Wellington Philosophical Society. 429 
ABSTRACT. 
The author pointed out the evil results arising from the indiscriminate 
destruction of the forests, especially at the head-waters of our rivers, and 
its climatic effect. He mentioned many localities where planting could be 
carried out successfully and with profit. He also drew attention to the 
large sand-dunes which might be advantageously fixed by planting. 
Mr. Govett did not think the land at Taupo, mentioned by the author, worth grow- 
ing trees on—the expense would be too great. 
The Rev, Mr. Ottway would like to know whether the gum-tree really did impoverish 
the ground to the extent supposed. He was inclined rather to think that, owing to their 
rapid growth, they exhausted the soil, thereby retarding the growth of other trees, but 
that they did not injure the soil. 
Mr. Travers gave an interesting account of forestry generally, and referred to the 
successful manner in which the sand-dunes in France had been protected by planting, and 
how, among other things, the vines succeeded well in this sand; and he saw no reason 
why this plant should not do well here under similar circumstances, and a large industry 
be created. He pointed out how land suffered from the wholesale destruction of our bush, 
which should be put a stop to. Large tracts of land in France were laid waste from this 
cause, the floods which followed doing considerable damage. It is due to the clearing of 
the bush that the Hutt River is so often flooded. 
Mr. Kirk thought the paper was of great value. It was both suggestive and practical. 
The evil results referred to might be seen in several localities near Wellington, where the 
hills, having been denuded of trees, now carry a scanty crop of grass, with frequent bare 
places. Had a patch of bush been left on the upper portion of the hill, the grass on the 
lower portion would have been much more luxuriant and suffer less during dry weather, 
as the rain would have been stored in the humus amongst the trees, and gradually given 
off for the benefit of the lower portion, instead of rushing away in a flood. With regard 
to the suggestion of planting portions of the Taupo Plain, he considered that it would be 
preferable to sow them with some of the Australian Acacias, more valued for their bark, 
such as A. decurrens and A. pycuansha. Large quantities of mimosa bark are imported 
annually, and there is a constant market at remunerative prices. In Victoria, Acacia 
plantations are said to yield a yearly profit of £5 per acre. He agreed with the author as 
. to the desirability of fixing our coastal-sands, but should object to his proposition to sow 
furze. The subject had been copiously treated in the sixth volume of the Transactions of 
the New Zealand Institute. Perhaps the best plan for ordinary situations would be to 
sow seeds of deep-rooting Lupins, Pinus austriaca, P. insignis, ete., with barley and 
creeping-rooted grasses, but it would be necessary to cover the sown surfaee with light 
bush, in order to keep the seeds from being blown away. The barley would germinate 
quickly, and at once fix the surface to a certain extent, so that by the time it died away 
the ordinary grasses would have become well rooted. 
Mr. Maxwell said that there were many localities where the flow of sand was so great 
that no planting could possibly be carried out ;—it is only in particular localities where it 
would succeed. Only certain kinds of the pumice at Taupo would carry vegetation. 
2. “On the Doctrine of Mind-Stuff,” by F. W. Frankland. (Transac- 
tions, p. 205.) 
. On the motion of Dr. Kemp, seconded by Mr. Maxwell, the diseussion on this paper 
was postponed until a future meeting, to give members an opportunity of reading it care- 
fully. 
