ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 53 
For my own part I am doing all [ can to establish a seed-control 
station, at all events for indigenous seeds. I am the officially 
appointed buyer of Australian seeds for two countries, and have 
many opportunities of influencing purchases by public bodies and 
private citizens, I am doing all I can to encourage technical 
education in seed-collecting, and shall not rest until a buyer is 
able to procure his seeds under some reasonable guarantee. I 
have used plain language, but I feel strongly in the matter, and 
-feel that I am doing right in addressing a body of men the extent 
of whose influence in educating the community cannot readily be 
exaggerated. 
d. Supply of good timbers not unlimited.—The demand for our 
' timbers has been so active during the last few years, and fashion 
has set in almost exclusively for a very few species, that a word 
of caution is necessary, particularly in regard to the timbers 
referred to. We have large quantities of excellent timber,—there 
is no doubt of that, but not so much that we can afford to cut 
recklessly, and neglect conservation of young growths. We must 
not forget that the giant trees, the monarchs of our forests, which 
have yielded large quantities of high-class timber, are being 
rapidly cut out. They have been maturing their timber through 
the ages, practically uninterfered with by the aboriginal lord of 
the soil, and are no more to be replaced than can the nuggets 
which man can do nothing to produce ; he simply reaps a harvest 
Which he has not sown. The cutting out of forest without 
ne or conservation of young forest growths is simply 
living upon capital, and, continuing the metaphor, we should 
Seriously ask ourselves if we are establishing an adequate sinking 
nd. 
e. Fe orest-thinning.—This is a matter of considerable practical — 
importance to us in this colony. It isa subject which requires 
to be approached with a spirit of respect and caution, as it involves 
Pitfalls. Because a man can thin out lettuces or verbenas it does 
not follow that he can undertake forest thinning successfully, 
And the greater caution is required because the effects requis? 
