C.-3

Although interest and loan expenses have increased by some £23,000, the net expenditure for tin , year shows a decrease of £34,353 on that of the previous year. This was chiefly due to a reduction in the planting programme and the fact that during the summer of 1929-30 thinning and underscrubbing in the older plantations was undertaken on a fairly extensive scale.

4. State Afforestation. TABLE 3. Summary of Operations in Plantations to 31st March, 1931.

To the grand total of 53,752 acres of new plantations (excluding 95 acres of direct formation) the largest individual contribution was from Rotorua Region, with a further area of 29,212 acres of pumice country afforested on Kaingaroa Plains, the next in order of acreage being Auckland Region. It is interesting to note that the area of State plantations in the North Island now approximates 228,000 acres, as against 79,000 acres in the South. The only new project was Tairua (referred to in last year's report), where the initial season's planting resulted in the establishment of 1,882 acres. Plantation Cleaning and Thinning, &c. No thinning was done in Rotorua Region during the past season, but a total area of 872 acres was cleaned : Waiotapu Plantation, 197 acres ; Kaingaroa Plantation, 675 acres. At Hanmer Plantation 2,700 acres were underscrubbed, and during the process many weed trees were removed. Thinning was done in the older-age classes over an area totalling 1,388 acres. A further area of 160 acres of Pinus ponderosa and P. Laricio was thinned to a 16 ft. spacing for special seed-production. At Balmoral Plantation 569 acres were underscrubbed, and 151 acres at Raincliff Plantation were similarly dealt with. At Conical Hills thinning was continued, and 1,143 acres were treated before the season closed. Further underscrubbing was carried out as follows : Greenvale, 21 acres ; Pukerau, 18 acres ; Naseby, 71 acres. It has been noticed that snow has been responsible for breaking down many trees in the shady gullies of Dusky, Conical Hills, and Pukerau Plantations, and unless further thinning can be carried out at these stations without delay more serious losses are almost certain to occur. Local Collection of Tree-seed. The Service endeavours to collect locally as great a proportion of its seed-requirements as possible, purchasing overseas supplies only where these are not obtainable within New Zealand. During the past year this activity was well maintained, and a total of 4,533 lb. of locally collected seed was sown in the various nurseries. Experience has proved that a well-controlled seed-collecting organization can produce seed within New Zealand at a lower price than that paid for imported supplies, while from the point of view of

4

T)i . , • Year of New Area New Area m . i * Plantation. , r , , , , i -r»- * Total Area. iistablishment. | planted. Direct sown. Acres. Acres. Acres. Riverkead .. .. .. 1926 1,647 .. 10,525 Maramarua .. .. .. 1928 6,058 .. 11,827 Puhipuhi .. .. .. 1904 . .. 783 Taima.. .. .. .. 1930 1,882 .. 1,882 Wkakarewarewa.. .. .. 1898 .. .. 7,591 Waiotapu .. .. .. 1901 .. .. 7,079 Kaingaroa .. .. .. 1913 29,212 15 176,016 Karioi .. .. .. .. 1927 2,131 .. 11,757 Erua .. .. .. .. 1930 291 .. 291 Golden Downs .. .. .. 1927 4,101 80 9,657 Westland .. .. .. 1922 .. .. 1,490 Hanmer .. .. .. 1901 185 .. 7,735 Balmoral .. .. .. 1916 1,946 .. 20,509 Eyrewell .. .. .. 1928 3,733 .. 15,741 Blue Mountains .. .. .. 1925 .. .. 8,713 Greenvale .. .. .. 1917 .. .. 3,715 Dusky Hill .. .. .. 1893 .. .. 751 Conical Hills .. .. .. 1903 .. .. 3,551 Naseby.. .. .. .. 1900 772 .. 3,352 Pukerau .. .. .. 1915 .. .. 565 Pebbly Hills .. .. .. 1930 1,778 .. 1,778 Minor areas .. .. .. . . 16 .. 1,695 Totals .. .. .. .. 53,752 95 307,003* * Does not include 273 acres of direct formation not deemed to be established.