[Crown Copyright Reserved 



ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW. 



BULLETIN 



or 



MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 



No. 



[1919 



XL— THE FALKLAND ISLANDS. 



Forestry. Tussock Grass. 



W. Dallimore. 



The records of the Roval Botanic Gardens, Kew, indicate 

 that on several occasions between 1842 and the present date 

 correspondence lias taken place between the Governor of the 

 Falkland Islands and other individuals, the Colonial Office, and 

 the Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, respecting 

 trees suitable for experimental planting in the Islands, and 

 the advisability of planting the Falkland Islands Tussock Grass 

 extensively in certain parts of the British Isles; therefore, in 

 view of recent interest shown in the two subjects, the following 

 notes have been prepared. 



Forestry. 



In order that the difficulties which beset the islanders when 

 considering the establishment of trees may be understood, it is 

 necessary to give a few details respecting the geographical 

 position of the islands and the prevailing physical and climatic 



conditions. 



* They are situated in the South Atlantic Ocean, between 51° 

 and 53 d S. la*., and between 57° and 62° W. Ion., about 480 

 miles N.E. of Cape Horn, and about 1000 miles due south of 

 Monte Video. They consist of East Falkland (area 3001 > 

 square miles), West Falkland (2300 square miles), and about 

 100 small islands, with an area of nearly 1200 square miles. 

 The surface is undulated with Mount Adam, the highest ground, 

 rising to 2315 ft. above the level of the sea. The entire 

 country is "wild moorland with outcrops of rocks and wide stone 

 runs which litter large areas of the valleys with stones. Much 

 of the soil is peat, often of a wet and boggy nature. In other 

 places it is loam or clay, and in some instances peat over-lies 

 clay of such tenacity that natural drainage is almost impossible 

 and the peat becomes semi-liquid. There are, however, areas 



* Colonial Office List. 



(448.) Wt. 158— 829. 1.125. 7/19. J. T. & B„ Ltd. G. 1 I Sch. 12. 



