10 



whenever they could be easily extracted, ind the kloofs and other steep places remained 

 almost untouched. In those portions that were worked, the young growth was continu- 

 ally destroyed or damaged. Kafiis, by cutting wattles and other small wood, and cattle 

 by browsing, helped to prevent it from making any headway, so that it has now completely 

 disappeared in some places, leaving inferior old trees, the refuse of former woodcutters, 

 to cover the crop of rubbish on the ground. A considerable quantity of timber has been 

 left in the less accessible places, and much of it could be worked without endangering 

 sensibly the chances of recovery of the forest. At present, there is very little work 

 -carried on. Since 1883, when the Natal forests were closed, it has consisted chiefly of the 

 removal of old logs that had been left by former woodcutters, but now that felling is 

 iresumed under Proclamation No. 24, 1888, wagonwood is taken in increasing quantities. 

 The main road from Harding to Kokstad passes close to the eastern end of the forest, 

 and it would not be difficult to improve the branch road that skirts the foot. 



The Stink wood Bush is a patch of forest within a mile to the south, formerly rich 

 in Wagonwood and Stinkwood, as its name implies, but now considered " cut out." 



A fine forest, known as the Impetyne, is situated about five or six miles further south. 

 Crown laud still surrounds it on every side, but farms are being rapidly taken up, and 

 no time should be lost in reserving enough land for convenient working. The area is 

 about 1,800 acres, the mean altitude 5,000 feet, and the aspect south. Much of the 

 forest clothes the sides of steep gorges at the head of the basin of the Umtamvuna 

 River ; its shape is irregular. The configuration of the ground affords shelter from 

 easterly gales. As only a few loads of timber have been cut, the forest is still very 

 rich in Upright Yellow wood and Stinkwood. In a sample area 1*63 acres in extent, 

 58 trees, containing 11,423 cubic feet of log wood, were measured. The growth was 

 fairly average, excepting in the case of Stinkwood, many logs of which had been cut in 

 the vicinity, so that about double the estimated yield of this species would more nearly 

 represent the average for the whole forest. The standing stock per acre deduced 

 from the measurements was : 



26 Upright Yellowwood ... ... 6,186 cubic feet 



5 Stinkwood ... ... ... 560 



3 Bogabog ... ... ... 153 



2 Other species ... .. ... 109 



36 trees, containing 7,008 



It is interesting to compare this yield with that of Cape forests. Taking the whole 

 -of the Knysna forests, the standing stock per acre averages nearly : 



6 Yellowwood ... ... ... 300 cubic feet 



4 Ironwood ... ... . ... 80 



2 Stinkwood ... ... ... 70 



6 Other woods ... ... ... 160 



18 trees 610 



