FORESTKY IN NEW ZEALAND. 255 



H. FORESTRY IN THE DOMINION OP NEW 

 ZEALAND. 



SECTION I.-SHORT ACCOUNT OF NEW ZEALAND. 



New Zealand was established a British Colony in 1840, and it 

 became a self-governing Dominion in 1907. It consists of the 

 three islands, forming New Zealand proper, and a series of groups 

 of islands in the Pacific Ocean. On the present occasion, only the 

 former will be dealt with. They are : — 



North Island, with an area of . 44,130 square miles. 

 South Island, with an area of . 58,120 ,, 

 Stewart Island, with an area of . 662 ,, 



Total . . . 102,912 



They are situated between the parallels of 34 and 48 South, 

 and the meridians of 166 and 179 East. The land stretches 

 mainly from north-east to south-west, with a north-westerly bend 

 in the north of North Island. 



1. TOPOGEAPHY. 



Configuration. — The surface of New Zealand is greatly diversi- 

 fied. High mountain ranges stretch from East Cape in the 

 north-east to West Cape in the south-west. In the North Island, 

 the elevation of these mountains seldom rises above 6,000 feet, 

 but there are volcanic peaks situated outside the mountain 

 chains, which reach up to 9,000 feet and have their upper slopes 

 covered with eternal snow. The highest parts of the ranges are 

 in South Island, and the central part, called the Southern Alps, 

 reaches up to 12,349 feet. 



The mountains are surrounded, in varying breadth, by Downs. 

 The latter are described as an elevated sea floor, which, owing to 

 erosion, has acquired a hilly surface. The downs seldom rise 

 above 2,000 feet ; they have generally a good fertile soil. Where 

 level enough, they are admirably suited for agriculture ; where 

 more hiUy, they form excellent pastoral ground. The lower beds 

 are associated with coal, and they are sandy, or consist of gravels, 

 giving a poor soil. In the north, clay lands, called gum lands, are 

 also poor ; here large quantities of kauri gum have been dug up 

 from the soil, showing that extensive forests of the kauri pine 

 must have existed on these areas. 



