THE CE13ARA PLANTAl'ION. 



I'>\- loilN SPURGEON llKNKia, 



The Cedara I'lantation ha\ing- been recently re-surveyed 'a- 

 -Mr. S. St. C. Ballenclen, the officer in charge, and a descriptinu 

 prepared by him of the growing stock, it seemed to the writer 

 that a brief account of the origin and present state of the largest 

 (jovernment Plantation in Natal would not be uninteresting. 



The plantation is situated on the south and st)uth-east ])(ir- 

 tion of Section A of the farm " Riet S])ruit," purchased bv the 

 Natal Government in iyoi-2. The whole area was named the 

 Central Experiment Farm, but subse(|uently came to be called 

 Cedara. 



The nearest railway station is that of Cedara. on the Natal 

 main line. F'rom this station the furthest point of the ])lantation 

 is distant about hve miles, and the nearest about two. 



The geological formation is that of the Beaufort beds, with 

 numerous intrusions of dolerite. The soil varies considerably. 

 being in parts shaley and shallow, in others a |)orous red loam, 

 and a still black clayey loam in the valleys. It is nowhere as 

 good as the soils on the coastward slopes of the Zwartkop. where 

 trees do so well. 



The average elevation is al)out 4,000 feet, varying from .^.500 

 to 5,000 feet. 



The general aspect varies from north to north-west. 



The rainfall, which principally occurs in summer, averages 

 about 30 inches, with 134 wet days. Occasionally snow falls on 

 the higher portions, and in winter frosts occur in the valleys. 

 Hailstorms in the summer months sometimes pass over the area, 

 and occasionally injure the trees. 



The configuration is hilly, a large part of the area having a 

 steep slope, which rendered it necessary to prepare the ground 

 by hand. 



The action of the Natal (jovernment leading u]) to the es- 

 tablishment of the plantation ap])ears to date from the year 

 1900, when, as a result oi a discussion in Parliament, steps were 

 taken to collect data in regard to the re-establishment of a Forest 

 Department. In T(joi-2 .some provision (ii,ooo) was made for 

 such a Department, and in 1902, on the invitation of the Natal 

 (iovernment, Mr. J. Storr Lister, Conservator of Forests of 

 the Eastern Conservancy of the Cape, visited Natal and sub- 

 mitted a report on the forest areas, and gave suggestions for 

 the establishment of a Forest Department. Air. IJster visited 

 Cedara in order to determine whether it would be j)racticable to 

 form a Nursery and Plantation there. He reported favourably, 

 and suggested that about 1.400 acres of the farm be allotted for 

 afforestation, and that the Conservator of Forests have his head- 

 (|uarters at that centre. Various suggestions were given for 

 laying out the plantation and nursery, and the kinds of trees to 

 be grown. 



