82 



The zone, the centre of which is thus marked, has for its extreme polar limits the 

 isotherm of 50, near which only those trees that grow at sea level may be planted with 

 some chance of success in the highest mountain regions of Natal. There is no real 

 tropical limit ; along the 80 curve, those species which naturally ascend to several 

 thousand feet may still succeed in the coast region here ; but beyond, the difference in 

 altitude of corresponding climates would become very great. Thus, mountain species of 

 the colder zones and coast species of the warmer, could not succeed in Natal. For 

 instance, it becomes apparent that Teak, which grows in India up to 3,000 feet, could 

 only be grown, on the Natal coast, in conditions corresponding to those of the very 

 verge of its habitat in India, and with small chance of success. Teak requires a mean 

 temperature of 75 to 81, with a rainfall of over 50 inches, while here, the mean 

 temperature only reaches, in Durban, 70 and the rainfall 41 inches. 



The forest vegetation along the belts indicated, is so rich and varied that I have 

 confined myself to a mere enumeration of the more noticeable species to be found in each 

 region, which forms Appendix VII. This " Note " may serve as a guide for the selection 

 of species to experiment with in the future, and detailed information about each, may be 

 found in Sir F. von Mueller's Select Extra-tropical Plants readily eligible for Industrial 

 Culture and Naturalization, a work very useful to the planter of exotic species. 



CHOICE OF EXOTIC SPECIES. The cultivation of a large number among the great 

 mass of species which may prove adapted for forest culture in Natal, would be not only 

 unmanageable, but also quite unnecessary. In Europe, half a dozen kinds of Conifers 

 and a dozen of hardwoods supply, with the exception of showy cabinet woods, such as 

 can only grow in the tropics, a sufficient variety of timber for all practical purposes. A 

 sufficient number of valuable species have now been successfully introduced in Natal to 

 dispense with the necessity of conducting risky experiments on a large scale, if we wish 

 to undertake plantation work. Other less well known species may be tried from time t 

 time, but it is unlikely that we shall ever discover timber trees preferable to the principal 

 Gums of Australia or Pines of the northern hemisphere. 



The timber requirements of a country should determine the kinds of trees to be 

 planted. Statistics show that more than nine-tenths of the timber used in the world is 

 derived from Coniferse. Their resinous timber can be obtained in convenient sizes and 

 straight logs ; it is easily worked, moderately durable, and can be grown rapidly enough. 

 Hardwoods, on the contrary, are too heavy and difficult to work, to be used extensively 

 for ordinary purposes. The cultivation of Conifers should therefore be the main object of 

 a comprehensive scheme of planting, aiming at general utility. Hardwoods are, however, 

 also required, and it is often only on account of their great scarcity that they are not 

 used in the place of soft woods. In Australia, where hardwoods form the bulk of the 

 forests, they are used more extensively than elsewhere, but that they are not sufficient for 



