213 55,586 952,957 2,138,221 ' - " 39 590 50 790 88 563 178 943 11! 835! 981 471 111,797 2,880,773 43,425 2,186 767 3,519 22,464 2,981 4,762 80,104 191,901 T U 104 777 106910 121703 333 390 25,313,389 231,054 1,169 232,223 4,299,449 58,156 13,796 116 6,523 .. 25,833 2,729 107,153 339,376 Wellington 172J98 33,877,336 343,863 5,166 349,029 11,004,510 212,608 16,203 11,858 13,631 264 24.9+3 35,015 314 '®|2 vjamigrai .. > 559 16,633 71 16,704 23,900 515 181 | ■■ 198 26 920 17,624 Nelson™" 8 71,055 233! 606 20,071 J92 164,795 1,025 165,820 986,714 16,358 3,130 4,749 1,352 32,832 3,560 8,631 ™,612 236,432 ii- ( 11 " 900 00= 217 235 9 9 884 480 454 64 387,313 515,336 1,245 516,581 2,452,176 27,201 3,500 761 31,462 o48,043 Si :: :: IS ll'M zu.™ 10,430,288 76, 9 5 6 37s 77,334 181,430 24,526 5,130. 1,918 23,193 43,996 43,022 323,215 400,549 Otago— 35286 121557 191484 8 652 260 73,002 385 73,387 3,535,576 75,809 4,257 .. 2,952 3,600 36,077 10,818 133,513 206,900 Southland portion !! 98 i989 06^ 310 27,507,107 239,219 64 239,283 1,488,026 24,229 .. 1,104 13,132 19,407 34,951 92,823 332,106 T„t a l« 1938-39 1 =>11 457 1 510 083 2 035 142 4 756 682 316,715,882 2,935,105 32,317 2,967,422 69,636,0881,210,492 133,451172,552*52,329*131,355* 210,801 196,301 2,107,2815,074,70.3 1937-38 l'275 075 1 '602'357 1 838846 4'716''78 322,765,786 3,028,65612,793 3,041,449 64,422,3161,144,621 118,112198,813 47,193 134,285 194,646 182,014 2,019,684 5,061,133 " 1936-37 1 j 1^289:259 4^155, '334 305,889,418 2.639,737 9,630 2,649,367 62,465,4901,024,181 109,579 183,148 39,995 95,188 136,341 187,132 1,775,0644,424,931 ~ ~ * Butter-boxes made numbered 2,079,876; cheese-crates, 404,481; fruit-cases, 4,029,741.

c.—3.

Sawmilling and Sash and Door Manufacturing— continued.

