JOURNAL OF THE FORESTRY COMMISSION. No. 8 : APRIL, 1929. Editing Committee : R. L. ROBINSON, H. A. PRITCHARD, JOHN D. SUTHERLAND, ERASER STORY. Forestry Commission ARCHIVE 2 CONTENTS. ------------- PAGE Editorial .. ■ .. .. .. 3 Forest Policy—Appointment of New Commissioner. The Third Empire Forestry Conference, by R. L. Robinson .. 3 The Past and the Future, by John D. Sutherland .. 6 Resume of Reports on Experimental Work, by W. H. Guillebaud 9 Some General Observations on Nursery Work in Scotland, by Mark L. Anderson .. .. .. .. 17 Notes on Forestry Commission Bulletin No. 11 : Nursery Investigations, by J. A. Lamb .. .. 21 Dutch Society for Heath Reclamation: Conference, 1928, by W. H. Guillebaud .. .. .. .. 25 Bedgebury Arboretum, by Sir John Stirling-Maxwell . .. 30 Sales of Timber, by W. S. Fletcher .. .. .. .. .. 38 European Larch Seed: Enquiry into Quality of different Seed Lots, by W. H. Guillebaud. .. .. .. 41 Memorandum on the Raising of European Larch, by H. M. Steven 43 Windsor Nurseries, by W. C. Squires . 48 Distinguishing Characters of Forms of Douglas Fir, by J. F. Annand 51 Our Office Methods, by M. E. AY. Mackenzie .. .. 54 The Pricing of Plants, by T. AY. Cleland .. .. 57 Forest Products Research .. .. .. .. 61 Reviews and Abstracts .. .. .. .. .. .. 64 Further Investigations on early and late Spruces— Investigations of the Danish Forestry Society—Green Manuring in Forestry—Humification of Forest Humus— The Acidity of the Forest Soil in the Upper Erzgebirge of Saxony— Thaxaivdter ForstUches Jahrbuch— Forst- mssenschaftliches Centralbkitt— The Indian Forester— Revue, des Faux et Forets—Australian Forestry Journal— The Forestry Question in Britain. Notes and Queries . .. .. .. 82 Rabbit Extermination and Protection—Life on a Forest Holding—Douglas Fir : most suitable Age for Planting— Beddgelert: Mound and Turf Planting of Norway Spruce and Sitka Spruce— The Problem of the Loss of Time by Wet Weather—Planting of Oak on a Coppice Area—The Keeping of Tools—Mound Planting in Gwydyr Forest— Concrete Fence Posts—Elimination of Screefing in the Planting of Spruces—AAreevil-trapping—Hints to Young Foresters and Foremen—The Planting of Norway and Sitka Spruces at Kerry Forest (Montgomeryshire)—An Example of Bird Life and its Relation to Afforestation— Rainfall at Glenbranter •— Glenmhor Society of Foresters—A Memorial Grove— Pine Weevil Trapping— Effect of Clear Fellings on AVet Areas—Questions regarding Oak—Bracken—Entomology—Gh ronological and Geographical LTnits—Dean Forest Produce and Prices. List of Technical Officers .... 110 Register of Identification Numbers .. 118 3 JOURNAL O F T H E FORESTRY COMMISSION, No. 8 : APRIL, 1929. EDITORIAL. As announced in the House of Commons on July 31st, 1928, the Govern- has indicated its intention of providing £51 millions Forest Policy. for forestry during the ten-year period, 1929-39. Except for 1929-30. when the grant is limited to £500,000, the money will be voted in approximately equal annual instal­ ments. This provision, together with receipts, will provide annually from £650,000 to £700,000. and will enable a planting programme of 225,000 acres to be undertaken during the decade, that is to say, the planting rate will continue at approximately the present rate. In all £1 million is to be devoted to forest workers’ holdings. Planting grants will be continued as hitherto. Provision is also made for expenditure on education, research and similar activities. Owing to ill-health Sir Leolin Forestier-Walker, M.P., has resigned from the Forestry Commission and Major Charles Appointment of -\[ Price. Member of Parliament for Pembrokeshire, N ew . Commissioner, has been appointed to fill the vacancy. Formerly Sir Leolin answered forestry questions in the House of Commons, but this duty is now undertaken by Colonel Sir George L. Courthope, M.P., who became a member of the Forestry Commission in October, 1927. THE THIRD EMPIRE FORESTRY CONFERENCE By R . L. R o b i n s o n . The Conference assembled at Perth, \\ estern Australia, on August 21st, 1928, and after visiting all the States of the Australian Commonwealth and the North and South Islands of New Zealand, dispersed at Auckland on October 23rd. Some 34 overseas delegates took part in the whole tour, and were joined at various stages bv 70 Australian and New Zealand representatives. The British delegates were Lord Clinton (Chairman of the Conference), Messrs. R. L. Robinson and H. A. Pritchard, Sir M illiam Furse (Imperial Institute), Professor Troup, Major Oliphant, and Mr. James Richardson (Timber Trades Federation). (b 12/ 890)4 x 9 4 The greater number of the inspections were in the indigenous eucalypt forests, but as Australia is now exceedingly poor in softwood stands visits were paid to coniferous plantations wherever they could be con­ veniently reached. Australian conditions approach those of Britain only in Tasmania and in the more mountainous parts of the