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D.—la

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The next best land on the West Coast is the ordinary alluvial found on all the rivers in more or less quantities. There is a considerable breadth in the Hokitika and Arahura Valleys, and narrower strips and patches in the Grey and Buller. Particularly good patches also occur on the eastern side of Lake Brunner, and at the confluence of the Kopara and Ahaura Eivers. The latter aro only covered with scrub. The second quality of land in the preceding schedule is generally covered with dense forests, growing in soft ground, with a considerable depth of vegetable matter overlying a shingly or sandy subsoil. There is always a deep layer of peat where the smaller pines grow. The third quality is chiefly terrace land—dense forests growing in peaty soil overlying clay on cemented shingle, which in turn lies on the sandstone reef. Some of the land in the fourth class finds a parallel in the moors of Ireland and Scotland. Addison's Flat, between Westport and Charleston, is almost a facsimile of a Highland deer-forest. The general impression is that these lands are good for nothing; but I do not think so. lam of opinion that a moderate expenditure would make them fair pasture lands. Some of the pakihis contain very poor land — shingle imbedded in stiff clay, that only grows stunted manuka scrub. A large amount of labour and capital must be expended on them before they can be called good land. The flats at Ahaura and Squaretown are samples of these poorer pakihis. FOBESTS. General Desceiption. There is as much unanimity about the value of the West Coast forests as there is diversity of opinion about the value of the land. All authorities agree in considering them a large item in the assets of the colony, more particularly as the wetness of the climate prevents their destruction by fire. Extent. —There is comparatively little forest lands in Canterbury, Marlborough, and Northern Nelson within the area accommodated by the proposed railways, but to all intents and purposes the whole of the western watershed is continuous bush. In fact, all the west coast of the Middle Island, from end to end, is one immense forest. The preceding tables give the total quantities of bush and open country in the area we are dealing with, and the accompanying map shows their relative positions and the different kinds of the predominating timbers. Subdivided the quantities appear as follows :—

In estimating forest lands it is difficult to know how much should be allowed for scrub and inferior timber. Taking it, however, at 50 per cent., the quantity of timber-producing bush in the country affected by the railways will stand, in round numbers, thus: —

Beech Fobests. Beech—or, as it is more commonly called, birch—constitutes the greater portion of the forest. It is the only timber on the Canterbury side, and north of the Ahaura it occupies all the country except a belt along the coast and narrow strips in some of the river-beds. The three beeches best known to commerce as red, black, and silver beech— Fagus fusca, F. solandri, and F. menzicsii — are all found. Fagus solandri —also known indifferently as entire-leaved, black-heart, white, and Oxford birch — occupies the greater portion of the Waimakariri watershed and the higher ridges in the northern districts. At high levels it merges into a variety known only to botanists— Fagus cliffortioides, or n.ountain-beech. The Oxford birch is comparatively small, seldom exceeding 35ft. or 40ft. in

Beech. Pine. Mixed. Total. Acres. 76,700 40,900 1,699,000 221,900 169,800 Acres. Acres. Acres. 76,700 721,700 2,355,100 409,200 361,800 Canterbury Westland Western Nelson Northern Nelson Marlborough 453,700 193,700 227,100 462,400 187,300 192,000 Totals 2,208,300 647,400 1,068,800 3,924,500

Beech. Pine. Mixed. Totals. Acres. 40,000 20,000 850,000 110,000 80,000 Acres. Acres. Acres. 40,000 360,000 1,180,000 200,000 180,000 Canterbury 'Westland Western Nelson Northern Nelson Mailborough 230,000 100,000 110,000 230,000 90,000 100,000 Totals 1,100,000 330,000 530,000 1,960,000

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