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AFFORESTATION.
GOVERNOR- GENERAL'S
ADVICE.
•Sound advice concerning afforestation is
contained in a eiaienient by His-Excellency
Gtrrernor-GeaepaJ- {Sir fioaald- Munro-
Jfeilguson) made in "response to a - requeei
from a representative of The Eegiscar for
an-interview on- Monday, on his retaxrn
from a tour through the norihern areas.
His Exoellencyis an authority whose knowledge
of the ,51163^;. i^tfi^wn. in many
parts of the world.. He, has lad an extensive
experience in -practical ; forestry. For
someyeaio he was President• of -the Royal
Scottish Arboricultural Society, and a<jted
as Chairman, on a number of Government
enquiries and commj®icai5Ji«aJunE. with the
matter., dunag. his 53Q yesxs .de. Parliamentary
life. His :^Mi3^<®'"Stih-'the ct&fivirion
of timber lies in the possession of
large a;reas_of ferestry^ in -the-highlands and
lowlands of "Scotland. ~ ,
"What impreffiion did you gather on the
tour?" the reporter asked.
"1 certainly came to the-iconchision -that
you had vast tforeets in Australia at one
time," His Excellency replied, adding, "and
what stands out fin my mind is the fact
that there -is so much good hardwood in
AastiaJiaT-'-'TteSfe'M^ger-varietj- than
any where else in -the world, and the quality
is certainly equal to the best. In the past
t'nej" have been to a laj^e exient washed in
the wiakiTig of paicking cases, whisi can be
manufactured with" cheaper varieties of
wood. I went 'to the Government reserve
at Kuippo,- near - to Clarendon, <m Sunday,
way of afforestation^ The cheaper woods for
packing and suniar purposes could be grown
there as well as the better woods, and
thus the use of Higher grades for caeemaking
-would be gradually lessened. What" is
needed is an expansion in the growth of
•both the lower and higher qualities - of
wood- Afr-present we are importing large
quantities from ibe Baltic, from America,
and from Japan, but the (plantation I saw
•yesterday, • and,. in fact, a& that I have
inspected^.indicateditot every kind needed
can be gMWhlocaUy wJthout'any difficulty.
The Kuippo plantation was in first-class
order, and all varieties of trees -were growing
remarkably welL . One of the natural
advantages which Australia possesses is its
excellent climate for -afforestation- Y T ou
can get plantations up .to a standard in
30 years which would . take 60 years at
ome, and there are many varileties which
cannot be grown m parts; of "the British
sles. such as the Oalifornian pine, - which
grow admirably here. You may foe sure
that Australia <jan grow all the ^timber
that ehe is now forced to import, and there
an area of three million square miles
there is any. amount of elbow room. The.
country I Isaw yesterday was poorish, but
eyidenily well .wj^pted ; to tdmbefeproduction.
. - JThe- -aifea A" %l&tati^3^fonmfed
in" yocr Staiie - is- not great i^afaradv " to
tire size of Sonth" Australia, but it "is a
ood -fce^nning, and justifies -the developent.
The Government" deserves grea,-t
redit for-: taking up the euhgect for -the
ev^noe from forestiy as hot laige. -In
bme ol the oiher States where the reenue
is Teiy large, one would espec-t to
ee mote done.
... ^.^ p^gjfjle' fainiiie.— '
i VV.fiaS "makes. the ' whole question -of
fiorestatiorn' an."important one is "tha't l
herever" ttie -Britisi race has penetrated
f has devastated the natural forests withut
replacing the; timber sources. _ As bhe
rifish-racft.covets a_ considerable .portion
f. ihe earth's -surface,' the consequence is
ikely to be a timber famine in years" io
ome. Prices' will. iise. a. grgat deal high.er
itan they ever have before unless measures
re taken to avert the famine; There are,
f course, many useful substitutes for. timer,
but there ere always new demands
ade-upon timber as time goes on.
"—School of Forestry.—
. "I will tell you what I think is wanted
n Australia. The first thing .to consider
s the formation of a centre of training in
orestry. Probably the cheapest and most
ffective way would be to establish an Ausralian
Forestry School, in which all'the
tates - and "the Commonwealth would -par
ticipate as partners. A-"flood many- thousand
acres of "land would be necessary, and,
in addition, there would have to be erected
the new eetiool buildings end the provision
of a 1 staff of teachers, tie whole area and
all the work of the school to be under the
administration of the principal of the college.
AH kinds of experiments can be conducted
on such an area, of ground, in regard
to planting, marketing, manufacture,
and utilization. Of course, it would be
necessary to select a cite upon which there
were already a V certain proportion
forests.
' ~ : - —The 'University.— "
An -alternative to this scheme would be
the establishment of a Chair of Afforestation,
with a subordinate staff tt each of the
Universities,. each having an area of land
upon which to work in "the same way as
suggested above for the scbooL One of the
disadvantages in this connection is the fact
that few, if any, of the Universities would
have the necessary site for such a purpose
as practical training. Another disadvantage
would be the necessity of > creating
•seven establishments instead of one. and
the cost would of course be greater. It
is of enormous importance that a site
bould be selected where practical work can
be -carried on, so that the superiority of the
fist scheme suggested will readily be realized.
