Forestry in German Colonies. 641 



liformis (building timber), as well as a large number of Legumi- 

 nosae. 



Not until 20 years after the occupation by Germany was a 

 systematic beginning made with forestry, the troubles with the 

 natives preventing any kind of management. In 1906, the 

 systematic exploration of the forest conditions was begim by 

 Metzger and the first attempt at organizing a service made. In 

 his book Metzger describes the vegetation, the origin of the 

 savannahs, the forest influences in the tropics, especially in Togo, 

 the necessity of forest preservation and the measures needful for 

 it, with plan for the future exploitations. The more important 

 tree species are discussed and propositions for the re-forestation 

 of the savannahs made. He himself started systematic re-fores- 

 tation of the watershed of the Haho river, with a view of improv- 

 ing water flow, some 75,000 acres having been set aside for the 

 purpose on a territory bounded at one end by a 7,500 acres river 

 forest, at the other end by savannah. By 1910 some 50 acres had 

 been sowed and some 95 acres planted, and nurseries established. 

 The cost has been excessive owing to lack of skill of the black 

 labor, namely about $45 per acre; results are not yet quite satis- 

 factory; drouthy conditions seem to prevail. The detail of the 

 plantation is given by Metzger in the articles on the re-forestation 

 work at the Haho. 



German Southwest Africa, lying 20° south of Kamerun, with 

 a dry continental climate and dry, sandy soil, is practically forest- 

 less, except for clumps of Acacia brushforest, and riverforest. 

 Only in the North are found some remnants of forest with Adan- 

 sonia, Cassia, Eugenia, Combretum, and other tropical forms. 



The forest administration here is engaged in trying to find 

 suitable species for planting in the plains, the species used being 

 mainly exotics : Finns halepensis, canariensis, pinea, pinaster, 

 Eucalypts, Casuarina, Prosopis, Cupressineae, Morus, Schinus, 

 Ailantus, Robinia, Cork oak. Camphor tree and Bamboo. In the 

 six or eight experiment gardens Casuarina thrives especially well. 

 In a forest plantation, in two and one half years it attained a 

 height of nearly 30 feet and circumferences of 12 inches at 3 feet 

 height. Eucalyptus, Prosopis, Cupressus, Schinus and Ash ap- 

 pear promising, but the pines seem a total failure. Lack of water 



