PKklODR-.^I, LITICR ATUR1-: M)'M) 



Forest Department and later of British East Africa. Tlie l)Ook is the 

 result of a two years' study of Australian conditions. 



Eucalyptus and various wattles (acacia) are the most valuable and 

 principal species and are developed as timber in that part of the Coast 

 belt which has a rainfall of 20 inches and more, some 160,000 square 

 miles. Areas of the Coast belt with smaller rainfall, some 700,000 

 square miles, furnish only wood for domestic purposes. Clearing and 

 fires have invaded the timber forest in the extra-tropical area of the 

 belt. Fires have injured the timber and thinned the stands and natural 

 regeneration is poor; hence the policy of clearing and planting, which 

 is expensive, has been advocated. Partly on account of the poor con- 

 dition, partly on account of the character of the native timber. Australia 

 must import increasingly coniferous material. 



While each Australian colony, except Tasmania, has a forest depart- 

 ment, these are much at the mercy of politics ; the staff is insufficient 

 and mostly not technically educated. Although the establishment of a 

 forest school in South Africa proved barren of results, Mr. Hutchins 

 advocates introduction of educated superior officers and the establish- 

 ment of a forest school, and Schlich properly objects to this solution 

 of the problem, substituting several schools for training of subordi-. 

 nates, but of superior officers at Oxford. A national department, sup- 

 posedly like the Indian, is to supplement the State departments. 



The setting aside of permanent State forests, which has only inade- 

 quately been done (some 17,000 square miles; other sources claim 

 26,000 square miles), should be extended to comprise 74,000 square 

 miles in the extra-tropical timber belt. The idea of replacing the nat- 

 ural forest by planting is rejected as very expensive and risky except 

 as far as light woods are needed. In the way of protection of fire, 

 broad fire lanes which can be turned into grazing lands are advocated. 

 Details of conditions in the several States are given. 



While Dr. Schlich considers the author's conclusions frequently as 

 "of a risky nature, and in several cases even startling," he finds the 

 arguments on the whole sound and of great service to Australia. 



The somewhat diffuse character of the book is perhaps best shown 

 by citing the chapter headings : I — Preliminary observations on the 

 principles of modern forestry ; II — Practical forestry ; III — Popular 

 forestry ; IV — Economics of Australian forestry ; V — Factors influ- 

 encing Australian trade in timber and forest produce; VI — Special to 

 western Australia; VIl^ — Arboriculture, public and private; VIII — 

 Present condition of forestry in each of the Australian States ; IX — 

 Recapitulary digest. 



Quarterly Journal of Forestry, October, 1917, pp. 271-278. 



