Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry for the Beinnial Period Ending December 31st 1902 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1903 Excerpt: ... of experience to be the best. The planting was done close. This met with some objection by a former Commissioner, but Expert Forester Griffith strongly approved of it when he visited this forest. The vigor and growth of many of the various species growing on Tantalus varies a great deal in different soils, also in sheltered and exposed places. For instance, trees planted in the bottom of the gulch where the soil receives the wash from the higher lands, and where they are sheltered from the winds, will make double the growth of those planted on the tops of ridges, in the same time. Then again hoeing and cultivating around the trees will increase the growth, but this is impracticable with trees in exposed places, for the reason, if kept cultivated, and the soil kept soft around their roots, they are apt to get uprooted during a wind storm, especially if the soil is very wet. The grass is cut away, leaving the soil undisturbed. When the tops of the young trees get above the grass, they are large enough to take care of themselves. The silver, black and golden wattles are very fast growing trees, making in live years a height of twenty-five feet, with the diameter of from five to seven inches at three feet from the ground. The acacia melanoxylon has grown well on Tantalus, reaching a height of twelve feet, with diameter of five inches at three feet from the ground, in five years. This is an excellent forest tree, its timber resembling our native koa, and it is frequently called foreign koa. The ironwood has grown to a height of twenty-five feet in five years. The Japanese cedar is a very handsome tree, but needs shelter. The eucalyptus species, lemon gum, sugar gum, stringy bark tree, blue gum, swamp mahogany and manna gum, have all about the same rate of.growth...