rings of growth agreed with the number of years since the trees were planted. 

 Mr. Stewart's results, which are embodied in a paper printed in the " Transactions 

 of the New Zeahxnd Institute " (vol. xxxviii, p. 374), may be taken as proving that 

 the New Zealand Gymnosperms do not produce more than a single well-defined 

 cylinder of woody tissue in each year. 



Mr. Laslett, formerly Timber Inspe(;tor to the Admiralty, who visited New 

 Zealand for the special purpose of obtaining kauri spars for line-of-battle ships, has 

 pubhshed some useful information respecting the rate of growth of small kauris 

 In Ins " Timber and Timber-trees " (2nd ed.. p. 45) he gives the number of con- 

 centric circles, or woody layers, in trunks ranging from 6 in. to 3 ft. in diameter the 

 average being 13-4 layers to each inch of radius. The cross-sections examined by 

 Mr. Stewart showed forty-two concentric layers for a radius of 6 in., or seven layers 

 per inch. A section of a tree 4 ft. in diameter inspected by myself at Whangarei 

 many years ago showed 188 annual rings for its radius of 24 in., or 7-8 per inch 

 Another tree, 5 ft. 6 in. in diameter, examined at Coromandel in 1888 showed 280 

 rings, or 8-5 per inch. Three trees at Waitakarei, measuring 4 ft. 4 in , 5 ft and 

 5 ft. 7 in., had 213, 280, and 270 rings respectively, the average of the three being 

 thus 8-2 per inch of the radius. The fine cross-section of a kauri 8 ft. in diameter 

 presented to the Auckland Museum by Messrs. Leyland and O'Brien, when examined 

 by Mr. Stewart and myself some years ago, proved to have 455 annual rings or an 

 average of 9-4 per inch. Lastly, a tree recently examined at Waitakarei, measuring 

 10 ft. 11m. in diameter, had only 476 rings, an average of 7-3 per inch of the 

 radius. The measurements quoted above throw grave doubts on some of the 

 pubhshed statements respecting the age of the kauri. For instance, Mr. Kirk 

 without actually counting the rings of a complete section, says (" Forest Flora,'' 

 p. 145), " The age of a tree 7 ft. in diameter must be 1,260 years," whereas the 8 ft 

 section in the Auckland Museum has only 455 rings. The figures indicate that 

 kauri of serviceable size— that is, with trunks from 2 ft. 6 in. to 4 ft in diameter— 

 nnght be produced by trees from 100 to 175 years of age. So far as I am aware 

 no trunks of a greater diameter than 11 ft. have had their rings of growth counted 

 throughout. It is probable, however, that the number of concentric circles per inch 

 increases as the tree reaches a great age. Trees with a diameter of from 12 ft. to 

 18 ft. may average about nine or ten annual rings per inch. And, with respect 

 to the Mercury Bay specimen with a diameter of 24 ft., we may fairly conclude 

 that an average of twelve rings per inch might be anticipated, which would make 

 its age 1,728 years. I feel sure that we have no evidence to justify a higher 

 estimate than that. 



The wood of the kauri is too well known to require a lengthy description It 

 IS generally admitted to hold the first place among New Zealand timbers, on account 

 of the variety of uses to which it can be applied, from its great durability, and from 

 the ease with which it can be worked. It possesses hghtness combined with strength 

 and durabihty, is firm, close and straight in the grain, is remarkably free from knots 

 and shakes, is easy to plane, taking a particularly smooth and silky surface, and can 

 be readily poUshed. The investigations made by the Admiralty many years ago 

 proved that for masts and yards it is unrivalled in excellence. To use the words of 

 the Late Mr. Laslett, " It not only possesses the requisite dimensions, hghtness 

 elasticity and strength, but is much more durable than any other pine, and wall stand 

 a very large amount of work before it is thoroughly worn out " (" Timber and 

 Timber-trees," 2nd ed., p. 390). For general house-building and joinery, sashes, 

 doors, furmture, shop-fittings, carving and ornamental turnery, wharves, 'bridges' 

 shipbuilding and boatbuilding, it easily takes the first place. It is exceedingly 

 doubtful if any pine timber in any part of the world is capable of such wide 

 apphcation, possesses so many good qualities, and is so relatively free from defects 



The limited range of the kauri, the extent to which the forests have been already 

 depleted, and the very small area of untouched forest still remaining, all point to the 

 early arrival of a time when the output of kauri as a commercial timber must either 



