Ill 



A NATIONAL PLANTING SCHEME 



It has been shown in the previous article that we 

 possess in this island considerable areas of land, run- 

 ning into miUions of acres, which are entirely suitable 

 for planting, that these areas are in fact more suit- 

 able for growing crops of trees than for any other 

 purpose, and that by planting them up at the earliest 

 opportunity we shall be putting into practice that 

 campaign of thrift, economy, and the conservation of 

 national resources which the Government of the day 

 are so earnestly preaching. 



The present position as regards prices of forestry 

 materials has also been alluded to. The important 

 question involved in the application of methods by 

 which these prices can be reduced to a more normal 

 level and that other equally serious one — the question 

 of making some arrangement by which our timber 

 supplies can be placed on a sound basis during the 

 period our newly planted timber crops are reaching 

 felling size — are matters outside the province of this 

 article and will be considered in a subsequent one. 



We are here concerned with the afforestation of the 

 derelict areas in this country ; with, in fact, the inaugu- 

 ration of a planting scheme of adequate dimensions, 



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