NEGLECTED TIMBER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2511, 26 May 1909, Page 6

NEGLECTED TIMBER.

THE WAIMARINO FOREST

When bo much is being heard about the necessity of conserving our timber supplies it is interesting to notice liow the greatest of our timber resources in the North Island, the Waimarino forest. is being exploited by the sawmillers. Their methods do not suggest that timber is likely to be at any time a scarce commodity, for only the pines are being cut out, a large number of other valuable trees being left to fall and rot, or to burn, whichever fate comes first. One of the strongest ard most durable woods in the world, t< e maire, is to be found in the Waimarino forest, but is never touched by the miller (says the New Zealand “Times”). The kamXhi, or tawhero, another neglected wood, is excellent for furniture, and there is also the kawaka, a ically fine timber for doors, windows, or other surfaces greatly exposed to the weather, as it docs not warp. If this fine timber got into the market, and its qualities became known, a big export trade could be worked up. A fair percentage of maire. is to be found in the Waimarino bush, but the millers leave it standing because their saws are not suitable for dealing with it. If the demand was larger special saws could Tie installed. Another waste of resources is to be noticed in the lnige heaps of slabs, sawdust and bark lying around the mills rotting. Though it might not be profitable to any single mill to turn these by-products to account, it would probably pay if a general attempt was made to collect bark for tanning purposes and to extract wood spirit from the sawdust and waste wood.