23 



recorded, as similar work in Burma has generally proved to be more expen- 

 sive than the formation of plantations with the aid of field crops. It is 

 possible, therefore, that clear fellings with artificial reproduction may yet 

 be adopted as the cheapest and most satisfactory method of regenerating the 

 plateau forests in such a way as to maintain a stock of the most valuable 

 species. 



(3) Camphor forests. The regeneration of the camphor (muzaiti) forests 

 has hitherto proved an insoluble problem. These forests are characterised 

 by the presence of camphor trees of gigantic size, with a great deficiency, 

 and in some cases an entire absence, of smaller trees and young saplings. 

 Seedling regeneration is believed to be absent, although the trees have the 

 power of producing suckers and stool-shoots, and any young trees met with 

 appear to have originated by such means. The number of young trees, 

 however, is totally inadequate to maintain the future supply when the existing 

 mature trees have been removed ; the difficulty of the situation is intensified 

 by the fact that artificial reproduction by seed is apparently out of the 

 question, since there is only one record of good seed having ever been 

 collected, and that only in small quantity; normally good seed has hitherto 

 proved to be unobtainable. 



What appears to be a solution of the difficulty came to my notice during 

 a recent visit to the camphor forests at Katumayu on the eastern slopes of the 

 Aberdares in company with Mr. H. M. Gardner. In these forests heavy 

 fellings of large camphor trees had been in operation for the past four 

 years. For two years after felling no reproduction had been visible, and 

 the only result appeared to be a dense mass of weeds filling the large gaps 

 created, with no prospect of maintaining the further supply of camphor. 

 At the time of my visit the felled area presented an entirely different aspect. 

 A vigorous growth of suckers and stool-shoots had made its appearance even 

 from the largest stumps; these averaged about 10 in number from each 

 stump, with a mean height of 12 feet in the case of trees felled 3^ years 

 previously, that is, for about 1^ years' actual growth. These shoots had 

 for the most part succeeded in pushing their way through the weedgrowth 

 and were well established; the growth was most vigorous where there was 

 most light. 



These observations would appear to indicate (1) that large-sided 

 camphor trees, when felled, are capable of producing stool-shoots; (2) that 

 the felling of the tree stimulates a plentiful growth of suckers ; (3) that these 

 make little or no growth during the first year or two, but thereafter they 

 begin to. grow vigorously ; (4) that the growth is most vigorous where there 

 is abundance of light; (5) that the shoots are capable of pushing their way 

 through a fairly heavy growth of weeds. 



These observations require confirmation in other localities, but so far as 

 they go they indicate the lines on which the camphor forests should be worked. 

 Heavy selection fellings would no doubt secure the regeneration of the 

 camphor by suckers and stool-shoots, and they would also result in the 

 regeneration of other species by seed or otherwise. There are, however, two 

 good reasons for not adopting selection fellings, first, that they will not 

 necessarily produce an increase in the proportion of valuable species as a 

 whole, and, second, that the camphor forests are situated on broken country 

 which is difficult to work, and fellings of a more concentrated kind will 

 facilitate working and cheapen the cost of extraction. It would, therefore, 

 be advisable to adopt the general scheme outlined in paragraph 21, though 

 in the present case there is an important modification, namely, that it would 

 be unwise to carry out selection fellings of camphor in any area in which the 

 resulting regeneration will not attain marketable size by the time the main 

 fellings reach the area in question. This would confine selection fellings 

 to areas allotted for regeneration late in the rotation. An exception should, 



