Firth. — On Forest Culture. 187 



that of any known tree. When properly treated, for durability, toughness, 

 elasticity, strength, and beauty combined it is not to be surpassed. It is really 

 a great reflection upon us that we have hitherto neglected to take any 

 measures to secure the full economic value of the timber of this noble tree. 



Under the Forests Act of 1874 Government can, without much difficulty, 

 conserve the valuable trees, which have as yet, from their limited consumption, 

 not been subjected to much diminution, such as the rimu {Dacrydium cupres- 

 sinum), totara {Podocarpus totara), rata (Mefrosideros rohusfa), puriri (Vitex 

 liUoralis), tanekaha (Phyllocladus tricJiomanoides), maire (Sanfalum cunning- 

 hamii), kowhai {Sophora tetrapfera), mangiao (Tetranfhera calicaris), and 

 titoki {Alectryon excelsum), all of which have invaluable properties fitting them 

 in a very high degree for various industrial purposes. 



2. Having thus explained my views of forest conservation and utilization 

 I proceed to deal with the second part of my subject, '' forest creation " or 

 "culture." The questions which meet us at this point are: — What trees 

 ought we to plant 1 Native trees, or deciduous trees and evergreen trees not 

 natives of New Zealand 1 



Native trees have not as yet been extensively planted, and have not 

 succeeded well. For many years I have planted them, but with so little 

 success as to be more than once on the point of abandoning any further 

 attempts. Experience has taught me, however, that though many of our 

 native trees have been found difficult to rear, they may be successfully grown 

 if due precautions are used. Shade and moisture (being the natural conditions 

 of all New Zealand trees) must be artificially provided when they are trans- 

 planted into the open. And above all since the two root systems, that is, 

 surface rootlets and the tap root, are characteristic of most of them, both must 

 be fostered or the tree will fail. It has been too much the practice to develope 

 the surface roots by destroying the tap root. This course lies at bottom of the 

 great want of success so painfully apparent. When a kauri seedling of not 

 more than two inches high, with a tap root of twice or thrice that length, is 

 placed by a nurseryman in a pot of three inches deep the tap root is either 

 broken or twisted into the pot in such a way as to render the young plant 

 sickly, and it is not surprising that failure is the result. The tap root must be 

 carefully protected. These remarks apply to the rearing of all our chief forest 

 trees. I am satisfied that if the conditions I have laid down be observed the 

 kauri, rimu, maire, rata, mangiao, titoki, totara, puriri, and pohutukawa will 

 succeed. The three latter deserve particular notice, because they are more 

 easily reared, and are more rapid growers than any of the others, besides being 

 the handsomest and most valuable of our hardwood trees. It must not, how- 

 ever, be forgotten that for timber purposes most of our native trees require a 

 century to elapse from the seedling before they will become available. For 



