COMMITTEE ON COLONIAL BOTANISTS REPORT. 9 



annually in the conservation of the forests seems to be about Drj.c.Brown. 

 1,300. By the sale of licences to cut timber there is 

 received about 2,050 per annum, leaving a balance of 

 750." Upon what is that estimate founded ? It is founded 

 upon the reports of the conservators for the preceding 

 year. 



43. Can you give us any information as to what was the 

 expense of the conservation of forests when they were closed, 

 when no licences were granted ? The expense of keeping 

 the forests of George and the Knysna closed was 370 per 

 annum, for which expense of outlay no return was received. 



44. Mr. Wicht.] t believe it was on the ground of expe- 

 diency that the forests were reopened, the people formerly 

 employed there complaining that they had no means of 

 livelihood. But in your experience, with regard to these 

 abandoned forests, have you seen trees springing up indi- 

 genously ? Yes ; but most of the trees are of slow growth. 

 All our valuable trees are of slow growth. 



45. In what time do the valuable indigenous trees arrive 

 at maturity, such as the yellowwood, assagai, and stinkhout ? 

 I will furnish the committee with the several periods of 

 their growth by quoting a 



Memorandum showing the different Woods of value in the 



forests of George, and the age at which they are fit to be cut 



for Trade; furnished by Mr. Haswell to the Hon. Major 



Hope, when that Gentleman visited the Forests as a Special 



Commissioner in 1855. 

 1. Yellowwood Grows from seed only; must be 40 or 50 years 



' old before useful timber can be cut from it. 

 2. Stinkwood. Shoots from the stump when cut ; it also grows 



from seed ; must also be 40 or 50 years old to give good 



timber. 

 3. Assegai. Grows from seed, and also shoots from the stump; 



is used for wagonwood ; becomes useful after 7 or 8 years 



growth. 

 4. White Pear. Grows from seed, and shoots from the stump ; 



f slow growth, and must be 20 or 30 years old to be useful 



for wagonwood. 

 5. Saffran. Grows the same, and requires the same time to be 



useful as wagonwood. 

 6. White Eels. Grows as the others, and requires from 30 to 



50 years before useful ; it is used for boat-building, for 



wagon sides, and chests. 

 7. Red ditto. Ditto ditto ditto. 



C. 7 '65, COLONIAL BOTANIST'S REPORT.-2. C 



