THE TRANSVAAL. 141 



recommendation a Conservator of Forests was appointed in 

 1902. Since then, the Department of Forestry has been 

 organised on lines similar to those followed in Cape Colony. 

 The Conservator is assisted by thirty forest officials and five 

 apprentices. The natural forests are being carefully looked 

 after, a large distributing nursery has been formed, and 

 plantations started to increase the forest area. The rubber 

 vine {Landolphia kirkii) is also being cultivated. 



Extensive planting of timber trees is also done on private 

 estates, the area already planted in this way being given at 

 5,000 acres ; the principal species thus planted are eucalypts. 

 Besides, an area of 25,000 acres is stocked with black wattles 

 {Acacia decurrens, var. mollis) which are said to give a return 

 of about i;l00,000a year, derived from the sale of bark and of 

 the poles used for mining props. The average annual imports 

 of timber are valued at i*317,140, and the exports of bark at 

 ±70,875. 



ORANGE RIVER COLONY. 



This colony has an area of 50,392 square miles with a 

 population of 387,315. It consists of elevated treeless 

 plains ; there are no natural fo)-ests left. The country 

 is subject to drought and frost, so that the growing of 

 trees is beset by considerable difficulties. On Mr. Lister's 

 recommendation, in 1903, a Forest Department has been 

 organised, whose duty is to plant and thus to reconstruct 

 forests in the colony. Plantations are being formed near 

 Bloemfontein and on the eastern frontier to begin with. 

 These will, no doubt, be followed by others in various parts 

 of the Colony. 



THE TRANSVAAL. 



Area = 117,732 square miles; population, l,3ori,200. 



The indigenous timber forests of the Transvaal are found 

 in the well-watered districts on the eastern frontier. Along 

 the eastern slope of the ranges in these districts an almost 

 unbroken line of yellow-wood forests is found, spreading in 



