122 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



softwoods in the Southern Hemisphere is larger than the New 

 Zealand forests could ever fill. 



In spite of their value, the New Zealand forests have had a 

 sad history. The early pioneers came from a country where 

 State forestry was unknown, but where there was enough wealth 

 to pay huge sums yearly for imported timber — ^43,000,000 the 

 year before the outbreak of war. The early colonists knew 

 nothing of the forestry of any other country than England, and 

 they were thrown entirely on their own resources. They had to 

 destroy the forests to live ! 



With the dawn of the present prosperous days the indis- 

 criminate forest destruction continued. The Government of the 

 country continued in the main on British models. The forest 

 administration and the scientific forestry of other civilised 

 countries were still left in abeyance, and the public conscience 

 salved by the making of comparatively insignificant plantations 

 of doubtful exotics. Whether considered by area or in timber 

 production, the Government timber plantations represent about 

 -ji^-th of the forest requirements of the Dominion. 



The plantations were started in 1896, and are now over 

 30,000 acres in extent. They have cost (at an average all-round 

 rate) ^"13 per acre, or ,£65, reckoning interest at 4 per cent, 

 up to 40 years, which it is hoped may be their average maturity 

 age. This is an all-round figure, which has to be modified by 

 additions and subtractions. The present working rate is about 

 jQio per acre. Taking the all-round figure, about ^2,000,000 

 sterling has been sunk in the Government timber plantations of 

 New Zealand, and since these have been made without the usual 

 skilled direction, there have been serious mistakes and losses. 

 But the local officers have put in excellent work, and the 

 plantations afford most interesting studies in experimental tree- 

 planting, the trees planted being mostly those which have given 

 good results in the British Isles. The largest group of planta- 

 tions, about two-thirds of the whole, are near the popular water- 

 ing place, Rotorua, the remainder being at Hammer, towards 

 the north of South Island, and at Tapanui, farther to the south. 

 At all of these places there is good hotel accommodation for 

 visitors, and easy access by rail and motor service. 



The beautiful native forest is still to be seen sufficiently near 

 roads and railways throughout the Dominion. It is within half 

 an hour of the capital by boat, or rail, or tram. The best forest 



