A VERY SUGGESTIVE CHAPTER. 157 



demand for years to come, even were the importation of timber 

 to cease. The Government have passed laws for the protection 

 of trees and forest reserves, in order to preserve a sufficient 

 supply of timber for future generations, and are working these 

 forest reserves for the benefit of the community ; thus prevent- 

 ing an indiscriminate destruction of forests, so that the country 

 may not be parched by droughts one season and desolated by 

 floods the next. This ordinance will tend also to preserve the 

 present healthiness of climate for which Fiji is famed. Mr. 

 Home suggests that the Government should plant trees in the 

 north-western portion of Viti Levu, and Macauta in Vanua 

 Levu, to restore the climatic conditions from the want of which 

 they grievously suffer. This matter is far too important to the 

 community to be left in the hands of private individuals, 

 though of course Government should not plant and preserve 

 timber to compete with private enterprise. It is necessary for 

 climatic reasons that the Government should plant and pre- 

 serve trees, and, when these reach maturity, to see that they 

 are not allowed to waste and rot. On the other hand, it is the 

 interest of the community to see that the products of the 

 Government preserves are properly utilised, and that the 

 Forest Department is made self-supporting. 



First in point of value among the sylvan riches of Fiji is 

 sandalwood, now very scarce owing to indiscriminate cuttings ; 

 so much so, that what remains will only serve as a nucleus from 

 which seeds can be obtained for the extension of this much- 

 prized forest product. 



Among timber-trees of the colony the foremost is vesl 

 (Afzelia bijuga), which yields a useful and durable timber ; it 

 is now very scarce. Next is the dilo (Calophyllum inophyllum), 

 valuable not only on account of its timber, but also for gum 

 resin, which exudes from the bark when the- tree is wounded, 



