42

C.—3.

ABSTRACT of INFORMATION received from the COMMISSIONERS of CROWN LANDS and other OFFICERS in REPLY to QUESTIONS sent out by the CONSERVATOR of STATE FORESTS. (Vide his Letter, No. 1, dated 20th July, 1876.)

Questions, Auckland. Taranaki. Wellington. Hawke's Bat. ''• Marlborough. J . Situation and extent of tracts of forest or woodland in the hands of Govern ment(General or Provincial) ? Hokianga to Bay of Islands, 125,000 acres ; Hokianga to Kaihu,300,000 acres ; Whangarei to Auckland, 55,000 acres; Waikato, 40,000; Coromandel Peninsula, 250,000 acres ; Tauranga and Opotiki, 40,000 acres; Mokau, 40,000 East Coast, 110,000: total, 960,000. All forest, with exception of a belt of open land from the sea coast, of an average of 4 miles inland. 227,000 acres Government land. 800,000 acres confiscated. 773,305 acres scattered over the provincial district, and situated upon broken and mountainous country. Seventy-Mile Bush 80,000 acros; Euahine, 14^000 acres; Fukititiri and Pohui, 9,000 acres; Nuhaka, 20,000 acres; Tautane, 15,000 acres: total, 138,000. About 500,000 acres, situate partly in the \Tr'r a, IVlorus and Queen Charlotte's Sounds, and Port Underwood. Country of a mountainous nature. !. Description and approximate quantity of timber in the several tractB ? Kauri, totara, matai, and puriri. The formerexists in considerable quantities, but is difficult of access in some districts on account of broken country. Thelatter(totara, matai, and puriri) in small quantities. Rimu abounds in large quantities in some parts, from 20 to 30 trees to the acre. White and black pine much scarcer. Tolara in small quantities. Puriri, matai, hinau, puketea, kahikatea, rata, pohutukawa, titoki, akeake, kowhai, rewarewa, kohekohe, tawa, and towai in limited quantities. Totara, red and white pine, matai, manuka, birch (black and red), rata, and hinau. Quantities not stated. Eimu, white pine, matai, totara, birch, rata, and tawa. Approximate quantities not given. Kahikatea, matai, rimu, with little totara and birch. Estimated quantity not given. I. Uses, if any, to which the forests are put at present ? None. Not worked with any system. Forest being rapidly destroyed. No information given. None. No licenses issued to cut on Crown lands. Sawn timber and fencing. I. Whether the forests are worked at all; if so, to what extent, and on what principle ? Worked on small scale for building Two saw-mills only at work. Small quantity used for bridges, building, and fencing. Not stated. Not worked. 14 saw-mills in operation. Estimated out-turn per annum, 17,940,000 feet. purposes. 1. The public revenue and expenditure from each during the past five years ? £838 18s. 2d. revenue ; expenditure, nil. None. Information not given. No revenue. Expenditure included in that of the Crown Lands Office generally. No information as to revenue. !. Situation and extent of tracts of land in the hands of Government, or readily obtainable for planting operations ? Tract of land in hands of Government, 2,250,000 acres. A large area of land along the coast. Suggests advisability of plantingthesand hills to prevent further inroads being made by it. No information given. Mangaharum District, 25,000 acres j Mohaka, 50,000 acres; Wairoa, 100,000 acres; Kaweka, 10,000acres: total,185,000 acres. Not stated.