466 



Canadian Forcslr]) Journal, November, 19/9 



NEW ZEALAND'S WASTED TREASURE-HOUSE 



B\) D. E. Hutch'ms. 



The New Zealand forests have never been 

 surveyed, and only vague estimates have been 

 made of their area and stand of timber. The 

 working of the sawmills, however, shows that 

 the outturn of sawn timber over the area milled 

 has averaged about 1,500 superficial feet per 

 acre (a superficial foot equals 12 inches by 12 

 inches by 1 inch). If one compares this figure 

 with the average stand of timber throughout the 

 forests of the United States of America, it will 

 be seen that the New Zealand figure is two-and- 

 a-half times the average timber-stand of the 

 original virgin forest of America, and over 

 three times that of the present American forests. 

 Exceptionally, and over small areas, timber- 

 stands in New Zealand up to 200,000 super- 

 ficial feet per acre have been recorded. 



In quality. New Zealand timbers come before 

 those of Europe and Australia, and after those 

 of North America. The value of kauri timber 

 is well known, but it is not generally known that 

 kauri is the record largest timber-producing tree 



in the world. There are trees that are taller 

 and somewhat thicker, but the bole of kauri 

 bulks the largest on account of its having little 

 or no taper. The massive columnar shape of 

 the tree has struck all observers from Charles 

 Darwin onwards. There was at one time about 

 three million acres of kauri forest in New Zea- 

 land; very little is now left, but there are about 

 half a million acres of restorable kauri forest. 

 It is calculated that this, if restored, would pay 

 all the cost of the great war to the next genera- 

 tion or their children. 



In spite of their value, the New Zealand for- 

 ests 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 for- 

 estry of any other country than England, and 

 they were thrown entirely on their own re- 

 sources. They had to destroy the forests to 

 live! 



PRAIRIE TREE^PLANTING AND DROUGHT 



Forestry Branch, Nursery Station, 



Indian Head, Sask., Sept. 27, 1919. 



To Canadian Forestry Association, Ottawa: 



In reference to a more active campaign in the 

 drier districts of southern Saskatchewan and 

 Alberta with the idea of developing public in- 

 terest in tree-planting, I might say that so far 

 as the present work of the nursery is concerned 

 we practically turn out all the stock that we 

 possibly can. If a much greater demand was 

 created we would not be able to handle it with 

 our present resources. The question of tree- 

 planting in these dry districts will be a very 

 difficult problem. As you can easily realize, 

 where there is not sufficient rainfall even to 

 germinate wheat and mature the grain crop, it 

 is practically impossible to grow trees .success- 



fully under the same conditions. I do not see 

 myself that tree-planting in itself will be any 

 remedy against these recurring drought periods. 

 It appears to me that the only solution of the 

 problem will be to have a much further de- 

 velopment of the irrigation schemes if it is pos- 

 sible to work them out practically. If water can 

 be secured sufficient for ordinary agricultural 

 purposes there would be then no difficulty what- 

 ever in establishing successful plantations, but 

 it is quite impossible to expect any general re- 

 sults from tree-planting in districts where there 

 IS not sufficient moisture in the soil to carry the 

 young plants through until they can become 

 properly established. 



Norman M. Ross, 

 Chief of Tree-Planting Division. 



