152 NATIVE FOREST AND PLANTATIONS OF INTRODUCED TREES. 
Value of the Native Forest.—It has been shown that even in its wild 
unimproved state the production of timber per acre from the good native 
forest of New Zealand is better than that of the wild forest of many other 
countries, taking average figures over large areas. Thus the great Appa- 
lachian forests, on the redemption of which the Americans are spending 
millions, have an average, over the best part of the forest, of only half 
the timber-stand (15,000 sup. ft.), accepted as the average stand of timber 
in New Zealand millable forest for the past thirty years (p. 85). And 
this same New Zealand timber-stand is three times a general average 
taken over all the American forests, whether public or private, according 
‘to both official and non-official statistics (Forest Service Circulars or 
Bulletins Nos. 171, 140, 83, 167, and Professors Moon and Brown's 
‘“* Forestry,’ 1915). 
With some, though not with those in possession of all the facts, there 
has been a general idea that the fine native forests of New Zealand were 
not worth preserving, and could economically be replaced by plantations 
ot exotic timbers. ‘hat is the cardinal defect in the forest policy of 
New Zealand—so far, alas, as a forest policy can be said to have existed ! 
Though many of the facts which follow have been already mentioned in 
various connections, it seems desirable, on account of the importance of 
the subject, to bring them together in the next few pages. 
Four GrRApES or Forest, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL. 
Apart from the special cases of (1) Eucalypt plantations (mostly in 
the north) for railway-sleepers, with Eucalypt-planting generally for 
farm-timber and house-beams, and (2) suburban forests where, as in 
Europe, the return may average 50 per cent. or 80 per cent. higher 
than in good ordinary forests, we may distinguish four grades of economic 
value among existing forests and forest plantations in New Zealand. 
1. The Native Forests These (as above) include Kauri forests which 
when put in order as cultivated forests will return £10 or more per 
acre per year, and permanent settlement at the rate of one family per 
75 acres; and in the meantime will give the same return and the same 
employment as dairying on poor soil. Such forest estates would be 
amongst the most valuable in the world. They would easily surpass the 
most valuable national forests in France and Germany—as, indeed, 
climatically they should. The figures have been set forth above. There 
are naturally all grades of native forest. We have here only to consider 
those that are demarcatable. As these can be put in order, usually for 
a fraction of the value of the timber on them. or at the worst for the 
cost of grassing, the native forests rank first in economic value. They 
are free of the risk attending plantations of exotics. Their young timber 
as 1t matures should yield as good returns as the same area grassed, and 
better afterwards. Eventually, normal national forests would pay all 
present New Zealand taxes, and support, on the soil and in sawmills. 
aout the duplicate of the whole present population of over one million 
souls, 
2, Californian Redwood, ke., Plantations.—Californian Redwood. 
where it will grow well, surpasses every tree now in New Zealand, native 
or introduced. Its timber may be as valuable as Kauri, its growth as 
rapid as Insignis-pine! In the Technological Museum, Sydney. a wood 
sample from New Zealand is the fastest-grown there! I have a photo of 
its fellow-tree in New Zealand, still growing at Reefton. Californian 
