\\v 



under proper tre&imeDt a tree would 

 cut with less wagte than is the case with 

 unattended forest trees. Our wattles 

 would gain a size that would yield valu* 

 able harvests cf bark. Bat other trees, 

 such as our Ironwood, Blackwood, Uuon 

 Pine, Leatherwocd. Myrtle, etc, areof such 

 very slow growth that it is quite out of 

 the question to consider sQch a far off 

 posterity that would reap them. How* 

 ever valuable these woods may be, 

 economy would compel them to be re- 

 jected in favor of more rapidly growing 

 plants. We can only hope to appeal to 

 the sympathy of the people by Buegesting 

 the planting of a class of. tree that will 

 yield an almost immediate advantage 

 with a harvest to be gathered at a ro very 

 distant date* The timber market clearly 

 iidicates the line to pursue. We 

 have in a state of nature abundant 

 heavy, tough, hard, durable material, 

 and also an ample variety of 

 beautiful woods in demand for cabinet 

 and ornamental work ; bat the timber we 

 want, the timber we have to import, is 

 the soft but fairly stroner, light-weighted 

 woods that are so common in the 

 ISorthern t:emisphere. Thejie woods are 

 the production of pines and firs, and 

 canott be dispensed with without con- 

 siderable loss and inconvenience. Last 

 year sloDe we imported £17,459 worth of 

 this class of timber. This, to us, is a 

 very considerable item, and must steadily 

 be on the increase ; not only will in- 

 creasing population increase tbe demand, 

 but the supply is becoming affected. la 

 r^ortb America and bcandinavia, whence 

 the principal supply com^s, the forests 

 are rapidly duDinibhing and prices are 

 hardening. This mast soon materially 

 affect every industry where these soft 

 woods are required. In America and 

 Germany this question of the wood supply 

 is occupying the gravest attention. 

 Extensive departments exist, and every 

 means is adopted to forward the 

 cconcmical planting and maioterance of 

 forests. 1 see in the agricultural 

 returns for 1892 the forest area of Ger- 

 many was 34,843,743 acres, the annual 

 return from which was hbout £21,000,000. 

 The annual cost of maintenance was 

 £4,150.000 and gave employment to 

 583,000 persous. If we are Lever to 



yrow our own softwood, an equivalenlly 

 large industry for us is wilfully allowed 

 to be non-existent, which is negligent, 

 wasteful and impolitic. Private enter- 

 prise and tb« enterprise of our fore- 

 runners in this worthy Society have in- 

 troduced into Tasmania a great variety 

 of deal-bearing tree!>, and these treas 

 have almost invariably thrived well. 

 You have only to look at the healthy fir 

 tBiees dotted about the settled districts of 

 the Island, bat more especially at the 

 noble collection in our Botanical Gar- 

 dens to assure yourselves of the suita- 

 bility of both climate and soil for the 

 culture of fir trees. All fir trees do not 

 yield the best timber, and the best tim- 

 ber trees would not succeed in any 

 situation. Much experience and know- 

 ledge would be required. But that 

 knon^ledge and rxperienca is within our 

 reach, and if economically applied must 

 give satisfactory resalts. I will not here 

 attempt to specify what species should 

 be grown it would be premature and out 

 of plflce. 



'J he idea of true forest plantation for 

 Tasmania, that is the formation of areas 

 extending for many hundreds, perhaps 

 thousand aces, IS quite of the question. 

 Soch a sublime purpose, however to be 

 commended, would not gain practical 

 sympathy. Our efforts should be 

 directed to point out the beneficial results 

 that should accrue from the planting of 

 copses, that it small areas, from a few, to 

 say, one hundred acres. There are in- 

 numerable places quite unfit /or agricul- 

 ture, practically useless for pasture, yet 

 eminently suitable for forests, places at 

 the headwaters of creeks that would not 

 only yield a good return for planting and 

 upkeep, but, as I hope to show 

 prosently, would be invaluable as water 

 conservors. 



It is not economical to plant trees in 

 a desultory manner. Trees must be 

 planted with a kno«vledge of their re- 

 quirementa. Abdve all things too much 

 space must not b.e allotted to each* I his 

 is for two purposes; to check the disposi- 

 tion to throw strong laternal brauches 

 and thus distorting, or, at least, prevent- 

 ing the development of a straight, tali 

 aiem and secondly to maintain an un- 

 broken cancpy of to'iage through which 



