liv 



under proper treatmect a tree would 

 cut with less waste than is the case with 

 unattended forest trees. Our wattles 

 would gain a size that would jield valu- 

 able harvests cf bark. But other trees, 

 such as our Ironwood, Blackwood, Huon 

 Pine, Leatherwood, Myrtle, etc, are of such 

 very slow growth that it is quite out of 

 the question to consider Buch a far off 

 posterity that would reap them. How- 

 ever valoable these woods may be, 

 economy would compal th«m to be re- 

 jected in favor of more rapidly growing 

 plants. We can only hope to appeal to 

 the sympathy of the people by suegesting 

 the planting of a class of tree that will 

 yield an almost immediate advantage 

 with a harvest to be gcthered 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 limber we have to import, is 

 the soft but fairly strong, light-weighted 

 woods that are so common in the 

 ^Northern cemisphere- Tbe^e woods are 

 the production of pines and firs, and 

 cannot be dispensed with without con- 

 siderable loss and inconvenience. Last 

 year slone we imported £17,459 worth of 

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

 very considerable item, and must steadily 

 be on the increase ; not only will in- 

 creasing population increase the demand, 

 but the supply is becoming affected. la 

 !Nortb America and ticandinavia, whence 

 the principal supply comis, the forests 

 are rapidly dimiDit-hing and prices are 

 hardening. This most soon materially 

 affect every industry where these soft 

 woods are required. In America and 

 German; this question of the wood supply 

 is occupying the gravest attention- 

 Extensive departments exist, and every 

 means is adopted to forward the 

 econtmical planting and maintenance of 

 forests. 1 (iee in the agricultural 

 returns for 1892 the forest area of Ger- 

 many W8S 34,843,743 acres, the annual 

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

 Uhe annual cost of EBaintenacce was 

 £4,150,000 and gave employment to 

 583,000 persous. If we are tever to 



i^row 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 the enterprise of our fore- 

 runners in this worthy Society have io- 

 troduced into Tasmania a great variety 

 of deal-bearing trees, and these tress 

 have almfSt invariably thrived well. 

 Ton have only to look at the healthy fir 

 tB^es dotted about the settled districts of 

 the Island, but 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 

 knowledge and experience 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 pl?,C8. 



'I he idea of true forest plantation for 

 Tasmania, that is the formation of areas 

 extending for many hundreds, perhaps 

 thousand acres, IS quite of the question. 

 Such a sublime purpose, however to be 

 commended, would not gain practical 

 sympathy. Uur efforts should be 

 directed co point out the beneficial results 

 that should accrue frcm the planting of 

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

 say, one hundred acres. There are in- 

 numerable places quite unfit for 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 

 presently, would be invaluable as water 

 ctnservors. 



It is not economical to plant trees in 

 a desultory manner. Trees must be 

 planted with a knowledge of their re- 

 quirements. Abeve all things too much 

 space must not be allotted to each- This 

 is for two purposes; to check the disposi- 

 tion to throw strong laternal braoches 

 and thus distorting, or. at least, prevent- 

 ing the development of a straight, tall 

 Biem and secondly to maintain an un- 

 broken cancpy of foliage through which 



