199 Transactions.—Mliscellaneous. 
maintain and augment the capital in timber and annual yield by reproduc- 
tion, whether natural or artificial. I must now explain what is meant 
by “ natural reproduction," and how itis effected. Natural reproduction 
implies the regeneration of any tract of forest from the seeding of the old 
trees, as distinct from planting out from nurseries, or sowing of seed collected 
in other localities. It is not possible, with all descriptions of trees—and in 
the case of many the operation has to be aided by turning up the soil, 
transplanting of seedlings from one portion to another, etc., so as to secure 
some degree of uniformity in the young crop. Whenever practicable, 
natural reproduction has many advantages over artificial or planting—the 
cost is reduced to a minimum, and the growth is certainly not inferior to 
that of trees artificially reared. The operation requires care and study of 
the nature and requirements of the species which it is desired to reproduce, 
the soil and climate in which the forest is situated, and all other local 
conditions. 
I find that the popular idea is that New Zealand forests cannot be 
reproduced naturally, and that even the mature and half-grown trees will 
disappear or die off if the wood-cutter enters, or even if cattle and sheep 
are permitted to graze. With the short experience which I have of the 
forests of this Colony, I cannot be too careful not to dogmatise or place my 
opinion directly in opposition to that of those well qualified to judge, but, 
from what I have seen, I think I am justified in pronouncing the popular 
opinion to be, as is so often the case, a popular error, resulting from insuffi- 
cient knowledge of the science of arboriculture and consideration of cause 
and effect. At any rate this is the case with regard to some descriptions of 
New Zealand trees. I readily grant, what is true not only of the forests of 
New Zealand but all over the world, that if we suddenly let floods of light 
and air into an indigenous forest, and deprive the trees left standing of the 
shelter and support of others with which they have been brought up from 
their earliest childhood, the result will be decay and death ; and in the 
same manner natural reproduction will not take place, or take place only 
very partially, and so tardily that the young growth will be choked by a 
dense mass of undergrowth, weeds, and grass, into which fire will probably 
enter and complete the murder of the young seedlings. I go farther, and 
believe that the New Zealand forest, as a rule, is particularly sensitive to 
the sudden action of light and air, and from many of the trees being surface 
rooted, suffers, perhaps more than that of other countries, from the entrance 
of cattle and sheep. It is also impatient in a marked degree of the effects 
of fire, but all this does not prevent certain species reproducing themselves 
even now, and will not, I hope and believe, prevent our carrying on the 
systematic working and natural reproduction of the indigenous forests on 
