METHODS OF AFFORESTATION. 95 



however, of the urgency and importance of the matter, it is highly 

 desirable that the State should show the way by afforesting the 

 main part of the 200,000 acres to be planted during the first 

 10 years, thereby stimulating and encouraging private proprietors 

 to do Hkewise. Too much should not be expected from the latter 

 during the first years, but it is hoped that private participation 

 will increase as the work proceeds ; in the same degree as that 

 increases, the amount of afforestation by the State can be 

 decreased. That process may be accelerated by monetary 

 assistance to private proprietors or by a co-partnership of private 

 proprietors and the State, as will be explained further on. The 

 Sub-Committee estimated the following division of the work 

 during the first 10 years : — 



Acrea. 



Afforestation by direct State action . . . 150,000 



Afiorestation by Co-partnership . . . 25,000 



Afforestation by Corporations and Private Owners 25,000 



Total new afforestation . . . 200,000 



Replanting of cleared areas by proprietors . . 50,000 



Grand total of operations during first 10 years . 250,000 



Afforestation by the State. — In so far as State or Crown lands are 

 not available, the necessary area must be acquired, either by 

 purchase or long lease. In selecting the land to be acquired, care 

 should be taken to ascertain whether a sufficient area is obtainable 

 in any district to form an administrative and silvicultural unit, 

 and to arrange the sequence of planting operations accordingly. 

 It is, however, not necessary to disturb the present holders of the 

 land for more than one or two years ahead of the actual planting. 



Purchase of land is necessary when the required area cannot 

 be obtained in any other way. It involves a heavy outlay at 

 starting, and it has, therefore, been proposed to try renting the 

 land on a long lease, which should run for not less than one 

 rotation. If this scheme succeeds, the immediate outlay would 

 be greatly reduced ; nor would it be necessary to secure land 

 more than four years ahead of planting. To induce proprietors 

 to lease land for afforestation, they might be given the right of 



