6^6 Forestry Quarterly. 



aspen and birch, takes possession of these openings is Musanga 

 Smithii, Umbrella tree. This is shady enough to keep weeds out 

 and at the same time light enough to permit some better species to 

 thrive in its shade, like our species, hence it is a good nurse 

 tree. Its proposed use for wood pulp completes the resemblance. 

 Ceiba pentandra also belongs to this class of nursetrees of little 

 technical value. 



As everywhere in the tropics, the lack of gregariousness of spe- 

 cies makes logging expensive, unless the many species can be 

 marketed together. The really (at present) marketable woods 

 occur only sparingly scattered through the forest. Thus a sample 

 plot containing 369 trees belonging to 41 species had only 4 

 merchantable trees of one and 6 of another species, and this 

 was rather an exceptionally good proportion. Other difificulties 

 in the exploitation are the form of trees; the boles are often 

 strongly buttressed with salient root-ridges which adds to the 

 labor of felling and working up. A stem 30 inches in diameter 

 at 65 feet had a basal diameter of 50 feet. Felled trees fre- 

 quently prove worthless and the logging waste runs up 60 and 

 75 per cent. Labor conditions add to the difficulties. Woodswork 

 is heavy and unhealthy and must be interrupted during the wet 

 iseason. 



Transportation is rendered difficult by the rough or swampy 

 country and hand power alone is commonly used. Horses or 

 oxen cannot be kept (Tsetse fly!). Built roads are few, and but 

 very few light railways have been run into the country. The na- 

 ture of the streams and the density of the woods to be floated 

 alike conspire to render river driving almost out of the question. 



Present prices of wood are very low and the margin of profit 

 in the industry is very small. Attempts have been made to ac- 

 quaint German wood-using industries with the possibilities of 

 the woods from Kamerun, but so far with poor success. 



We may quote here at once the verdict of a forester, who has 

 studied the situation on the ground officially. Gieseler writes : 

 "The experiences gained in exploiting tropical woods, where large 

 capital is required for securing means of transportation, are by 

 no means encouraging. The English in British Africa and Ameri- 

 cans in Central and South America have experienced this — ^it is a 

 jump in the dark!" 



