C.—3.

5. Reference Library. The reference library has been increased to the extent of some three hundred publications during the year, and represents an authoritative source of information on all branches of forestry and allied subjects. Acknowledgements must be made for the many contributions from overseas Forest Services and for their valuable co-operation in developing a system of mutual exchange. This arrangement is especially valuable at the present time, and enables the Service to keep abreast of current forestry practices all over the world in a manner which would not otherwise be possible. 6. Unemployment Relief. Forestry-work is recognized the world over as being peculiarly suitable for relieving unemployment, and once again the Service was called on by the Government to expand its normal tree-planting programme in order to provide as much work as possible and utilize a maximum labour complement during the months of winter and early spring, when, as a rule, most other outside activities are suspended. The work was carried on from four to five months, and during that period 2,000 individual workers were given employment. Excluding foremen, leading hands, and skilled workmen, the labour engaged was wholly composed of relief workers, recruited by the labour bureaux, and an average of 700 hands was maintained over the whole term. At the peak of the planting season 1,400 men were engaged, of which 1,100 were relief workers, and, generally speaking, they proved to be reasonably efficient. 7. Honorary Forest Rangers. Six honorary rangers were appointed during the year, and two resigned. This brings the total strength to 135. It is pleasing to place on record again the very valuable assistance rendered by the honorary rangers throughout the Dominion. Without such voluntary help the work of the official field staff would be much increased, and the supervision at present being exercised over some of the remotely situated forests would of necessity be severely curtailed.

APPENDIX.

SUMMARIZED REPORTS ON STATE AFFORESTATION. Auckland Region. Nurseries.—The main nursery operations are now confined to the afforestation project at Tairua, and during the year the nursery at Wharekawa was extended and used for lining-out purposes and for line sowing of Pinus radiata, the original nursery being used for bed sowing. Germination results were, good, but some losses occurred with the bed-sown species, and it would appear that the soil must be deficient in some constituent essential to the production of sturdy stock. Two dry summers in succession have been experienced at this station, and this lias, no doubt, had an adverse effect upon the nursery operations. Plantations.—With the exception of some necessary blanking at Riverhead and Maramarua, treeplanting is now concentrated at Tairua Plantation, where approximately 37,000 acres remain for future use. The new area established at this station was 5,728 acres, which brings the total establishment to date to 7,586 acres. Rotorua Region. Nurseries. —Weather favourable to tree-growing was experienced generally throughout the region during most of the year, and, on the whole, most satisfactory results can be recorded. Approximately 4,025 lb. of seeds were sown, and the total crop is estimated to produce 26,360,000 trees. The total number of trees in all nurseries, including 30,000 poplar-cuttings, is estimated to be 50,835,000, of which approximately 50 per cent, are available for the current year's planting ; 640,000 trees are available for disposal, and the remainder will be carried over to next year. Plantations.—The new planted area aggregated 22,114 acres, with 14,894,500 trees, or an average of 674 trees per acre. Notch planting was the method principally used, but 284 acres were pitted previous to planting. Pinus radiatit- constituted 68|- per cent, of the species used, while Pseudotsuga taxifolia comprised 111 p er cen t. and Pinus ponderosa 9 per cent., the balance being made up of P. Laricio, Sequoia sempervirens, Cwpressus japonica, G. Lawsoniana, Tsuga heterophylla, &c. Blanking was carried out over an area of 211 acres, and 45 acres were replanted. ' Tree and Seed Sales. Trees sold to Government Departments, local bodies, &c., numbered 98,000, while the revenue received therefrom was £394. Receipts from the sale of tree-seeds amounted to £107.

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