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C.—3

Imports of Forest-produce. Softwood timbers, following the trend of previous years, again increased in both quantity and value imported, and, despite a decrease in total importations of 15,000,000 ft. b.m., totalled 40,400,000 ft. b.m. for 1926, or approximately 7,000,000 ft. b.m. more than for the previous peak year, 1925. The main species of softwoods imported were Douglas fir, white and red cedar, hemlock, spruce, redwood from the United States and Canada, and spruce from Baltic ports.

Imports of Softwoods into New Zealand from Canada and the United States of America for Calendar Years 1924-26.

Grand total. Canada and United States: 1924, 18,644,000; .1925, 30,180,000; 1926, 36,648,000; January to April, 1927 ; 11,971,000. Important changes, compared with previous years, are evident in the trade. Redwood, as well as cedar, is now in demand for the first time for weatherboarding, and this species, besides displacing our own excellent building-timbers, now seriously rivals cedar itself. Redwood was previously introduced mainly for joinery purposes, but a review of the local market by representatives of the redwood-producers led to material reductions in prices of the timber, with a corresponding extension in its trade. Hemlock, which has found considerable favour during the past two years as an interior finish and lining timber, has now gained in some quarters a reputation for borer attack, with the result that certain local bodies have placed it on a par in this respect with New Zealand white-pine, and have prohibited its use in building construction. Many merchants have also cleared their yards of this species, and a decrease in the trade can therefore be expected. Douglas fir still maintains a steady market.

Graph of Importations of Softwood Lumber from Canada and United States of America for the Calendar Years 1924-26.

The Work Ahead. The progress of planting in respect to our 1935 objective requires for the current year the formation of over 22,000 acres. The programme actually set is 25,000 acres, while several thousand acres of formation will be carried out experimentally by power drilling, spot-sowing, and broadcasting. The progress of the Service silvical and silvicultural investigations in the indigenous forests and plantations will be proceeded with according to plan, and it is hoped that preliminary control management plans will.be proclaimed for principal forest plantations during the year. A major investigation on a commercial scale will be concluded with reference to the papermaking value of our principal indigenous and naturalized trees. With favourable results, most significant forestal developments will follow.

(Expressed in terms of feet board measure.) Canada. United States America. Species. j . j anuarv ! j January 1924. 1925. I 1926. to 30th April, 1924. 1925. 1926. to 30th April 1927. 1927. Douglas fir .. .. 9,133,000 7,940,000 8,787,000 3,474,000 4,696,000 9,167,000 8,034,000 3,121.000 Cedar .. .. 567,000 2,870,000 3,475,000 715,000 684,000 3,638.000 5,536,000 629,000 Hemlock and spruce .. 2,012,000 3,434,000 3,407,000 145,000 148,000 1,385,00014,981,000 390,000 Redwood .. .. 40,000 60,000 400.000 106,000 1,000,000 1,400,000 3,600,000 3,244,000 Other .. .. 60,000 10,000 80,000 3,000 304,000 276,000 370,000 144,000 Totals .. 11,812,00014,314,00016,149,000 4,443,000 6,832,000 15,866,000'22,521,000 7,528,000 I I