354 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
tion of skilled foresters or rangers, whose duty it would be to 
mark the trees to be felled. In working the forests they should 
avoid undue thinning of the trees; spare young and immature 
ones ; see that the waste brushwood was properly disposed of ; 
and, above all], stop all fires and conflagrations. Attention to 
these points would go far to maintain the natural conditions, and 
would give young timber trees a chance of growing up to replace 
what had been removed. But even in the most favourable 
circumstances, the recuperative power of our native forests is not 
of a high order, and such precautions as I have suggested could 
only be partially successful. They should therefore be supple- 
mented by systematic planting of suitable exotic trees, which, if 
properly selected, would no doubt thrive, and in no great number 
of years restore the resources of the forests to their original | 
level. The planting of alien trees alone, so far as I can judge, 
would obviate the effects of the soil-sickening or exhaustion to 
which I have already drawn attention. The task of enforcing 
the arrangements here suggested would have to be undertaken by 
the Government of the Colony. The expense would not neces- 
sarily be great, and could easily be defrayed by a portion of the 
revenues that are derived from the public forests. Besides, the 
work to be done is of an essentially reproductive character, and 
the wealth created by the renewed resources would be out of all 
proportion to the expense incurred. But this does not exhaust 
the duty of the Government in this matter. Immense areas of 
this island are naturally treeless, and are separated by long dis- 
tances or insuperable barriers from the nearest forests. Such 
patches of bush as did exist in these treeless districts are now all 
but used up, and they will hardly supply for the next generation 
the firewood required in the cities, towns, and villages scattered 
broadcast over their length and breadth. The plantation and 
rearing of small forests in suitable parts of these districts is 
therefore a duty that might very well be undertaken by the 
Government. I have already referred to the abortive attempts 
made by the Legislature to promote this object. The failure of 
the scheme might, indeed, have been anticipated. For forest- 
planting is an investment that is slow of yielding a return, and 
few private persons care or can afford to relinquish for a series 
of years the interest on money invested for the benefit of their 
heirs and successors. Besides, only large landholders could well 
spare the land required ; and the tenor of our legislation and 
our social circumstances are alike hostile to the acquisition of 
large landed estates. In these circumstances, forest-plantation 
in Canterbury and in the centre and north of Otago must be 
carried out by the Government, if it is to be carried out at all. 
Moreover, there is abundance of Crown lands in suitable locali- 
ties available for the purpose. That some action for the conser- 
vation and extension of our forests is needed I am profoundly 
convinced ; and I am equally satisfied that the question should 
be dealt with without delay, and not put off to some more con- 
venient season. Timber trees take years to grow to maturity, 
