C.—3.

Fig. 2.—State Exotic Forests: Total Planted Area.

Table 7.

The, demand for fencing-material, sleepers, poles, house blocks, &c., still remains keen, and it was difficult to satisfy the requirements of applicants for splitting areas, particularly in Westland and Wellington Conservancies. For example, in Westland alone 78,251 silver-pine posts and stakes, 3,295 strainers, 3,510 stays, and 8,023 poles, all of the same species, were extracted from State forests. When to this are added house blocks, sleepers, &c., the total volume so obtained exceeds 100,000 cubic feet. In Wellington much the same position prevailed, the predominating species being silver-pine, red beech, totara, kawaka, and rimu ; posts and strainers numbered 89,770, house blocks 16,790, poles 3,802, firewood 921 cords, while stakes, battens, laths, &c., totalled approximately 157,000 ; the royalty value of this produce was £2,520, a gross increase of £420 on the figures for the previous year. The total production of rough-sawn timber from all sources has also risen and is estimated at 335,000,000 ft., nearly one-fourth of which was milled in the Westland Conservancy, where it may be mentioned last year's cut of 74,114,300 ft. board measure has only twice been exceeded since the inception of the Service. The percentage cut from State forests and Warden's areas was nearly 37 per cent, of the total production. 6. Sales of Logs. Mention was made in last year's report that " the substitution, wherever possible, of log sales for block disposal of standing timber " was one feature of the proposed five-year plan of forest works, and that steps would be taken as soon as possible to give effect to this radical change in sales policy by an experimental demonstration project in the Te Whaiti district, Rotorua Conservancy. The immediate objective in placing this State forest under silvicultural management is to experiment with various cutting systems whereby re-establishment of the

19

Year. Quantity sold. Sale Price. Board Feet. £ 1934-35 .. .. 117 65,302,700 71,243 1935-36 .. .. 130 102,219,800 131,447 1936-37 .. .. 146 107,429,600 124,522 1937-38 .. .. 140 103,341,450 107,866 1938-39 .. .. 119 90,292,600 104,821