186 RECAPITULATION. 
winners settled on the soil (agricultural and pastoral) averages little 
better than one per square mile (one per 602 acres—New Zealand Year- 
book, 1915, p. 127). During recent years 1n New Zealand the towns 
population has gradually out-distanced the country population. State 
forestry would do much to restore the balance, 
It has been seen how the national-forest estates of France, Germany, 
and central Europe have been built up, gradually improving the wild 
forest, by a process of carefully arranged fellings, by helping natural 
regeneration, and with road-making ; planting only being done where 
necessary to supplement natural regeneration. In Baden (and its Black 
Forest), which, as shown above, may be taken as a model State for New 
Zealand to copy, the planting during recent years has averaged only 
‘1 per cent. against 99 per cent. natural regeneration. 
The late Kingdom of Prussia, with an area not greatly above the area 
of New Zealand and 24 per cent. of its surface under forest, the forest 
occupying the poorest land, had a net forest revenue when war broke 
out of £4,500,000 from State-managed forests. france, robbed of its 
best forests in the 1870 war, has a present gross forest revenue of about 
£1.250.000. These forest revenues are all clear profit; there is no debt 
on the forests. as with forest plantations. There has been some revenue 
from the forests ever since (about 150 years ago) they started putting the 
forests in order. 
MNEMONIC. 
State forests in Europe give good returns: 
Four and a half millions net the Prussians, 
One and one-fourth gross millions to pillaged France, 
Not to mention each Hun State, the Swedes, and the Russians 
For gross returns in each class of forest*— 
Huns 24 millions, Japs 12, Swisst 2 or 3 does it. ° 
These European forest revenues are realized in the face of serious 
competition. There are competing forests on three sides keeping down 
the prices of timber to only about half present timber-prices in New 
Zealand. New Zealand has no such competition. On the contrary, it 
has the best softwood forest in the Southern Hemisphere, where the 
timber-market may be taken as being worth about £7,500,000 yearly. 
It is a rapidly rising market, and should prove a valuable outlet for 
New Zealand produce unless decadence in forestry at home and progress 
abroad should reverse the present balance of exports and imports. 
The timber-market of the Southern Hemisphere is likely always to 
remain one of the best, because the bulk of the area is dry country—too 
dry for the economic production of timber on a large scale. ; 
Plantations.—Plantations are discussed in Part Il; however, to com- 
plete this summary it may be mentioned that up to date the Govern- 
ment timber plantations embrace a total area of 30,000 acres, 
formed at a cost of £387,960. As a general average figure this 
is £13 per acre. or, reckoning interest at 4 per cent. for forty 
years, about £65 per acre. There are deductions (contra-interest 
and thinnings) and additions (buildings, supervision, and more 
fire-lines), but as a generalization this figure, £65, may be taken as 
close enough. 30.000 x £65 = 1,950,000. Thus, in round numbers. 
New Zealand has sunk no less than £2,000,000 in these doubtful, and 
too often distant, plantations. As plantations of unproved exotic trees 




* Viz., Government, municipal, corporate, or private The Sw wns ar 3 
’ fi ,  ] ‘* e he ik 
the German, but they are interesting as coming from so old a Marnie Secs poatitac?. sre 
