PERIODICAL LITERATURE 613 



miles north and south of the southern temperate or semi-tropical zone. 

 A number of maps and text describes the physiographic and climatic 

 features. The topography is diversified with mountain ranges, some 

 of which reach into the region of eternal snow and with satisfactory 

 rainfall conditions. 



A short survey is given of populational and economic conditions. It 

 appears that with over one million inhabitants, besides 50,000 native. 

 Maori, a considerable development of industries has taken place. Of 

 these the forester is specially interested in the establishment of timber 

 and paper mills and the kauri gum industry, the produce of former 

 extensive forests of kauri (Agathis [Dammar a] australis) ; the gum is 

 dug out of the ground and its annual value is about half a million 

 pounds sterling. On the whole, however, pastoral and agricultural pur- 

 suits overshadow all other industries, the number of sheep alone being 

 about 24 million. 



"The general character of the indigenous vegetation is distinctly 

 semi-tropical, and the forest in particular is almost impenetrable in its 

 native state, owing to the large number of lianas, which interlace and 

 form an almost continuous mass of vegetation. Three-quarters of the 

 indigenous plants are absolutely confined to New Zealand, and the 

 difference between the plants of New Zealand and those of Australia 

 is specially striking, considering the proximity of the two countries. 

 There are over 100 species of timber trees, among which conifers are 

 prominent. Only about a dozen species of trees are at present of real 

 economic importance. Most of these are believed to be of verv slow 

 growth, an assertion which is rather surprising, considering the verv 

 thriving character of the climate. As a consequence, numerous exotic 

 trees have been introduced." 



The forest area, in the 25 }ears from 1886 to 1909 reduced by 20 

 per cent, comprises now. including scrub, 26,678 square miles, a forest 

 per cent of 26. A little over 59 per cent of the area is crown forest. 

 3,300 square miles in permanent reservations, the balance privatelv 

 owned. Only 9 of the 100 indigenous species can be called of com- 

 mercial value. At the head stands the kauri pine (Aqathis australis), 

 one of the most valuable conifers of the world, but almost extermi- 

 nated, the present stand being reduced to less than 1.5 per cent of the 

 total stand of merchantable material, which is estimated at 33 billion 

 "superficial" feet. The next best species. Podocarpus totara. is also 

 almost reduced to the same low participation in the stand. Resides 

 Podocarpus spicatus and dacrydioidcs. the latter called white pine, for 

 butter boxes and ])acking boxes; Dacrydium cuprcssiiniin. called red 

 l)ine. the mo.st generally used and to be had in largest (|uanlity; Jltcx 



