308 TKi-.E PLANTINC. COMl'llTH JOXS IN NATAL. 



from the late Mr. Niemack that the plantation \va- imt clown in 

 response to Mr. Evans' offer, and that he ( Mr. Niemack ) was 

 annoyed that no prize was awarded. 



In 1902 the Forest Department in Natal was reorganised 

 under the superintendence of Mr. T. R. Sim, a Cape Forest 

 Officer, who held the appointment of Conservator of Forests. 



Mr. Sim started the Cedara Nursery and Plantation, and 

 endeavoured in every possible way to stimulate afforestation both 

 by Government and by private individuals, and from that date 

 numerous persons throughout Natal began to plant timber trees 

 of various kinds on their farms. Though it is not to be sup- 

 posed that tree-planting had not been carried on successfully in 

 previous years, for there are many honoured names of individuals 

 who realised the importance of the industry, such as Messrs. 

 Handley, Wilkinson, Menne, Sclanders, Sutton, Honourable T. 

 Angus, Alfred Henderson, Robert Topham, and Honourable 

 Sir Liege Hulett, all of whom planted trees more or less exten- 

 sively. From many of the plantations established in the early 

 days of the Colony considerable returns have been and are being 

 obtained. 



It may not be out of place to mention that in 1889 Mr. H. 

 G. Fourcade, of the Cape Forest Service, visited Natal, and 

 l)repared an exhaustive report on the indigenous forests and 

 their timbers, and submitted recommendations for creating arti- 

 ficial forests of exotic trees. As a result of the report, in 1891 

 Mr. Schopflin, a Baden Forest Officer, was appointed Conser- 

 vator on a three years' engagement. Mr. vSchopflin only re- 

 mained some two years in Natal, but during that time en- 

 deavoured to arouse enthusiasm in afforestation. It will thus 

 be seen that the general pu1)lic were not without advice from 

 experts. 



In ()ctol)er, 190.'^. Mr. M. S. Evans. C.M.G., again took nv 

 the ([uestion, and offered, through the Farmers" Conference at 

 Maritzburg, the sum of £500 to be divided into prizes and awarded 

 for the best plantations of forest trees planted between ist 

 fst January, 1904, and ^ist December, 1905. Mr. Evans' letter, 

 dated 13th March, 1903. sti])ulatcd the conditions to be observed. 

 ^1iis letter was printed, and under a covering letter, dated 13th 

 May, 1903, by the President of the Conference, Mr. George D. 

 Alexander, was circulated to all the societies and associations 

 affiliated to the Natal Farmers' Conference. 



Mr. M. S. Evans' offer was briefly as follows : A money 

 prize of £50 to each of the electoral divisions of the Colony, with 

 the exception of .Alfred, Alexandra, Eshowe and Melmoth for 

 plantations of trees ])lanted in the years T904 and 1905. For 

 the four divisions mentioned above the prize would be £35, on 

 account of the s])arseness of population. In each case the 

 larger prize to be divided into first, second and third, £30, £15 

 and £5 respectively, and the smaller one £15, £7 10s. and £2 los. 

 iMirmal notice was rcfjuircd from intending competitors not later 



