THE FORESTS OF AUSTRALIA. 37 



The impression I have gathered in going through the forests 

 in Victoria is that the authorities now, happily, have sufficient 

 power to deal properly with the grazing question — a most 

 important matter. In extra-tropical forests generally grazing 

 is a good friend but a bad enemy. It is, of course, fatal among 

 young trees, but assists fire-protection and revenue when the 

 trees are grown up. Says the conservator of forests in his 

 annual report for 191 1 : "The act passed by Parliament last 

 session for the restriction of illegal grazing in forestry has so far 

 been thoroughly effective." Of course grazing regulation and 

 fire-protection go together, for a well-grazed, grown-up forest is 

 safe from fire, and it is the graziers in extra-tropical countries 

 who burn the forest to improve the grazing ; and small blame 

 to them as long as they do not forget the difference between 

 metim and tiium. (In New South Wales, alas ! the Forest 

 Department may plant a tree, and the Lands Department turn 

 on a cow to eat it up !) 



Lastly, in Victoria, there is something of a sound public 

 opinion on forestry matters. It is not often that the press of a 

 country can point to a national mine of wealth saved to the 

 country so largely through its instrumentality. With the capable 

 staff of its well-organised Forest Department, forestry in Victoria 

 should have a bright future. The one essential, a better pro- 

 vision of funds is now, I see by the newspapers, being provided 

 by Government. 



If I were asked what are the two ends to which these funds 

 should principally be devoted, I should answer — (i) fire-protec- 

 tion, (2) the plantation of softwood. 



One has only to go a short distance in the Victorian forests to 

 see the mischief that has been caused by fire, and the loss still 

 going on from it ; and the opinion is commonly expressed that 

 the protection of the forests from fire is a doubtful or impossible 

 matter. That, however, is not so. Fire-protection in Victoria 

 is not quite so difficult as in South Africa or round the Mediter- 

 ranean, where the climates are similar, but with a longer dry 

 season. Successful fire-protection in Victoria is simply a matter 

 of organisation. There is no more difficulty with organisation 

 in protecting any forest in Victoria than in protecting any house 

 in the streets of Melbourne. But, of course, there must be 

 organisation, and it will not pay to fire-protect inaccessible and 

 comparatively valueless forests. It may be mentioned that for 



