FOREST ALIENATION. 173 
The above figures may be held to point to between 20,000 and 30.000 
acres as the yearly alienation of demarcatable forest. The average for 
heavy and light bush combined is 59,273 acres per year. But the figure 
for the first four years must be considered to represent the rush to secure 
bush land which, with the remissions, it might pay to deforest and grass. 
The last two years of low figures may be due to war conditions. It 
must be considered (1) that there may be a proportion of demarcatable 
forest not rated as poor enough to deserve exemption; (2) that during 
the period 1909 to 1918 no large area of bush land was thrown open. 
When the recent purchases in the Urewera country take effect these figures 
will mount rapidly. For these reasons I rate the current alienation of 
demarcatable forest at about 30,000 acres vearly. 
It has been shown above how the cost of opening up these forest lands 
for timber-working and gradually increasing settlement would in most 
cases be paid for (1) by the standing timber, (2) by the timber-growth 
increment (acrim) resulting from the conversion of a wild forest (carry- 
ing no timber-increment) to a cultiyated forest—such cultivated forests 
being of more certain value to the State than costly plantations of risky 
exotic trees. 
It may further be of interest to compare this value for the alienation 
figure—viz., 30,000 acres—with the area, 24,000 acres to 36,000 acres 
(the latter perhaps more correct), lost yearly by destructive instead of 
conservative working in the timber reserves (Yearly Report, Lands De- 
partment, 1916, p. 3). It may also be compared with the total area 
of the Government timber plantations formed during the last twenty-three 
vears—viz., about 35,000 acres. 
Forrst ALIENATION IN THE ‘f Crown Lanps GuiInE.”’ 
A study of New Zealand Crown Lands Guide—say, that corrected to 
Ist July, 1917—is the best proof of the sort of forest alienation now 
going on, Thus at page 29 one sees high mountain land described as 
covered with “bush”? or ‘‘ heavy bush’’ and offered for sale at about 
10s. per acre. At page 39. in Westland, forest with Rimu, White-pine, 
and Silver-pine at about 11s. per acre—Silver-pine being intrinsically 
per cubic foot about the most valuable timber in New Zealand. Much 
of this land is weighted with the cost of previous attempts at misguided 
settlement—partial burns, partial fencing, and partial ditching. Again, 
at page 43: Run 445—“‘ the whole of the upper watersheds of the Cook 
and Balfour Rivers; very wild country, mostly bush’’: 20,000 acres 
here at a yearly rental of £10 for the 20,000 acres! 
In Marlborough (p. 27 of the Guide) one sees the proposed alienation 
of the precipitous mountain forest lying above the Blenheim—Nelson main 
road. It rises to an altitude of 3,600ft. A total of 11,852 acres, in 
eight lots, is offered for outright purchase at £4,790, or an average 
price of 6s. 3d. per acre, classed as second- and third-class land. The 
forest is Beech, with ‘‘ mixed ”’ in the valleys. 
The forest below in the Rai Valley has been worked for thirty years, 
and was only finished two years ago. Opinions are divided as to whether 
this fine forest, with its water frontage and easy water access to Wel- 
lington, should not have been kept as forest. But with regard to the 
steep mountain ground above it there are no two opinions, It cannot 
be kept in permanent grass by ploughing: it is nearly all too steep for 
ploughing. Timber can be brought down the mountain-side and taken 
across economically from Pelorus Sound to Wellington. It is one of the 
best areas for the supply of timber and firewood to Wellington; and 