mainland and the coniferous species which have received most attention are the pines and in particular P. insignis, pinaster, laricio (Corsican) and ponderosa. The growth of insignis under favourable conditions, such as in the south east of South Australia, is very striking, plantations of seven or eight years being 30 or more feet high. Of the eucalypt forests it is impossible in a short note to do more than refer to the extraordinary number of species (there are several hundred) and their adaptability to very wide ranges of conditions, to the great range in the characteristics of the timber, and in general to the ease of natural regeneration. For the most part the native eucalypt forests have been exploited and burned without any thought for the future, and very few instances of efficient management and protection were seen. The most imposing forests which the Conference visited were those of the Karri in the south west of Western Australia and the mountain ash of the Cumberland Valley (Victoria). In both cases the trees approached 300 feet in height. At Imbil about 100 miles north of Brisbane the Conference reached a point where the eucalypt forest came in contact with the tropical types, the latter containing fine but scattered softwoods, viz., hoop and bunya pines (both of which are Araucarias). The New Zealand tour showed the Conference two very different pictures : the indigenous forests, which are being exploited with little replacement, and the extensive afforestation operations. The native forests with the exception of certain species, such as beech {N othofagus) seem doomed, under present methods, to destruction (as in the case of the Kauri forests of the North Island) or to devastation (as in the case of the Podocarp forests of the South Island). In neither case has a method of regeneration yet been evolved. In replacement of the indigenous supplies of timber very active afforestation is being carried out. These are centred mainly, but by no means solely, in the Rotorua thermal region of the North Island. The conditions here are very remarkable and uniform over a large district. The whole district is overlaid by a considerable thickness of pumice sand which, while apparently of little use for agriculture, grows trees in a remarkable way. The native vegetation is a low thin scrub (manuka), which is easily disposed of by burning or through which trees will force their way. The rainfall is ample and well distributed, frosts are occasion­ ally troublesome in the hollows, but there are no rabbits and no fencing is necessary against stock in spite of occasional wild horses. In these conditions one- or two-year seedlings succeed admirably. The conditions may well make the mouth of a British forester water. The species which have been used are Pinns insignis, which makes phenomenal growth, Douglas fir, larch, ponderosa and Corsican pine, the growth of which in all cases appeared to be first-class. Many other 5 familiar species such as Austrian pine, have been tried, but dropped, aa well as unfamiliar ones, such as P. mnricata and Sequoia sempervirevs, which also grow extraordinarily well. Practically all the older plantations which were seen were in urgent need of thinning, but there is at present 110 market for the produce. It may be possible to use small poles for pulping, but unless some market can be secured it would appear that the cheapness of establishing the plantations may be more than counter­ balanced by unremunerative thinning. Under the above conditions the New Zealand Forest Service have succeeded in planting in one year (and almost in one patch) as much as 30.000 acres. Labour costs are more than double those in Britain and in consequence there has been a considerable development of mechanical appliances, such as motor hoes for nursery weeding, suitable to the peculiar conditions. The discussions of the Conference covered a wide range, and the resolutions arising therefrom deal with the following subjects :— Forest Policy, Australian Forestry, New Zealand Forestry, Education, Forest Technique, Imperial Forestry Bureau, Forest Products Research, Exotics, Technical Terms used in Forest Management and Trade Names of Empire Timbers. The Summary Report of the Conference together with the Resolutions and Reports of Committees (which covered each of the above subjects, except Policy) was completed on the same day that the Conference dispersed and should be published very shortly. (B 12/890)4 THE PAST AND THE FUTURE. By J o h n D. S u t h e r l a n d . We have had almost ten years’ experience of administration under the Forestry Acts and the new term of a like period will soon commence. I think the general impression throughout the country among those who know and the many who are interested but who do not know about our subject, is that the Commission has been successful and has not failed in diligence or in the effort to carry out the programme allotted in 1919.