Page:Reminiscences of Earliest Canterbury 1915.pdf/91

 are not only standing to-day, but many of them have been transferred to new fences, having been proved to be quite sound. Were our Parliamentary men to give a tithe of the attention to this matter, which they give to the drawing of their salaries, or to schemes for catching votes, the country would benefit, and expenditure would be kept down.

Another example I would like to give. The first timber house my father built was erected in 1846-7. Excepting the lower floor and the joists, it was all built of white pine, and roofed with totara shingles. It was in use for over thirty years before it was taken down, and it was then perfectly free from borers, and the timber was sound.

Our native timber, occupying such an enormous time to mature, cannot be replaced, except by foreign trees, and this being the case the greatest care should be taken to select only the most useful varieties, and to plant extensively; for, when the land is portioned out in small holdings, trees will take too much room, and be too slow in giving returns to the holder. If this is not done, and exportation stopped, the day will come when cremation will have to be univer-