NATIVE FOREST AND PLANTATIONS OF INTRODUCED TREES. 167 
in girth. The Taraire will grow anywhere, and it is a very useful tree.”’ 
A diameter-growth of just under 13 in. in eighteen years for one of the 
two chief associates of Kauri has an important silvicultural significance. 
Tawa in the north is also a fast-growing tree. These trees with their 
rapid early growth might give as good an interest return as Kauri , 
or, if it came to planting, some exotic trees might give a better return, 
Tulip tree seems to be one such. Of course, in such cases the Kauri 
would be planted some years before the shade-bearing secondary species, 
and most of the thinnings would be in the secondary species. 
Similarly, ordinary full plantations of Totara may reasonably be 
expected to yield a fair return, but interplanting standards would make 
the profits larger, and the work, silviculturally, a much sounder pro- 
position. Mr. Matthews planted 400 acres with Totara at Puhipuhi, 
but he had the temerity to plant them entirely in the open, on soil 
deteriorated by burning, and overrun with fern. This is the only 
example known to me of planting New Zealand native trees on any large 
scale. These Totara trees failed from the first and were eventually burnt. 
Puriri, as a sleeper or hardwood house-beam, would probably be worth 
2s. per cubic foot a hundred years hence. In a plantation it could 
not compete with some of the fast-growing and valuable Eucalypts, so 
that its artificial propagation seems limited to interplanting or small 
patches of planting in the native forest. 
Thus it seems that as long as Kauri, and perhaps Totara, grow 
well it is safe financially for the State to plant them; but the planting 
of all other native trees is a doubtful venture even for the State. The 
private planter, without the national forest organization against fire. &c., 
would run more risk in planting Kauri; nor would he ordinarily care 
to wait a hundred years for a return; nor has he indirect national ad- 
vantage to consider like the State. 
Forest plantations are a heavy expense in every country. There 
has been comparatively little planting in the forestry of Europe, less 
in India, and so far America has accomplished but a fraction of its 
planting programme. In New Zealand, with labour at 10s, or 12s. per 
day and rapidly rising, it is evident that interplanting “‘ standards 
must generally be preferred by foresters. 
FORESTS VERSUS PLANTATIONS: VARIOUS ISSUES. 
This is a matter which has been much discussed in New Zealand, 
and, apart from sentiment, generally decided in favour of plantations 
of introduced trees, because they grow faster at first in the open, being 
trees which have been brought forward (mainly by nurserymen) for the 
private planters’ work in the open. They are undoubtedly some of the 
rees t | this purpose. iol 
ee i teeat pik fet an the forest it is like passing into iiabeat 
country with another climate, and no forester would care to ie me 
about what trees are likely to give the best lasting results with forestry 
the tabula rasa that it is at present in New Zealand. 
CoMPARATIVE YIELDS. 
| ted and 
Zealand wild forest can usually be regenera 
Hea BY dae ioe Hite © anything more’ than the cost of grassing, while 
full forest planting has cost. with interest at 4 per cent. for forty years, 
