Warxer.—On State Forestry. XXIX 
range is too short to afford reliable data; besides which, Dr. Hector will, I 
imagine, agree that the returns are likely to be more reliable and accurate 
during the last than the preceding five years. I would here point out that, 
so far as my observation goes, there is scarcely any point on which. the 
popular or general opinion is more frequently erroneous and liable to mis- 
lead, than that of the rainfall of successive years or periods of years. I 
am pretty sure that most of the inhabitants of Wellington would give it as 
their opinion, in perfect good faith, that the rainfall had decreased of late 
years ; whilst I was over and over again assured at Hokitika, that, although 
rain might fall more frequently, the annual average there was not in excess 
of that in other parts of the colony, the real facts being as stated above. 
From all I have said, you will gather that I think it better not to attempt 
to dogmatise on this point; and, with your permission, we will relegate it 
to a future occasion, when we may know more about it. 
The question of the influence of forests on climate and permanent 
water supply, is, to my mind, in a widely different position ; and nothing, 
I think, has been more clearly proved, both by scientific argument or 
theory, and actual observations or practice, than that the wholesale and 
indiscriminate clearing of forests exercises an injurious effect on both, 
whilst the formation of plantations in dry and arid regions ameliorates the 
climate and renders the water supply more copious and permanent. 
If we consider first the question of climate, we shall find a host of evi- 
dence tending to prove that the general destruction of forests has rendered it 
more trying, less equable, and devoid of sufficient moisture; in short, has 
caused it to deteriorate both with respect to its effects upon the health of 
man and other animals, and upon the fertility and productiveness of the 
soil, whilst the regeneration of forests, or the formation of plantations, 
improves it. 
Let us first endeavour to understand clearly what is meant by the 
word “climate.” A recent writer says :—‘‘The single word ‘climate’ 
expresses one of the most important relations of man to the natural world 
around him, a relation which concerns human existence in its every part. 
But this word ‘climate,’ taken in its largest sense, comprehends within itself 
all those elements of matter and force the mutual influences and actions of 
which produce the phenomena so familiar to us under the single expres- 
sion." Dr. Daubeney, in his lecture on the influence of climate on vegeta- 
tion, defines the ** climate of a country to be its relations to temperature, 
light, moisture, winds, atmospherie pressure and electricity." We all know 
the popular and everyday meaning of the words “ good" and “ bad climate," 
and what an important matter itis considered. Equally important, therefore, 
is all that influences it, amongst which ranks the presence or absence of a 
