1 Mar., 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 225 
That the system of natural reafforestation can be successfully and inex- 
pensively carried out in all our denuded scrubs, is evident to any person who 
has Beier in, or who has travelled through, such places. It is well known 
that all our valuable timbers are being reproduced naturally in large quantities, 
and, wherever timber has been felled and removed, numbers of young trees are 
found springing up. 
They are also found alongside the tracks cleared by the timber-getters. All, 
therefore, that is required is that these beds or natural plantations of young 
trees should be sought out and cleared round, by which process the quantity 
of timber could be naturally largely increased, for where one tree has fallen 
four or five would be found on the same site. 
The work done at Frazer’s Island during 1892 is represented by clearing 
away vines and undergrowth about the natural plants situated in the blocks 
between the lanes. The number of these young trees which received attention 
was :— 
May ... er bey op tes ... 4,082 
July ... is es oe ae aon BEES 
August neh Aes ats 7 woe DLA 
September ... Mes ore 4 ».. 4,025 
October iat mil ot sh mo BAO 
November... rf as! “£35 a. §=—2,484 
December .... etx tn 5s a oxpsllit 
Totalk meetanber vigalt. che 294) 951 
The lanes, which are, as stated, one chain apart, extend for a distance of 
nearly fifty miles in the aggregate, and the number of young kauri pines 
planted in the lanes, clearings, and through the scrubs amounted in 1892 to 
71,550; there had also been 26,154 natural plants cleared round, giving a total 
in that year of 97,704 young trees to be kept clean and attended to. 
Very little additional planting has been done of late years, as the scrub at 
Boginbah is almost all already planted, and the ranger has all he can do to 
keep the large number of trees in the plantation free from fallen scrub and 
vines. 
At Yankee Jack’s Creek Plantation there are eleven miles of lanes, and 
28,518 young trees naturally planted have been cleared round and fostered. 
Tf all these trees were left till they attained a diameter of 20 inches, they 
would supply one sawmill such as I before described, cutting 100,000 feet 
weekly, for about twenty-six years. If allowed to grow to 24 inches, they 
would keep it in full work for about forty years; whilst, if left for five years 
longer, they would form a regular supply for the mill for ninety years. 
Ag the kauri increases about 3 inches in diameter annually, it would 
require about four years after topping the scrub to attain to 20 inches. 
Another two years would increase its yield of timber by 500 superficial feet; 
and an additional five years’ growth would add 12 inches to its diameter 
and 2,024 superficial feet to its measurement. In all, about fifteen years 
would be required to bring about the last result. 
It will thus be seen of what enormous importance to the timber industry 
is forest conservancy. ‘True, we have many thousands of acres of mountainous 
forest and scrub covered with grand eucalypti, cedar, beech, hoop pine, bunya 
pine, &c. (the latter protected from the timber-getter by legislative enactment) , 
but the time must inevitably arrive when these timber lands will be shorn of 
their treasures unless steps are at once taken to protect them. There are 
millions of young trees ready growing for the service of man, if man will only 
allow them to do so by protecting and assistingthem. Once the forests have been 
laced in proper working order, and under good regulations, Queensland will 
nave no need to import—she will have perpetual supplies for her own use, and 
probabiy will be able to export, especially the more valuable timbers. 
