vided in the form of two dinners (on suc- cessive nights, of course!), well lubricated by their preceding "happy hours". Awards The role of forestry were presented at the official conference dinner, and it was indeed a pleasure to see Geoff Chavasse presented with the Kirk Hom Flask plus a bottle of the vital ingre- in the MacKenzie Basin dients with which to keep it well charged. The organising committee excelled themselves in the efficient organisation of Institute President Peter Olsen and Coun- of small seedling trees and parallel open a memorable AGM and Conference, not cillors joined a group of members from sown seed trials for comparison in the rab- only in the smooth running of every the Canterbury Section in an inspection bit-proofed enclosures. Frost is seen to be aspect of the event, but also in the very and general review of the role of forestry a more serious controlling factor in sur- high level of sponsorship achieved which, in MacKenzie Basin on March 5 and 6. vival than drought - and severe frost suf- for poor consultants like myself, helped to We enjoyed the enthusiastic and expert ficient to kill young pine trees and keep the registration costs down to a very guidance of Nick Ledgard as we inspected Douglas fir may be absent for several reasonable level indeed. This will be a established tree planting trials on a repre- years. hard act to follow next year. And our sentative dry lowland site, earlier planted thanks must go also to the sponsors for shelterbelts, and a comprehensive arbore- Snowfalls helping make the event both affordable tum of various conifer species at the Rib- and enjoyable. bonwood Station, . The group For those who are unfamiliar with sus- also viewed the impact of shelterbelt tained frost risk in the inland Dennys Guild plantings, small established woodlots, and hill country I quote from the official mete- escaped wildings on the impressive tus- orological report for July 1968: sock grassland landscapes dominating the "The snowfalls on the last four days of foothill country around the basin itself. June on the high country of both islands The weather was beautifully fine and and to low levels in the South Island per- Forest Valuation almost cloudless as we ascended the sisted for the first four days of July, and Mount John University Observatory site there were further falls about July 10-12, for luncheon. The panoramic scene lived and on the 25th. Frosty conditions, espe- Working Party up to its reputaion as a countryside with cially during the first half of the month, special qualities that have made it a allowed little opportunity for the snow to progress report unique landscape. The shape of the sur- melt over the greater part of the South rounding mountains was more dramatic Island. On the hills to the south-west of under a bare tussock mantle. And neither Mossbum at an altitude of about 650 The Working Party is in the process of the "barbecue-breaker" daily on-shore metres the depth was reported as 70 cm developing guidelines for forest valuation. gale, nor the more familiar nor'wester, and 350 cm in the drifts, and it remained We have met eight times (to the end of which provide records for frozen there for three weeks. April) and have prepared drafts on: peak windiness on this most exposed site, "Very severe conditions were experi- the purpose for forest valuation; were thankfully present on this occasion. enced, even at quite low altitudes where a alternative approaches to forest valua- Nick provided a well-balanced intro- continuous snow cover persisted. For tion for each purpose; duction to the opportunities and chal- example, Tara Hills, Omarama (altitude guidelines on the appropriate method lenges facing land owners and others with 500 metres) had snow lying on the ground for each purpose; an interest in landscape values. This has the whole month, never less than 14 cm in standards for forest description. been a particularly damp season and those depth. The mean temperature was -5.0°C, Draft Standards for Forest description unfamiliar with the impact of successive the lowest ever recorded in New Zealand have been written for: seasons of drought might have gained a for a month below the altitude of 1000 Description of Land rather rosy picture of tree establishment metres. On eight days the maximum tem- Forest Area and growth prospects. perature failed to reach zero C, the lowest Declaration of Land Value To the much discussed and vexed maximum being -6.7C on the 14th. The Description of Croptyping question of tree wildings Nick stated his air temperature fell just below -17.8C on Recording Forest History firm belief in the strategic importance of the 6th, 7th, and 14th." Yield Estimation adopting a firm management policy to And we have been reminded of partic- Describing Costs control outbreaks at the outset rather than ularly cold months in recent years, notably Specification of Prices stand by and let the countryside be check- July 1991 and June 1992 in both Central Disclosure of Discount Rates. ered with scattered and unevenly spread Otago and in the MacKenzie Basin when The Working Party is currently in the trees. The neglect in some districts has established radiata pine trees and euca- process of reviewing these standards. It is jeopardised the support of others in the lypts suffered severe damage and loss. anticipated that discussion drafts of the community who have a less direct interest At all events the newly-planted tree Standards for Forest Description together in sustainable and profitable use of the seedlings looked most promising and the with other background material will be land. good depth of soils would enable the released for review in June. Comment will The scale and special care taken in young trees to send roots down to a level be sought from both members and the establishing new and comprehensive that would render them more drought wide range of other interested parties. LandcareIFRI trials of several conifer resistant. There was some evidence of the species on a carefully selected representa- importance of mycorrhizal inoculation on Bruce Manley tive lowland site took most of us by sur- this site. Nick commented that the Convenor prise. There were machine-planted rows MacKenzie Basin was, however, essen-

