Warxer.—State Forestry : its Aim and Object. 208 
to the best advantage. 8. The formation of Government plantations 
wherever we can do so without risk of financial loss, or it is proved that 
they are absolutely essential to the public good. 4. The encouragement of 
planting by private proprietors by liberal grants of land in lieu of planted 
area. Under such a system the whole forest revenue will of course be 
colonial, and the expenditure be quite irrespective of the county or district, 
being in fact greatest in the first instance in those contributing the minimum 
of forest revenue, viz., in creating forest where none at present exists. 
This is, I think, the only feasible plan of action, and I hope that the 
Government may see their way to support it, and that the House may 
approve thereof with such modifieations as they may think fit. We can then 
set to work in a systematic and regular manner with our forest valuations 
and demarecations, and work district by district. These things cannot be 
done in a day, but they can be done in time, even in what are considered 
the most inaccessible places, by perseverance and patience. I have now to 
thank you for your patience in listening to this paper, which has been 
written at intervals, and as a rule after a long day in the saddle or on the 
coach—which must be some excuse for its imperfections and shortcomings. 
It makes no claim to be exhaustive, or to convey any instruction on forest 
subjects in detail. My only aim has been to explain, ever so meagrely, 
what is the aim and object of State Forestry, and, therefore, of the Govern- 
ment in proposing to introduce it, and how it is carried out. If I have 
succeeded in popularizing the subject, and interesting any of you in it so 
far as to make you desirous of following it up by studying for yourselves 
some of the many excellent works on the subject, written chiefly in French 
and German, I shall be well satisfied, and consider that our time this 
evening has been well spent. 
Arr. XIV.—On Hedges and Hedge Plants. By J. C. Cnaawronp. 
[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 25th November, 1876.) 
A enEAT want at the present time in New Zealand is the efficient supply of 
proper plants for live fences, more perhaps in the way of shelter than of 
protection, because perhaps no live fence in this country will keep out 
cattle determined to effect a breach. 
In Great Britain various plants are used for field hedges, but only two 
of these may be considered to be in general use, viz., the white thorn and 
the beech, and of these the thorn is the most generally planted. Neither 
of these plants seem to be suitable generally for New Zealand hedges. 
The thorn no doubt grows luxuriantly on good soil, but of late years it has 
become so infested during the summer by the well-known grub, which cats 
