

the Drakensberg, forming patches mostly on south slopes, at an elevation of from 3,500 

 to 6,000 feet, where the mean yearly temoerature ranges from 52 to 59. The Upright 

 Yellowwool (Podocarpus Thnnbergii) reaches its greatest development in this zone, but 

 occurs mixed with numerous other species. The Thorn Bush consists chiefly of various 

 species of Mimosas, Acacia Natalitla and A. Kranssiana being the most common. It is 

 spread over very wide areas, mostly in the basins of the Tugela and of the Umkomanzi, 

 at an altitude of from 3,500 to 1,000 feet, below which it intermingles with the Coast 

 forest. In this region, the mean annual temperature ranges from 59 to 67. The Coast 

 forest predominates below 1.000 feet where the climate becomes sub-tropical, and the 

 mean annual temperature ranges from 67 to 71. It is composed of a great variety of 

 low trees, among which the Waterboom (Eugenia cordata) and the Flatcrown (Albizzia 

 fastigiata) are characteristic species. 



Map I. sho^vs the distribution of the different classes of forest, but patches of High 

 Timber forest may be found, out of the upland region of the map, wherever the altitude 

 js sufficient. 



FORESTS IN POLELA DISTRICT. The largest timber forests of Natal are situated in 

 the south-western portion of the Colony, towards the Transkeian border. In the division 

 of Polela, there are about 10,000 acres of forest on Crown Land and some 5,000 more 

 on Native locations, which still contain large quantities of valuable timber. 



The Xumeni forest was the first examined. It is bounded to the south by the 



Dumadezwa location, occupied by the Memela tribe, and covers about 1,200 acres 



of south and south-westerly slopes, at an altitude of 4,000 4,500 feet. The climate 



is temperate, frosts are prevalent in winter and thunderstorms in summer. The soil is 



light, moist, and consists largely of humus. The underlying rock (Maritzburg shale) 



protrudes in many places, and detached boulders are scattered over the surface. The 



prevailing species is the Upright Yellowwood (Podocarpus Thunbergii), which alone 



constitutes the greater portion of the standing stock. Other trees are the Natal 



Mahogany (Kiggelaria Dregeana), the Stinkwood (Ocotea bullata), the Wild Chestnut 



(Calodendron Capense), the Saffraan ( Elceodendron croceumj, the Camdeboo Stinkwood 



(Celtis Kraussiana), and the Onderbosch (Cryptocarya sp.) The surface growth' 



composed of nettles and ferns, does not contain many young plants of valuable species. 



On entering the forest the great scarcity of saplings is at once apparent ; large quantities 



"have been taken by the Kafirs of the adjoining location for wattles to build their 



tuts with, or as kraalwood or firewood. In the upper portion of the forest, a steep 



declivity has been denuded of undergrowth to such an extent that the soil has been 



washed away round the large trees, which now seem to grow out of a sheet of rock, and if 



these trees were now felled, that portion of the forest which they occupy would disappear 



entirely. 



