C.—3

19

Tree and tree-seed sales from the State nurseries from 1919 to 1927 are presented as follows

Comparison of Forest Service Sales of Young Forest Trees from 1921 to 1927.

Comparison of Forest Service Sales of Forest Tree-seeds from 1921 to 1927.

7. Public Relations. Forestry in Schools. The forestry-in-schools movement has made steady progress during the year, and there is no doubt that elementary forestry, which includes the sowing of seed, the raising, planting, and caring for trees, the study and protection of our native flora and fauna, and the lessons correlated with these, has now a definite place in the curriculum of many schools. This success is due to the interest taken in this aspect of forest education by teachers, agricultural instructors, Education Boards, and School Committees, with the helpful co-operation of the Education Department. Tree-nurseries have been established to date at 858 schools—4ol in the North Island, 445 in the South Island, and 12 in Niue Island. The tree-seed, amounting to 1901b., supplied free to these schools, resulted in the raising of fair crops of seedlings at many schools. Free trees to the number of 11,590 were supplied to schools throughout New Zealand, and in addition 13,000 small seedlings raised in the forestry plot at the Dunedin Exhibition were distributed for lining-out to 137 schools in Otago and Southland. As many schools are now raising sufficient trees for planting in the schoolgrounds, the demand for free trees is gradually being reduced. Ten schools commenced the formation of school-endowment plantations. The extension of this scheme is handicapped by the fact that many School Committees have insufficient funds to enable them to fence and clear available planting-areas. A " School Forestry " section was included in the classes for competition at five winter shows. The Matangi School was again successful in winning the Ellis and Burnand Forestry Shield at the Waikato Winter Show, and the Ohangai School now has the honour of holding the G. Symes and Co., Ltd. Forestry Shield competed for at the Hawera Winter Show. The shields presented by the Wellington Timber-merchants' Association for competition at the Wellington Winter Show, and by the Otago Brush Co. for the Dunedin Winter Show, were not competed for at the 1926 shows. During Easter, 1926, conferences were held at Rotorua and at Hanmer between officers of the Education Department and officers of the Forest Service. Thirty-one Inspectors and agricultural instructors attended these conferences and the short courses of instruction in elementary forestry which were held at the same time. The conferences proved a great help in demonstrating the educational value of forestry work, and enabled the Inspectors and instructors to gain a knowledge of nursery and plantation work.

v Trees for planting. Forest-tree Seeds. J v . Trees for planting. Forest-tree Seeds. (Number.) (Weight in Pounds.) ar ' (Number.) (Weight in Pounds.) I 1927 4,760,490 3,861* 1922 897,552 436 1926 4,226,174 2,692* 1921 520,702 240 1925 2,831,932 2,529* 1920 277,235 130 1924 1,839,512 618 1919 420.412 132 1923 1,475,581 746 * Includes domestic and overseas salos.