KAURI ‘‘ GUM.’’ 4] 
axe-cuts there were about three tablespoonfuls of resin. The chop with 
the axe is done in a second, and the cut left by the axe is so small, and 
the resin that comes from it so abundant, that all fear of the borer 
getting in has vanished. 
All the above relates to a young cylindrical-boled tree 3 ft. Tin. in 
diameter, 
The old tapped Tree—As shown by the diagram, the cuts and slits 
I made on the large old tree were similar to those on the small one. 
This tree had a diameter of 8'ft. lin. and a bole of about 35ft. It 
had been heavily tapped in the past, and all round the base showed 
drippings of ‘‘candle-grease gum,’’ though the tree itself showed no 
sign of having suffered from its bleeding in the past. 
_ My cuts on this tree, although in all respects exactly like the four 
slits or cuts in the smaller tree, gave practically no yield of resin. 
Situation.—These two trees are situated within 15 ft. of one another, 
within the demarcation-line of the top boundary of ‘‘ Hope Block ’’ on 
the demarcation plan. They are near the bridge on the short path 
leading from the trigonometrical station ‘‘ Pawakatutu ’’ to Ranger Max- 
well’s Lot No. 12. 
Results to the end of Summer.—Since I left the Forest Ranger has 
reported regarding the further flow of resin from my experimental cuts. 
He does not differentiate between the cuts, but says generally that the 
‘‘oum’’ has run down freely from the cuts in long candle-like forma- 
tion. This settles the important point as to the free flow of ‘‘ gum’”’ 
from slits made very narrow so as not to permit of the entry of the 
borer, with perhaps the exception of the French slit. As usually happens. 
with the advent of winter the resin ceased to run. The cuts should be 
‘‘ refreshed ’’ next spring and the flow of resin recorded. 
‘* GuM-p1GGEers,’’ AND Naturat REGENRRATION OR TREE-PLANTING. 
It is not necessary here to more than allude to the great possi- 
bilities in natural regeneration and tree-planting which are offered 
by the operations of the ‘‘ gum-diggers.’’ (See p. 117, ‘‘ Wounding the 
Greund,’’ and ‘‘ Natural Regeneration.’’) Either by ‘‘ gum-diggers ”’ 
under control, or working departmentally as with the Kauri-gum Depart- 
ment and their ground-preparation, it may be possible to get large areas 
of soil-preparation done at comparatively small cost. This is brought 
home to one very forcibly in seeing the ‘‘ gum-digging ’’ which had begun 
in the Waipoua Forest, and was stopped years ago to save the forest. 
The idea of combining Kauri ‘“‘gum’’-digging with tree-planting is 
no new one: it.is frequently mooted in the Report of the Royal Com- 
mission on Kauri-gum Reserves in the Auckland Lands District, 1914. 
The great possibilities it offers when once fairly systematized are obvious. 
Nothing, of course, can be done till a Forest Department on the usual 
lines is organized. 
The best short monograph in print on Kanuri trees and resin is 
that prepared fuur years ago for the Panama Exhibition—though there 
is a misprint of 40 for 14 on the first page, while the continued 
destruction of the Kauri forests is passed over in silence, and the growth 
of the tree misstated. Some of the more important facts mentioned in 
this pamphlet are these: Area of Kauri gumfields about a million acres, 
of which about half is privately owned. Price of Kauri ‘‘ gum ’’ varies 
from £300 to £5 15s. per ton; one-third of a million tons, valued at 
£16,000,000, has been exported. In 1913, 4,000 tons went to America 
and 4,500 to Europe. From five thousand to six thousand people, male 
and female, get a living out of Kauri ‘‘ gum.”’ 
