11

a—3

Details of Trees transferred to Plantations, &c., 1916-17.

Wiiakarewartcwa Plantation. (Area, 10,123 acres; altitude, 1,000 ft. to 2,000 ft.) (Assistant Forester, I). J. Buchanan.) During the past year the planting of the remaining area suitable for afforestation was practically completed, and the area planted amounted to 411 acres, making a total area now under trees of 7,954 acres. Trees to the number of 511,060 were used in planting new area, 111,100 to replace failures in the previous year's planting, and 1,547 in experimental underplanting. With the exception of a small area of approximately 40 acres, all the planting of new area was done by prison labour. The season being an unusually wet one has favoured the young trees, and there is consequently a very low percentage of failures. The species planted on new area were Douglas fir, Weymouth pine, Corsican pine, P. ponderosa, and Monterey pine; and all bear a healthy appearance, although the growth made is perhaps somewhat less than usual, owing no doubt to the lower average temperature experienced during the spring and summer months. Vigorous growth has been made by Douglas fir and Monterey pine planted during the previous year, and on all the older blocks of pines, larch, and eucalypts the average height-growth made has been equally as good as, and in a number of cases greater than, in any previous year. On some of the Eucalypti blocks where patches of well-grown trees alternated with areas on which the growth was poor the improvement is most noticeable, and it is pleasing to note that on the latter areas the trees are now coming on well, and the blocks quickly assuming a much more uniform appearance. The absence of severe late frosts enabled the larch on the lower ground to make better growth than usual, and the trees on the older thinned-out area were greatly benefited by the moist weather which prevailed during the summer months. Amongst the Monterey pine a small number of deaths have been caused by the New Zealand root fungus, but the disease is at present confined to isolated individual trees, and docs not appear likely to assume alarming proportions. • The daily average number of free men employed was 1828, this being the lowest number employed for many years. Free labour was employed principally in general maintenance, and in work in connection with the utilization of larch thinnings. The shortage of labour continued throughout the year, and consequently it has only been possible to carry out absolutely necessary work, chiefly keeping down of growth on fire-breaks and amongst the young trees. Owing to the new fire-breaks on the area planted during the preceding two years being all unploughable and having to be kept in an efficient state by hand labour, the expenditure on this work has been doubled. Most of the older fire-breaks were kept in order as usual by ploughing and disking; a small area was sown down in permanent pasture, a system that is hoped will be

Where sent. Name of Tree. Number. Whakarewarewa Plantation * Carpinus betulinus Castanea sativa Cryptomeria japonica .. Pinus Laricio ,, ponderosa „ radiata ,, strobus Pseudo-tsuga Douglasii Sequoia sempervirens 43 200 79 47,175 26,450 136,560 85,125 326,850 1,225 .... ,. ■ 623,707 Waiotapu Plantation { Larix europaea Pinus Laricio ,, radiata 7,600 425,500 3,000 436,100 Kaingaroa Plains Plantation [ Eucalyptus Macarthuri ,, viminalis Pinus Laricio ,, ponderosa 9,700 650 2,733,375 32,000 103,650 61,000 var. scopulorum Pseudo-tsuga Douglasii . — 2,940,375 Puhipuhi Plantation .. Run No. 24, Rangitikei Eucalypti species Assorted trees for experimental 61,697 337 Prisons Department, Point Halswell Sales to farmers purposes Pines 25,000 147,115 Total .. 234,149 4,234,331