126 NEW ZEALAND OPINION ON NATURAL REGENERATION. 
Pine, Olearia cunninghamu, Karamu (Coprosma luerda), Mingimingi 
(Leucopogon fasciculatus), and others: “ This association often shelters 
multitudes of young Kauris, and if left alone would form an admirable 
nursery for a young Kauri forest,’’ (‘* Illustrations,’’ Plate 170.) 
Mr. Cheeseman took me himself to see the Kauri natural reproduc- 
tion in Atkinson Park, near Auckland, devoting an afternoon to the 
purpose; and he directed me to the even more striking natural repro- 
duction of Kauri in Kauri Gully, near Northcote, Auckland. Speak- 
ing to the Mayor’s party (Waitakerei Hills excursion, October, 1916), 
Mr. Cheeseman said that Kauri seed might lhe dormant in the ground 
for ten or fifteen years or more, but the widespread and easy propagation 
of Kauri was mainly owing to the lightness of the seed. ‘The cones open 
when on the trees, and strong winds spread the light seed far and wide. 
Dr, Cockayne: Positive.—Dr. Cockayne, commenting on the ofttimes 
unsatisfactory natural regeneration of the best New Zealand timber- 
trees, says (“‘ Forestry in New Zealand,” p. 88, Lands Dept., 1909): 
** Kauri and Beech forests are an exception, the . . . trees in both 
cases coming up by thousands when the larger timber has been remoyed.’’ 
In his interesting account of the botany of Stewart Island (seemingly 
the second or third most important forest district of New Zealand), he 
says, 

There is a deep-rooted popular belief that) when the New Zealand forest is 
once interfered with, and the light let in through trees being removed, and so on, 
it is doomed, This opinion is one of those half-truths that arise from an 
imperfect acquaintance with the facts, It is true that forests do cease to be; 
but it is not merely the cutting-out of a certain proportion of the trees which has 
led to their destruction, but fire and cattle-grazing must be added to the 
destructive influences. . . . In Stewart Island, cut the forest to the cround, 
burn its last remnant to ashes, and in a very few years, notwithstanding the 
presence of cattle, it will reappear. 
&, G, Robinson (Selwyn Plantations ).—Aftter a fire there is generally 
a fair regeneration of the native Beeches. This is well seen on the 
hills near Tapanui. 
Ranger Maaweil: Interesting.—Ranger Maxwell, looking over the 
Waipoua Forest with me, has come to the conclusion that there is more 
natural regeneration now than there used to be in the Waipoua Forest, 
perhaps on account of the growing preponderance of aged trees. 
Mayor's Party, Auckland.—At the Mayor’s excursion to the Waita- 
Kerei Hills in October, 1916, when we went down into the forest it 
was easily seen that the Kauri reproduction, though superabundant in 
some places, was uneven and wanting in others. We noticed clumps of 
young Kauri standing at the rate of two or three to the square yard. The 
area required seedling-spacing (p. 121) and some seedling-introduction. 
The Bushman finds enough.—In questioning bushmen and others who 
have known the Kauri forests throughout their lives I have generally 
found that the casual observers would tell you that there were no young 
Kauri trees, while more careful men would tell you just what they had 
seen of young Kauri, and that was often a good deal. I have more 
than once been told by bushmen that there were no young trees in 
certain Kauri forests—that the Kauri trees were dying out; it had 
been a fine tree in the past, but that its day was now over! Nevertheless, 
as soon as you went with them into the bush they would point out scores 
of young trees, and in patches a great many more young Kauris than 
were required to restock the forest. 
