50 



the scrub growth is of considerable value in en- maple of Queensland. A good deal of techno- 

 abling them to establish themselves firmly. Once logical, as well as sylvicultural work, should be carried 

 established, the seedlings are comparatively hardy, out before the choice of broad-leafed species is made. 



I think, except in certain favoured valleys, this 

 coniferous belt of the middle mountains is above the 

 limit of native cultivation, and is really unoccupied 

 and waste land, and therefore available without any 



serious adjustment of boundaries with native owners. 



I have seen too little of the belt to advise as to the 

 best place to begin the work, but the valley of the 

 Kemp Welch up to the source of the Miniai, one of 

 its highest tributaries, must finally become the trans- 

 port route which will open up the forests of the 

 Mount Obree district. So the slopes around these 

 Whether the practical difficulties associated with headwaters w T ould seem to be particularly satisfactory 



for a start. They already carry good stands of hoop 

 on the spurs, and the people of these parts are friendly 



and will resist fairly severe droughts, although, as 

 stated above, good summer and autumn rains are 

 essential to complete success. The main points 

 to which a forester must give attention in assisting 

 natural reproduction are, firstly, the preparation 

 of a suitable seed bed; secondly, the retention or 

 provision of a shelter wood sufficient to protect 

 the seedlings from insolation ; thirdly, the pro- 

 tection from fire; and, fourthly, the removal of 

 the shelter wood after the seedlings are established, 

 in order to obtain the fastest growth possible. 



natural regeneration will render this method more 

 expensive than artificial regeneration or not has 

 yet to be learned, and the results of a preliminary 

 study of this aspect will be dealt with in a later 

 bulletin. 



As hoop pine cannot be described as a good soil 

 improving species, and the shade cast by it is not 

 sufficient to keep down the growth of weeds, the 

 best results will probably be obtained by raising 

 it either over an underwood of inferior Species 

 of little value or in association with a shade 

 bearer; the most suitable shade bearer naturally 

 associated with hoop pine is crows-foot elm — 



Tarrietia arfiyroilrndron — which 



will, however, \fo 



disposed and of the robust mountain type, so that 

 efficient labour should be available for the planting 

 work. 



Mossy Forests Policy. 



The policy in regard to the mossy forests that lie 

 above the mid-mountain belt must be one of general 

 conservation only. They are valuable protection 

 forests, and the danger of landslips and erosion, which 

 would follow the destruction by fire on the steeper 

 slopes, is one that must be recognized by all, and must 

 he guarded against. I think that the fires that are 



are mostly of an accidental nature, except those 



only attain marketable size in the more favoured that come in from higher elevations and alpine grass- 



localities." 



lands when the hunting of magani is practised by the 



In Papua, altitude compensates latitude, and hoop natives. I do not think that the natives Avould be 

 is no longer a coastal species, but begins at about 5,500 slow to realize the danger if it were pointed out to 

 feet, and ceases at about 7,500 feet. In Queensland, a3 them, and a little care would suffice to prevent con- 

 in Papua, it thrives when the competition is elimi- flagrations occurring on the few occasions that the 

 nated, and it requires light to develop healthily and mossy forests are dry enough to burn. 



vigorously. The increment of 1 inch a year expected 

 in Queensland is a satisfactory figure, and there is 

 every reason to suppose that "in well-managed forests" 

 in Papua rhe same increment, or better, would be 



obtained. 

 J 



Cost of the Forest Policy. 

 The cost of a forest policy such as I have outlined 



will be heavy when compared to the revenue ^..^ 



bein 



(T 



It was just beginning to shed its seed in derived fron/the Territory to-day; on the other hand, 

 anuary under Mount Obree. While in the cloudy j t i s hard to see in what other direction than the 



helt where the Papuan hoop grows the difficulties oi development of her wild and cultivated products Papua 



natural regeneration are not likely to he lack of rain, 



am 



can increase her trade and commerce and her revenue; 

 at the same time, the absence of regeneration on the am ] in few directions are the opportunities so obviously 

 slopes between the rock spurs, leads me to favour alluring as in the systematic development of the pro- 

 artifieial regeneration, that is, planting instead of ( iucts of her forests. The rapidity of the development 

 trying by aiding this species in its competition with lnust ^ [ n ratio to tlie am0llllt f capital it is decided 

 hi-oad-leafed^trees^ to^graduallv^ extend Us hold^from to invest. That the territory of Papua has no surplus 



funds for forestry seems clear, for she depends on a 

 grant from the Commonwealth Government to enable 

 her to square her ledger. The forest policy of Papua 

 would seem to me, therefore, one for the Common- 

 wealth to sponsor. She it is who must derive the 

 greatest benefit from such a policy, being able to 

 assure herself supplies of softwood for the future, 

 when the world shortage of that commodity would have 

 otherwise made her situation most difficult. In the year 

 1920-21 the quantity of timber imported for the whole 

 of Australia was 11)2,457,777 superficial feet, valued 



at £3,524,145, and the quantity will increase as her 

 industries develop. 



is a rough estimate of the cost of the forest policy 



the sharp spurs to the more fertile slopes. I 

 strengthened in my opinion also by the knowledge of 

 the fact that Prof. Jolly now favours planting hoop 

 in Queensland. The question of an nnderstory to the 



hoop-pine in Papua must await further sylvicultural 

 research. 



well, 



It appears to clear the ground under it very 

 hut if 



an associate broad-leafed species is re- 

 quired there is a capital choice of trees which grow 

 naturally with hoop pine. 



The policy in regard to the conitVrous belt should 

 1 e to extend, by planting hoop pine, the area under this 

 species until it covers the whole width of country 

 lying between the 5,500 and 7,r)00 contour lines. There 



will be a mixture of other conifers, at the upper limits, 



whereat is probably a little cold for hoop, the celery- reduced to the main essentials of (1) ilimo, teak, and 

 top will take its place, while, at the lower, the two n.-ira planting ; (2) establishment of the mid-mountain 

 big podocarps — P. cupresmw and P. nariifolia — will belt of coniferous trees; (3) sandalwood planting; 

 thrive. How many of the broad-leafed species will be (4) research work. I would say that an annual 



appropriation of £12,000 would be required. This 

 would be enough to provide for the planting of about 

 500 acres of ilimo, teak, and nara, and dealing with 

 about 500 acres of mid-mountain forests and some 200 



left as syhicnltural aids, or as yielders of timber, must 



be left to the forester who draws up the working plan 



of operations. !Most of the broad-leafed species yield 

 hard, dense, eucalypt-like timbers, e.g., the Eugenias. 



One is a very handsome cabinet wood— Zanthozylon sp. acres of sandalwood every year. Also for the salaries 

 and there are the two oaks and a Flindersia, like the of the staff of the department, which should include 



