326 MODIFICATION OF SOinif AFRUAX KAIXFALL. 



fortunately, a Government department is always to some extent 

 hampered by political considerations, and while our le.s^islators 

 ha\e recognised the value of a home-grown timber supply to 

 the Union, they have not recognised the influence that afforesta- 

 tion has on climate. Consequently little or nothing has been 

 done, either departmentally or by private enterprise, to combine 

 the growing of timber with the infltiencing of the climate. It 

 is essential in a country in which the water-supply is yearly 

 decreasing, and the perennial nature of our streams more and 

 more imcertain, that the species planted should be such as exer- 

 cise a maximum cooling effect on the ground, transpire a 

 minimum of moisture, and provide humus which, acting like a 

 sponge, shall absorb and hold i)recipitated moisture, and so give 

 the moisture a chance to soak in gradually, and thus render our 

 streams yearly of a more perennial character. 



C(wliiif/ the Grass Velds. — The ways in which we can influence 

 the grass velds' are too numerous for one to consider in detail. 

 But. since the first great factor in the destruction of the grass 

 velds was the burning of grass, so the first wav in which we 

 can assist in the improvement of the veld is l)y the entire i)ro- 

 •hibition of burning. Once that is done, the sweet grasses have 

 an opportunity of reasserting themselves, and the density of the 

 grass-covering of the ground at once increases. As it increases, 

 there is more shade given to the grotmd, and more im])ediment 

 to the flow-off of water. The soakage increases, and with it the 

 permanent humidity of the ground, and the tem]:)erature of the 

 ground is lowered. 



Apart from the question of grass-btu-ning, undoubtedly one 

 of the most potent factors in the recovery of oiu" water-supi)ly 

 lies in closer settlement. Closer settlement means the more 

 intensive working of the ground, means more ground will be 

 broken up. and more soakage of moisture and less evaporation 

 will take place. Tt means irrigation, and irrigation means that, 

 instead of water running to waste in a narrow stream channel, 

 it will 1)6 spread over a large area, and exercise an enormous 

 influence in cooling the ground. It means that the veld must 

 be made to carry more beasts per acre than it does at liresent, 

 and to do this means the formation of artificial pastures. It 

 means that South Africa will realise the latent jiossibilities within 

 herself, and to do justice to them will give this great subject of 

 natural water conservation the attention it deserves. 



XI'.W HOOKS. 



Godee Molsbergen, Dr. E. C. — " Rciccti in Zuid Afrika in dc Hol- 

 landsc tijd. 2(\v deel. Tochtcn iiaar hct noordcn t686-I8o6. The 

 HaKiic: -M. .Vijiioff, igi6. loin. X (•>^Jn. ])p. xl. 306. Map and 

 illus. 



Plaatje, Solomon T.— " Sccliuana Prozrrbs. tc///; literal translations 

 and their liurofcan equivalents." London : Keshan Paul. Trench, 

 TniliiHT & Co., 1916. 



