THE DOOMED KAURI. 29 
over ll ft. in diameter, and the giant trees present the same majestic 
columnar effect that does Kauri. It has supplied between two and three 
millions of creosoted sleepers of the same value as Jarrah, say the railway 
engineers. It flourishes on even poorer soil than does Kauri: silvi- 
culturally, too, it is like Kauri. Says Sim’s “‘ Cape Forest Flora,”’ “‘ The 
natural ‘reproduction, of Outeniqua Yellow-wood is abundant in the 
Amatolas and Transkeian forests, but is said to be le&s so in the Midland 
Conservancy. Its artificial propagation is not diffieult, but its after-life 
is rather slow, and it is not likely to prove a successful plantation + vee, 
though its natural regeneration by protective measures is practicabie.”’ 
THE DOOMED KAURI. 
It has been said by apologists of Kauri destruction in New Zealand 
that the Kauri is a eeologically old tree that has run its course and 1s 
destined now to disappear. It has been compared to the Maidenhair 
tree (Ginkgo biloba) of hoary antiquity, jiow pract tically extinct as a 
wild tree. and to the Sequoias in their shrinken habitats. 
There are trees in very small island floras that seem incapable cf 
continuance when the least alteration is made in their natural surround- 
ings. The St. Helena native trees died out as soon as goats and Cluster- 
pine appeared on the scene. The South African trees in their present 
restricted extra-tropical region are delicate trees compared to those of 
New Zealand, but they lend themselves without difficulty to modern 
forestry methods, and have been worked and preserved for over a third 
of a century. Their working is profitable to the Government, and is 
the chief industry of a district. They have for many years supported 
a population of one worker per 100 acres. Their largest trees are less 
than half the size and value of the Kauri. To call the sturdy Kauri a 
decadent tree is wide of the facts. 
The Kauri belongs to an important timber genus (divided at present 
by botanists into some eight or ten species) which have the appearance 
of being in the full strength of middle age. As a representative group 
of vigorous well-grown trees it is doubtful if the various species of 
Agathis in the Sydney Botanical Gardens can be surpassed in Austral- 
asia. They all exhibit the smoothish bark and characteristic columnar 
form of the New Zealand Kauri. 
To judge the tree by its relatives and by its own robust growth and 
fair natural regeneration, Kauri is a tree in its prime. As a plantod 
tree in other countries the Kauri grows yigorously. No doubt the fine 
Kauri trees in the Lisbon Botanical Gardens (latitude of Rotorua) are 
known to many New-Zealanders. It seems possible that 1f New Zealand 
were to continue to follow the cut-throat policy of Australia up to ten 
years ago, and complete the destruction of the Kauri forests, it might 
eventually import Kauri timber from South Africa. As every cne 
knows, this has actually happened with the Australian Black-wattle, 
Natal now making some £350,000 yearly out of Black-wattle-bark 
export. Kauri is now being systematically introduced to the native 
forests of South Africa, where it is nearly certain to thrive in all the 
wetter areas. 
Kauri Photos.—The clearest photographie reproduction of a Kauri 
forest I have seen is that given at page 16 of the 1909 special Forestry 
Report of the Lands Department. the best publication so far on New 
Zealand forestry. This photo ‘shows, on one side, an old “ bled”’ 