In the school, or. the-university, the
geenral principles which underly the science
of forestry in - Australia would be. tajigbt.
The conditions vary in every-part of the
world, and the most skilled European
forester would be ;if liite use in. Australia
unless he "unlearned the greater portion of
what he had been taught-abroad.' Probably
the conditions ; which approximate most
closely to' those of Australia are those jp
India. We "..must not import British,
French, or-Indian experts to lav out the
forests in Auseralia,'-but train-men locally,
•who wiD-.be able tb -produce the best possible
results , under Australian, conditions ~
. There are many side issues which would
nave to be treated at this school or-at-the
universities. First there "is the question oi
com bati ng, -fires. • ThisVis" ihe most important
one, and consequently 1 mention-it
tret. Then- there are the questions of the
eneapetsi-metbo'ds of fortmi^ new planca-
•tions," ; ihe rfesfc- o6nditio^ -for-"" -natural • "j-egeneraiion,-
which-means the seeding "- of
land by- the trees growing on it, so that the
new crop comes-up wyidiout any artificial
planting. -The : matter of - the exclusion of
stock-from planting.Areas devoted to natural
regeneration is afeo' an important item.
and finally the best-aM cheapest conditions
under which-timber can be produced in
Australia shonld be grown for Australian
use- ' . " -'.-- '• ' ; :T -
-• —How EnteiptBe is .Siimulated.—
A man. trained is -tie State eehools would
fterwards-be available for either Gro«rernnjent
or private ranpiovment. As might be
xpected, foreetry development in AusifaJia
will rest very ranch .with the various Gorerninettts,
because the"tinfer crop is not
one wliiich, like - -4.be ; " oorn crop, can
be . eown -and". treaped- - in a - few
months. . ~ -Ii"taiee a ."graiera±iori, or- even
two :or three, .to.Arrive -at nii-pniifcy, during
which period it needs "contimious good
itmpageiniact.---- Als-ia" rule,- fthis can onlyi
be provided "by the State. On' the Co.ntineiit-
of Europe "there is very little difference
in the management of private
woodlandfi. because yon have the fixed
tandard of-cultivation;, but as this State
tandard does not exfet in Australia, any
more 'than in. cue old country, we have
o rely in the main on State management.
It would be advisable -to stimulate private
J
b
m
r
m
sterpriise, however. In the old country m
ractically all the progress made in forestry
has bfen on prilvate etstates, bui it i
t
must be saild the .progress has b^en limied,
and herein-Australia, where the area
tbi
that might possibly be applied to timber
ultivation is so vast, there is probably lees d
o be expected from private.e&terprise than P
n the old country. To stimiilate enterprise m
n.forestry you need a sufficient supply o; T
roperly trained foresters, and in the old c
ouutry a great deal has be ndone by a f
ociety such as -the aWltle Day League nn a
outh Australia, which gives prizds for the l
ie?t management of private woodlands. m
hees bodies also jrivc -prizes, for .example,
or the best five-acre plantation, the be-t
atural regeneration, • the best forest net-tsary
for the growth of young iree-;, the !y=-t
-yctem of cutting and marketing timlir
tiic best sawmill system, and 'the be*:
.-says on given branches of the subjei-r.
uch could be- done in -this way in Ausralia
to stimulaAg prrvaie effor.. I attach
ore importance to the prizes given-for
ractdcai wort and the actual use of timbeT
han theoretical essays. Not only do the
n
l
b
b
l
s
Tp
o
&>restiy sooieties stimulate, effort in this
way at home, but agricultural societies also
give prizes for all lands of timber, work required
on the farm from the wooden hut
to gaaee, i'ences,-and even shelter -belts.
—Many Preliminaries.—
To know what land should be devoted to
afforestation it is necessary that accurate
surveys should be .taken- For instance,
the authorities should be aware of what
lands is suitable^Eor -agriculture and arboriculture.
. After the" Iknd that is reserved
for tambergrowing—that is, land whioh will
produce better- results in forestry than
from corn—is dieoovered, it should be laid
cut on forest, plans. Then the Government
should, krfow what area is available
for.afforestation, with what kin of trees, it
should be planted, how miich -can be planted
each year; how much stock -will be excluded
and'.what area can be grazed'until jt 'is riequired._for
forestr4". - . Until you ge't 'all
thesfe facts/assemfcied-it is hard to knos"
9T
how.tb begm'. "
r "-
\ As the hM-nagement ..of-timber is ^.preeminently
a question for experts 013d practical
men. it might-be'worth oohsiderin'g
whether the forests should not be placed
under a'Commissioner in the eame" .way
as the railways in Australia, in order that
a settled (policy mav be arrived at and adhered
to. -.'This,:oi course, is of vital consideration!
in -tile ooroUary of good'management'::
•'-•-III'might • alsau be worth wh5e,
when "ihe wa.r is . over .at any rate, to arrange
. a conference which would include
three representatives from each State,
three from the Commonwealth, three representing.
the Government forests interests
of the States,, and representatives
of sawmillers or -timber merchants • and
landowners, who have .had practical experience
of ihe-:Austraiian timber industry.
Airsuch accrinference a rough scheme
for organizing..' Australian forestry eoiild
be drown" np and submitted to the various
Governments." -
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