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Motive Power used for Approximate Value. Hauling and Delivering. Production of Sawn Timber from Logs. Kesawing, Dressing, and Manufacturing a ... t, . & j from Sawn Timber. bawmill. Planing and Resawing Mill. Kind 01 Engine. | Kind ol Engine. Kind of Engine. [ L • I "K ! 1 w 0tal 1 . C 1 I i Total ! i |~Ti i 1 Total ' T . I Tram- togging Total I I . fji I I I ~j"&, a | !|! I I , _. avSe. 0 - || | f , . X *>tal B loSSSry J ® = 1 S I -g S ! i -g-s r % t -3 1 ■ * !S3| =• g f « ment. » 1 I* o s Es eh 8 j g o S & I £ I a laH 5 i § £ t — 1—! 1 ! [ i ! Hawkc'sBay 10 1 °4 7 " *24 1 4 '408 1 19 2 6 '799 " 3 9 427 457 5,985 154,063 163,440 94,014 210,217 621,734105,680 190 92,152 198,022 819,756 Taranaki ..24 3 6 •»., as? on ' q e " o, Iff 5 .. 1 .. 49 1 56 635 9,336 2,860 5,940 14,405 32,541 20,637 899 14,913 36,449 68,990 Wellington 38 9 10 " 57 1 -250 Si l" 7' 0 ia '' II , ,i 43 " 44 467 34 ' 389 42,325 18,125 24,342 119,181 15,277 .. 9,269 24,546 143,727 Marlborough 7 1 " a 'lis fi I 7 ' a '?i 4 10 114 I .. 124 1,669 31,684 41,436 30,412 55,754 159,286 63,618 240 36,949 100,807 260,093 Nelson ..23 19 8 2 " 12 M i' '« i' » , ! 2 " 2 27 1 ' 884 650 1> 300 2 ,486 6,320 1,000 .. 400 1,400 7,720 Westland .. 83 .. 34 14 2 " 133 3'ilO 42 1 8 4 <U aa « 3 3 Z I 1 53 648 18 ' 266 20 ' 897 22 ' 169 33 > 115 94,447 14 ' 088 10 9,476 23,574 118,021 Canterbury .. 3 1 8 ' 12 276 4 ? t « '' S? 'ao, o 7 13 239 58,112 117,056 54,905 88,976 319,049 250 .. 2,485 2,735 321,784 Otago- - - 12 276 4 .. 1 1 45 .. 51 897 3 .. .. 16 159 1 .. 178 1,685 9,634 2,845 4,995 13,972 31,446 48,831 .. 27,319 76,150 107,596 Ota c opor 15 1 , 23 341 lo .. 2 17 369 2 1 .... 41 j .. 44 771 5,500 6,560 5,032 14,815 31,907 29,651 1,600 31,733 44,984 76,891 — - -.66 914 39 .. 6 .. 7 ..52 1,000 2 .... 1 37 .. 40 395 22,394 31,359 13,793 41,263 108,809 7,192 81 20,475 27,748 136,557 Totals — ' 1937-38 382 1 14 %i7 18 "(318 13' 134 321 1 61 73 199 f «>7 5 I 10 2 Q !,'! ? 101112,521 345,262 429,428 250,685 499,345 1,524,720 306,224 3,020 227,171 536,415 2,061,135 1936-37 389 3 . 168 29 "589 I?'576 326 1 "fin m n *97 Iq'Iao ko I '' ,? -2 1 ® 51 ' ,74 ° 337 ' 37J 453 '053 262,377 497,998 1,550,799294,436 1,003 210,850 506,289 2,057,088 ..089 l-,57o 3-6 1 .. 60 135 o 527 13,582 52 3 ..11 764 .. 83010,406 295,972 451,335 233,187 480,115 1,460,609 318,974 8,158 216,718 543! 850 2!004! 459 Provincial District Number of Approximate Sawn Output of various Kinds of Timber at Log-sawmills during the Year 1938-39. Kauri. | Bimu. | Kahifcatea. Ma tai. Totara. Tawa. Hire. Pinus Insignis. j Total " j M»put. G^r. Auckland . . 107 6 F 903' 1 ?9Q I Ft " b ' m ' Ft ' b - m - Ft - b.m. Ft. b.m. Ft. b.m. Ft. b.m. Ft. b.m. Ft. b.m. Ft. b.m. Acres. Hawke's Bay .. 20 ' fi'fis'it? 9 ' 4 ® 5 ' 836 6,322,992 15,194 116,534 1,416,302 12,329,912 691,226 112,797,457 1,054,182 648,402 10,861 Taranaki .. " f 8 " 1H0H" MM?! H 34 ' 444 442 ' 772 3 ' 246 •• •• 2,356,447 152,412 11,835,981 591,799 82,200 580 Wellington .. 36 " I 877,683 .. .. 48,830 2,852,776 17,849 25,313,389 1,406,299 118,500 1,279 Marlborough .. g " i ' 3 ' 462 ' 992 127,635 .. 925,906 4,610,308 53,709 33,877,336 941,037 214,000 3,293 Nelson .. .. 4 | " 13'oKI , oS'J!2 I'222 169 ' 552 '■ 8 9, 7 95 6,113 l,fU3,6B0 230,445 18 1050 402 Westland .. .. 47 " q'}« 2 ®®'? 49 887,993 .. 3,950 3,633,385 36,663 20,071,192 436,330 162,750 1,193 Canterbury .. - ?0 " 1 ' 80 ' 174 477,590 21,850 186,477 .. 3,895 .. 32,957 1,369,943 354,500 3,653 Otago— " '• ■ •• •• •• .. 10,403,015 27,273 10,430,288 521,514 54,500 299 Otago portion .. 15 6 214 040 4 711 1 »7i „„„ Southland portion .. 43 : l 4 'n9q'9QQ 9 „ 8 ® 4 ' 907 1,553,589 11,142 8,652,260 576,817 62,100 1,025 H ' 9.299 -,-53, 944 151,491 101,368 6,781,295 .. 74,581 4,038,286 6,843 27,507,107 639,700 188,100 2,893 „ " 394 n'575'107 I 184'588'ft54 df'firI'HI 9?'>-5'ao? 9 ' 036 ' 299 116,534 2,473,464 41,867,513 1,036,187*; 316,715,882 879,766 1,903,102 25,478 „ 1936-37 .. 385 7'791 'l39 ; 174'77s'5fifi o'^f' 758 453 . 898 1. 4 95,398 36,359,183 1,758,337 1322,765,786 819,203 1,996,466 .. ' ' ' 46,958,813 20,295,330 11,443,741 8,808,520 439,280 1,777,024 31,483,947 2,113,065 305,889,418 794,518 1,995,700 macrocarpa, 40,077 ft. b.m. 1 ; ft.' ta; b p^atea, bl 6?906 I ft. 1 b 8 m.^ 0 'otto and urapeSiS', 8l!868°ft t 'b^m"'' poplar ' 105 ' 877 ft - b - m -! mangaeo, 99,913 ft. b.m., taraire, 62,829 ft. b.m.; puriri, 55,586 ft. b.m.; rata, 47,088 ft. b.m.;

C.—3.

. GLOSSARY. 1. Indigenous. (a) Softwoods :— Kaikawaka (Libocedrus bidwillii). Kauri (Agathis australis). Matai (Podocarpus spicatus). Miro (Podocarpus ferrugineus). Rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum). Silver-pine (Dacrydium colensoi). Totara (Podocarpus totara). White-pine (Podocarpus dacrydioides). (b) Hardwoods : — Beech (Nothofagus spp.). Rata (Metrosideros spp.). Red beech (Nothofagus fusca). Silver beech (Nothofagus menziesii). Taraire (Beilschmiedia laraire). Tawa (Beilschmiedia tawa). 2. Exotic. (a) Softwoods : — Bishop's Pine (Pinus Muricata). Corsican pine (Pinus laricio). Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga taxifolia). Insignis pine (Pinus radiata). Japanese cypress (Cryptomeria japonica). Larch (European) (Larix decidua). Lawson's cypress (Cupressus lawsoniana). Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). Lodgepole pine (Pinus murrayana). Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris). Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster). Monterey cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa). Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria excelsa). Redwood (Californian) (Sequoia sempervirens). Slash pine (Pinus caribaea). Spreading-leaved pine (Pinus patula). Western yellow pine (Pinus ponderosa). Western red cedar (Thuja plicata). White-pine (American) (Pinus strobus). (b) Hardwoods: — Australian hardwoods, principally Eucalyptus spp. Mountain ash (E. regnans). Oak (Quercus spp.).

Approximate Cost of Paper.—Preparation, not given ; printing; 1,240 copies including graphs and illustrations), £02 10s.

By Authority: E. V. Paul, Government Printer, Wellington, —1940, ['rice 7s.]

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