9 



tion, just as little as any legislator would hesitate to revote 

 annually, for each forest administration, at least a portion of 

 the revenue raised from the woods under its control. A 

 sound economy of the State will not expect from a forest in 

 populous localities any more than to devote its means for 

 self-support. One of the first duties devolving on any forest 

 department would undoubtedly be to cause in each district 

 some fertile, sheltered valleys, readily accessible to good lines 

 of traffic, to be selected, where, from springs or rivulets, water 

 could be obtained for inexpensive irrigation, in order to 

 reserve such spots for forest nurseries before they are all 

 alienated from the Crown. The transit of the millions of 

 seedlings, needed for forest plantations, from remote spots 

 would not only be one of enormous and unnecessary expendi- 

 ture, but, in the many instances of evergreen and even some 

 deciduous trees, it would be next to impossible to convey 

 living plants for long distances. The union of Forest Boards 

 to road boards or shire councils, I regard inadvisable, because 

 their scope of action is so different. The predilections of a 

 member of a municipality will often be in building operations 

 and kindred objects, while for culture processes he may have 

 neither inclination nor experience. It is never wise to burden 

 too heavy responsibilities on a few honorary administrators, 

 whose leisure in this youthful country, where so much work 

 is yet under the first or early process of creating, is almost 

 sure to be but limited. 



But there are instances in which as, indeed, a thoughtful 

 legislator has suggested the Mining Boards might exercise in 

 their vicinity supervision also over the woods. On many 

 professional questions, such as the renovation of forests, the 

 best utilisation of their products, the increase of their riches, 

 I would myself very gladly afford advice, and thus maintain 

 a consulting position to the Forest Boards ; for, need I add, it 

 has ever been my aim to serve, as far as it was within my 

 means, the best interests of my fellow-colonists; and while 

 official responsibility rests on me in this direction, I would 

 wish to meet it in such a way, that those who will live after 

 us shall never be able to tax me with blindness to any impor- 

 tant interest of our colony, so far as such were entrusted to 

 my charge. But, then, the views of a professional officer 

 should be received with that consideration, and be seconded 

 with that support, to which they have fair claim. 



I pass the subject of the incalculable value of the native 

 woods, such as we still possess in our own forests, whether 



