39 



In Africa, with a total area of nearly 10,000,000 square miles, the proportion 

 covered by forests is not known, excepting in the following cases : 



Total Area. Wooded Area. 



Algeria 258,300 square miles 8,250 square miles (a) 



Tunis 45,700 1,125 (6) 



Cape Colony 221,310 550 (c) 



Natal 17,800 220 (d) 



Though the forests of the World possibly cover between one-fourth and one-fifth of 

 the total land surface, it would be wrong to expect that if those of North America and'> 

 the Baltic, which supply half the world with lumber, should become exhausted, other forest 

 regions will be opened up as the demand progresses, and that the present low prices 

 would be thus maintained. Few other countries besides Canada, the United States, Russia,, 

 and Scandinavia afford the same unrivalled facilities for water carriage and cheap working. 

 The expense of land carriage from the great Siberian forest will reimin prohibitive, 

 while the Brazilian and Central African forests could only yield a large supply of 

 hard woods, which cannot be worked and brought to markets at the price of soft woods. 

 In Europe, large timber is indeed getting more scarce year by year, and had it not been 

 for the extended use of iron for many purposes, the deficiency would already have been 

 felt keenly. As it is, timber is now required to be cut in localities more and more 

 remote, or more difficult of access ; and the expense of bringing it down to markets is 

 steadily increasing and must soon affect the prices. And in consequence of the fact that 

 timber does pay to grow in those countries whence we derive our supply, considerations 

 of self-interest will eventually prevent the retention by them of forests larger than 

 will serve to meet their home requirements. There seems no escape from the 

 conclusion that timber must needs become scarcer and dearer. Whether the forests 

 are conserved or allowed to be destroyed, the result is the same : a reduction of the 

 present rate of supply. This would have possibly happened already, were it not that the 

 greater portion of the forests of North America and the Baltic are in private hands, that 

 the temptation to realise a capital which does not pay the lowest current rate of interest 

 is irresistible to individual owners ; and that State interference would be resented owing 

 to the magnitude of the interests at stake. But all this points to one conclusion, which 

 is that timber-growing will become more and more profitable, and that it behoves us to 

 take this consideration into account. Many industries would be fostered by cheap and 

 plentiful timber, a possible interruption of extra colonial supplies would not affect us, and 

 the greater part of some 180,000 now being paid out of Natal every year for timber and 

 woodenware of all kinds would be retained in the country ; and this without detriment to 

 any branch of productive activity. 



(a) Report, Supt. Cape Forests, 1882. 



(&) Encycl. Brit.. 9th edition. 



(c) Including Transkei. 



(<f) Excluding thorn and coast forest, which cover 2,700 square miles. 



