502 THE CEDAR A PLANTATION. 



Certain interesting results were observed in regard lo the 

 Acacia mclanoxylon (Blackwood). Whilst Black Wattle and 

 Eucalypts offered little or no resistance to the progress of the 

 fire, some Blackwood planted in a ravine which was a veritable 

 flue and contained four-3'ear-old grass, turned the fire and pre- 

 vented any considerable penetration alon<>' the line.. It seems 

 clear that wherever Blackwood can be successfully grown, it 

 should be used generally for fire protection purposes. At Cedara 

 itself this observed fact was put in practice when replanting 

 operations were commenced, and numerous intersecting belts of 

 Blackwood now traverse the plantation. 



In 1910 the staff at Cedara was principally em])loyed in 

 coppicing the injured gums and re])airing. as far as this was 

 possible, the damage done by the fire. 



In the same year (ist October, lyio) Mr. A. W. Heywood, 

 Conservator of Forests of the Eastern Conservancy, Cape Prc^- 

 vince, was transferred to the charge of the Natal Conservancy 

 and afforestation operations were recommenced on a larger scale 

 and continued until the outbreak of the European W'ar. when re- 

 trenchment of funds only permitted works of maintenance. 



With the re-establishment of a Forest Department in r^TO 

 under the Union Administration, it became necessary to define 

 the relative spheres of the Agricultural and Forest Departments 

 at Cedara. An agreement was drawn up in igt2 by which an 

 area of 1281.44 acres were placed entirely under the control of 

 the Forest Department, and the remainder of the estate under 

 the Agricultural Department. Under the arrangement about 131 

 acres of plantation, consisting of the greater part of the Arboreta. 

 ornamental belts, avenues and some black wattle areas fell to the 

 Agricultural Department. 



iThe area of i2(Si.44 acres which came under thr direct 

 control of the Forest Department is in one l)lock. 



hVom time to time stock maps ha\e l)een prepared of the 

 area planted, but owing to the numerous i)lots of varying age 

 scattered over the area, it was decided in lyi.S f^' re-survey the 

 plantation and di\ide it into blocks and compartments. Owini:' 

 to the numerous small groups the size of the individual c(Mni)art- 

 ments was fixed at 10 acres — irregularities of ])erimeter render- 

 ing it necessary for some com])artments to l)e larger and others 

 smaller. 



The four blocks were numbered respectix ely, .\, B, C. and D, 

 and contain the following areas: — 



Block A . . . . 14.^-26 acres with r8 compartments. 



Block B . . . . 386.4 acres with 40 compartments. 



i>lock C .. .. 409.02 acres with 42 com])artments. 



l-)lock D . . . . 342. 76 acres with 37 comi)artments. 



Total .... 1281.44 137 