N.Z. FORESTRY MAY 1994 37 tially a woody plant habitat despite occu- to locate more than the isolated rabbit dur- hectares of Douglas fir at the top end of pation in recent centuries by tussock ing the course of the two-day inspection. , and now set for logging, grassland and pasture. The arboretum located in a reasonably demonstrated how profitable such enter- Left to itself, the district would sooner sheltered gully site on the foothills at Rib- prise can be in the heavier rainfall zones or later revert to woody species such as bonwood is already producing some very on the western side of the catchment sweet briar and broom if the seed was encouraging progress. The pastoralists, nearer the Divide. And what a marvellous available. It is, however,more likely that Mr and Mrs Colin and Gwenda Mackay, and memorable drive we enjoyed along- introduced conifer seed would be more were most enterprising and hardworking side the big canals with the Southern Alps mobile and that the district could be cov- farmers, and we all felt the community and Mount Cook as a backdrop. Members ered in wilding trees over the course of was the stronger for such dedication and of the Institute generally agreed that the time without intervention. Better, he said, persistency in a habitat that could so often visit had proved most worthwhile and that to manage the local soils - and for wealth be very inhospitable. Fortunately the there was indeed an assured place for and employment, if possible. weather was fine for our inspection and well-planned forestry consistent with good Members of the group observed the Mackays' hospitality was much appre- landscape outcomes in the long run. Hieracium infestation but an accompany- ciated. ing small dog owned by this writer failed An inspection of a mature seven Jolyon Manning

to his role of Chief Soil Conservator. Formation of the Marlborough Forest Owners Association followed with help from the Forest Service and NZ Forest Owners Association, "and today con- straints on forestry are minimal". His concern about logging impacts on steep country led him to visit Europe a Ross Smith Macarthur number of times to study steepland log- ging systems and in 1984 he demonstrated a wyssen system which proved conclu- Ross Macarthur was born in Wellington sively its low impact on soils. After retire- in 1923, descended from Scottish grand- ment in 1985 he formed Skylogs parents who emigrated to Otago. He Equipment Co., which continues to pro- obtained a broad-based education at Scots mote protective logging systems. He is College (Wellington), Victoria University also now working on a Cork Oak project and Lincoln College, and he then volun- which he finds rewarding and a source of teered for war service. He gained the skills personal satisfaction. of pilot and navigator and served in Ross has been a member of the NZIF Canada, Africa and Europe, at one stage since 1949, and from 1970 to 1975 he with Malcolm Conway. He then went to served on the Editorial Committee of Oxford University where he graduated the NZ Journal of Forestry. He has also with an Honours degree in Forestry in presented a number of papers on soil 1948. erosion, management of steepland soils Returning to New Zealand, Ross and of forests upon them. He was made joined the Forest Service in Canterbury an Honorary Life Member of the NZ where he "shared an office with Jack Hol- Association of Soil Conservators in 1986 loway and was lucky enough to do some and served as President of that body in beech forest field work with him". He also 1965-67. wrote a working plan for Hanmer Forest Like his working life, his spare-time activities have been, and remain, vigorous, - a rather academic exercise because there Ross Macarthur was then no market for the wood. including outdoor recreation on land and Ross is an energetic, forthright and sea. As a lateral thinker, he has long been indomitable man of great integrity who appointed the first Soil Conservator to the keenly interested in monetary reform. As does not suffer fools gladly and can, when Marlborough Catchment Board. "The a staunch advocate of municipal com- he considers it proper, be blunt and early years in Marlborough were a major posting and low energy organic farming acerbic. He "lambasted" several senior pioneering effort on a solo basis," he he managed an organic farmlet for 17 officers about the then universal writes, "in a region dominated by sheep years and is an Honorary Life Member of planting spacing of 6ft x 6ft. NZFS grazing, burning and extreme climatic the NZ Soil Association, serving as Pres- Head Office put him on his mettle, events. Soil erosion was everywhere at ident from 1970 to 1972. under Fred Alsop and Hugo Hinds, to both high and low altitudes." From 1957 To sum up: Ross has throughout his "find out what the correct spacing should to 1958 he fought for the use of trees to career been a fervent battler for what he be". Ross thinks that his report (unpub- heal the widespread erosion scars and as a believes to be right, and also for the hon- lished) "was the best thing I ever did in profitable landuse, throughout the region. our and good standing of the forestry forestry". His efforts were eventually rewarded with profession. In 1953 he joined the Southland Catch- the formation of the Marlborough Fores- ment Board as Soil Conservator and try Corporation and his appointment as its Land Classifier. Four years later he was Principal Executive Officer as an addition C.G.R. Chavasse

-- 38 N.Z. FORESTRY MAY 1994