South African Forestry 615 



The Chief Conservator for the Union is, of course, more highly- 

 paid. Throughout the organization a regular annual salary in- 

 crement is provided. The salaries in many cases are augmented 

 by the use of Government residences or allowances in lieu thereof. 

 Every permanent employee on reaching the retiring age receives a 

 pension. 



South Africa, with only a fraction of the population and re- 

 sources, and a very much less interest at stake, has faced the prob- 

 lem of forest organization in a more statesman-like manner than 

 has any part of Canada, and as a result is building in a more perma- 

 nent manner and on a sounder basis. The total area of forest 

 reserves in South Africa is about 2,000,000 acres. Only about 

 400,000 acres of this area is forested. There are 280,000 acres of 

 moimtain groimd unfit for tree growth, held under forest reserva- 

 tion as a convenient means of retaining imder public control areas 

 which might be over-grazed and become crowded if allowed to 

 pass into private hands. Fifty thousand acres of drift sands are 

 included in the forest reserves, as also 200,000 acres of mountain 

 lands producing "buchu," a shrub-producing leaf of medicinal 

 value. The remainder of the area under reserve is made up of 

 waste land, only a small proportion of which is expected to be of 

 ultimate value for afforestation. 



Working Plans and Market 



The indigenous forests are located chiefly in Cape Province. 

 Ambitious attempts were made in the early days of forest ad- 

 ministration to put them under systematic management on a 

 sustained yield basis. Working plans were drawn up and sanc- 

 tioned which did not work, chiefly because of lack of silvicultural 

 knowledge of the various species, of financial pressure which 

 forced over-cutting in spite of the working plan — a condition not 

 yet remedied — lack of demand for any but the best species in 

 the forest, too few trained officers, and too great a pressure of wood- 

 cutting population seeking the best woods. There was thus 

 created a management system of inverse selection which has gone 

 far to ruin some areas. 



Under the present administration a determined effort is being 

 made to overcome these handicaps. Much yet needs to be done 

 before the indigenous forests, which are nearly all very much over- 

 worked, can be said to be on the up-grade. A shortage of trained 



