AN AUSTRALIAN STUDY OF AMERICAN FORESTRY. 69 
New Zealand has nailed her forestry flag to the method of planting, and 
has abandoned almost irrevocably her fine natural forests, because their 
growth is alleged to be slower than that of imported conifers. 
But the cost of planting alien timbers has run into from £7 to £13 per 
acre, and it is easy to demonstrate by orthodox rules of forest finance, that 
the final result will be a deficit. 
The Australian States may not follow blindly the lead of middle Europe 
and New Zealand. ‘Their forest flora is too valuable to be jettisoned, and its 
powers of reproduction too great to be overlooked. 
Australia must pin her faith to natural regeneration—the main hope, 
too, of America. Only in two instances at the present time is planting 
justified, viz., for the production of cheap imported softwoods not replaceable 
by indigenous species, and for the afforestation of waste lands, burns, and 
watersheds. 
If artificial regeneration can be carried out in Australia at a sufficiently 
low cost, its further extension will be justified. 
In contrast to the high New Zealand expenditure of at least £7 per acre, 
the average cost of planting, done in District No. 1 of the United States of 
America Forest Service in 1915 was only £1 5s. 
The distance planted apart was 8 ft. The wages paid were rather 
higher than the Australian rate. The plants had generally to be taken into 
the planting area from the nearest railway by packhorses. The cost included 
nursery expenses. 
I was so struck by these figures that I made a particular investigation 
into this branch of forest practice. I visited the Savenac Foresty Nursery 
in Idaho, reputedly the most efficient in the United States of America. I 
inspected also planting operations on the Lolo National Forest. I was able 
finally to secure a great deal of data from the Chief of Planting at Missoula, 
Montana, and the Manager of the Savenac Nursery. 
The Savenac Nursery has an area of 27 acres, 22 being for transplants, 
and 3 for seedbeds. Jt has an authorised stock capacity of 3,750,000. It 
propagates only about six species. 
Scientific Management was initiated in 1913. Very considerable experi- 
mentation was carried out. For two years, the study was applied only to 
transplanting, and under great difficulties. Success has been achieved at last, 
and as a direct consequence the number of plants transplanted. per man per 
day has been increased from 5,000 to 12,000, and the cost of transplanting 
reduced by 2s. per 1,000. 
The study is being extended to other branches of the work, and scientific 
management is being introduced throughout. 
Transplanting takes place in the spring. At least a week before, the 
ground is ploughed for the second time, and harrowed, and levelled. 
V-shaped trenches are made in the following order :— 
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