LL—sa

6

Pact 11,

10. That, as most of the travelling stock reserves comprise rich lands upon open plains, and upon which, from their bleak nature, it might be difficult to grow young trees without protection, the Conservator should be required in such localities to plant suitable shrubs of rapid growth, which might be permitted to remain until the young trees attain sufficient strength to do without such protection. 11. That, prior to the fencing in of any forest reserve, roads be laid out so as to give access to each portion of such reserve, and that the fences be so placed as to obstruct the traffic as little as possible, proper swing gates being placed upon such roads. This is the more essential in reserves for travelling stock, as in many cases the best lines of road wind from one side of the reserve to the other, and rarely continue in the middle or on one side. 12. The present system in granting licenses for cutting and removing timber from Crown lands, must remain intact until the timber upon the protected portions is ready to be cut, when regulations will require to be framed to meet all the circumstances of the case; meanwhile, it will only be necessary to exempt, by strict regulation and Gazette notice, with heavy penalty for infringement, those portions of the reserves that are from time to time planted and protected. 13. That forest reserves be allowable within hundreds, though excluded by resolution of the House of Assembly on Mr. KrichaufFs motion, carried the 3rd May, 1872 (Votes and Proceedings, page 129). The resolution in question was passed prior to the " Waste Lands Alienation Act, 18, of 1872," which includes all laud within the First Schedule of that Act as liable to be surveyed for selection under its provisions. This, to a certain extent, makes it imperative that the whole of the land within the limits of that Schedule shall ultimately be proclaimed into hundreds, otherwise the land could not be open for selection. To exempt, therefore, forest reserves from hundreds, since the passing of that Act, would be either to place such reserves outside the Schedule, or require the revision of a large number of hundred boundaries, so as to exclude them; and inasmuch as timber will be largely required by persons holding lands within the hundreds upon the plains, it will simplify the question much if reserves be allowed within hundreds—more especially as the travelling reserves form a large proportion of the total area proposed to be planted—and will be doubly convenient and valuable, from their proximity to agricultural lands almost destitute of timber. . 14. Assuming that the above suggestion be adopted, and a Conservator of Forests, with the requisite staff, for the seven nurseries be appointed, the probable expense of the Department for the first year would be £14,357 10s., as detailed below : — £ s. d. £ s. d. One Conservator of Forests, at £400 per annum (and travelling expenses) 400 0 0 400 0 0 One Head Gardener for each nursery, at £150 (and cottage)... ... 1,050 0 0 One working man ditto, at £125, ditto 875 0 0 Two boys ditto, at £40, ditto 560 0 0 Two horses and cart ditto, at £60 420 0 0 Shed and hut accommodation ditto, at £100 700 0 0 Nursery implements ditto, at £20 140 0 0 3,745 0 0 Travelling expenses to Conservator 100 0 0 Purchase of seed 500 0 0 1,000 boxes for raising seed (for each nursery, at 9d.) £3710s 262 10 0 100,000 3i-inch flower pots ditto, at £4 10s. per 1,000, £450 3,150 0 0 Extra assistance during planting season... ... ... ... ... 5,000 0 0 Fencing for protection of planted portion of reserves 1,200 0 0 10,212 10 0 Total £14,357 10 0 The expense for the second and following years, deducting the price of flower pots, seed boxes, cottages, implements, and horses (but allowing for contingencies, tear and wear, breakage, &c.), say, will be, in round numbers, £10,500 a year. This amount need not be at once expended if the suggestion of commencing with but three nurseries be adopted, as in that case provision in proportion only will be required. 15. The seed which cannot be obtained in the Province should at once be ordered from England, through Mr. Hackett, or any other respectable seedsman, in order that its quality may be guaranteed. 16. Five years must elapse after commencement of operations before any return on the outlay can be expected; then, assuming that the whole seven nurseries be established at once, and the 7,000,000 trees be planted during the first planting season (10 feet apart, as proposed in paragraph 7), every second tree, or three and a half millions in all, might be removed and sold at £1 per hundred, realizing £35,000 in cash. This amount would continue to be realized for each of the following four years, when it would be largely increased by the second removal of every other tree from the blocks first planted, and which would then remain a forest—the trees being 40 feet apart, and only cut on arriving at maturity, and as marked for sale by the Conservator. The expenditure to carry out this scheme, therefore, would during the first year be, say, £14,500, the eleven following years at, say, £10,500 a year (£115,500). Total expenditure in twelve years, when all the forests would be fenced and planted, £130,000. .

South Australia.