72 



The species of wood accepted at the Cape for sleepers are : Outeniqua and Upright 

 Yellowwood, Wit Els, Rooi Els, Hard Pear, Vlier, White Pear, Saffraan, and Ironwood. 

 Owing to the greater difficulty in working other woods, and partly to their greater value 

 as wagonwoods, Yellowwood has hitherto constituted 97 per cent, of the timber supplied. 

 Stinkwood is not mentioned, because though very acceptable as a sleeper, it usually 

 commands too high a price for the purpose. 



It is difficult to arrive at an estimate of the quantity of timber that could be cut in 

 the Natal forests, without injury to their conditions. More than three-fourths are private 

 forests which I have not seen. The Commission of 1880 reports that the total extent of 

 timber forests was then 165,900 acres. These forests should yield quite a sufficient 

 number of sleepers for industrial working, even in their present impoverished conditions. 

 In the Mahutywa forest, the best for its size that I know of in South Africa, the yield 

 would reach about 15 or 20 sleepers to each acre, without injury to the forest, but the 

 richness of most other forests would bear no proportion to these figures. The proper 

 course would be to first call for tenders early each year, so as to find out the quantity of 

 native wood procurable during the year ; and then to order the balance from abroad if 

 the supply does not come up to the requirements of the Railway Department. 



Though private enterprise should be solicited as much as possible in procuring 

 sleepers of native wood, there would be much advantage to work the forests between the 

 TJmzimkulu and the Gwangwane departmentally, or rather by a system of piece-work 

 and contracts under Government supervision. These forests cover about 7,000 acres ; 

 their systematic working by the Government would simplify the management to an 

 important degree, and a minimum regular supply of timber would be assured each year. 

 Of course, the work need not be authorized before the forests are surveyed, and the 

 annual yield of timber and the cost of working ascertained carefully. 



No licenses would be issued for these forests. The trees to be felled should be 

 marked and measured so as not to exceed the yield, but the numbering and the section 

 books may be dispensed with. Then (a) the felling should be done by piece work, or 

 contract, under the supervision of the guard ; (&), tenders should be called for slipping 

 and riding the wood ; (c), the sawing work should be done departraentally, with the help 

 of portable machinery. 



The contractor for the slipping would be required to extract a certain proportion (to 

 be agreed upon beforehand) of the timber to be felled ; he should then get a bonus equal 

 to half the license fees on the quantity which he removes in excess ; and finally the trees 

 which he cannot be induced to slip out should be sawn on the spot, by piece work, and 

 the sleepers carried out by natives to the nearest slip path. 



The advantages derived from the working of these forests by the Government would 

 consist generally of (a) the simplification of the work, whereby all the evils of the 



