

COMMITTEE ON COLONIAL BOTANISTS REPORT. 7 



engaged in prosecuting preliminary arrangements necessary Dr. j.c. Brown 

 for the making of these roads ; Mr. Falconer, formerly con- Aug. ir,, ises. 

 nected with saw-mill in Pirie Bush, near King William's Town; 

 and from a gentleman whose communication was marked 

 " private," and must, therefore he considered anonymous. From 

 gentlemen taking an interest in arboriculture there have been 

 received eight communications, from P. B. Richardson, Esq., 

 Schoonberg, Langekloof ; Walter Smith, Esq., Hermitage, 

 Oatlands, Graham's Town ; the Rev. W. R. '1 homson, 

 Stockenstrom, Kat River; Robert Hart, sen,, Esq., Somerset 

 East ; Messrs. Parkes Brothers, Wheatlands, Graaff-Reinet ; 

 Hobson, Esq., Ebenezer, Graaff-Reinet; Dr. Meullen, 

 Colonial Botanist, Melbourne ; and E. Brown, Esq., Laun- 

 ceston, Tasmania. Relative to the meteorological connection 

 of rain-fall and vegetation, besides several which were 

 anonymous, consisting of published statements forwarded to 

 me, there have been two communications received from W. 

 L. Blore, Esq., Wynberg, secretary to the South African 

 Meteorological Society, and Mr. N. R. Janesch, police 

 magistrate, St. Helena. 



36. Will you state the general bearing of these replies ? 

 To the first query, the replies, as I have already mentioned, 

 are corroboraiive of what is stated in the report. The second 

 query was, " What is your opinion in regard to the practica- 

 bility and expediency of carrying out any or all of the sug- 

 gestions he (the Colonial Botanist) has made?" Most of the 

 answers go to show that it is practicable and expedient to 

 carry out such suggestions. The third query was, " What 

 other suggestions can you offer as a means of counteracting 

 the evils upon which he has reported?" Several suggestions 

 are embodied in the replies received ; one of which is the 

 establishment of a Forest Academy, which is recommended 

 by more than one of the gentlemen replying to the query. 

 Another is, the obtaining a report from some party in Europe 

 qualified to ascertain the economic uses to which our timber 

 can be applied. The fourth query is, "What information 

 can you supply in regard to the soil and situations to which 

 different species of indigenous trees are confined ?" The 

 information goes to show that they are almost exclusively 

 confined to mountain kloofs. The fifth query is, " Are you 

 acquainted with any experiments which have been made in 

 this Colony in raising from seed trees of South African or 



