Editorial Notes. ^31 



entirely self-supporting, the revenues derived from existing indi- 

 genous forests in the lands of the Crown being made sufficient to 

 cover all expenditure for establishments and working, gradual forma- 

 tion of plantations, &c., &c., the surplus, after defraying all the above 

 charges, being Colonial Forest Eevenue. I wish especially to guard 

 myself against forming or expressing Utopian or too rosy views on this 

 subject, and I do not pretend that we are going to clothe barren hill- 

 sides and desert plains with trees in a year, or even in several years, 

 or that the indigenous forests are at once to pay off the colonial 

 debt ; but I do say that with proper management we should be able 

 to plant wherever necessary, secure a permanent and improved supply 

 of timber for the use of individuals and public departments, and 

 retain an intact and gradually improving forest property^ whose 

 capital value miy represent the colonial debt, and the income derived 

 from which ouglit to go far towards meeting the interest thereon 

 My duty at present is to submit a report on my inspection of the iSTew 

 Zealand forests, with proposals for their management and conservation. 

 These proposals, so far as I have given them shape in my own mind, 

 will consist in — 1. The absolute reservation of a comparatively small 

 proportion of the unalienated forest area, 2. The gradual disposal of the 

 timber and forest products on the remainder of the waste forest lands 

 to the best advantage. 3. The formation of Government plantations 

 wherever we can do so without financial loss, or it is proved they are 

 absolutely essential to the public good. 4. The encouragement of 

 planting by private proprietors, by giving them liberal grants of land 

 in lieu of whatever area they plant." Such a scheme of forest conser- 

 vancy cannot fail to be successful, and ultimately highly remunera- 

 tive to the colony, if Captain Walker receives the encouragement and 

 support necessary to put it into shape and give it a fair start. From 

 the prompt and energetic way in which the matter has been carried 

 out so far, we look forward with confidence to seeing it successfully 

 completed, and a model system of State Forestry established by our 

 brethren at the antipodes. 



