HI BRITISH POSSESSIONS IN AFRICA. 



patches over the adjoining plateau. The remainder of the 

 ranges is either treeless or carries quantities of scrub 

 forest. Hence the larger and best part of the Transvaal is 

 practically treeless. 



The first J3oer settlers planted poplars and willows, followed 

 afterwards by eucalypts and other trees. The area thus 

 planted was small. After the discovery of the Johannesburg 

 goldfields, considerable areas of timber plantations were laid 

 down, chiefly in the vicinity of Johannesburg. The results, 

 it is stated, did not come up to expectations, because the 

 selection of species was not very judicious. 



Mr. Hutchins, the Conservator of Forests, Cape Town, 

 visited the Transvaal in 1903 and 1904, and a Conservator of 

 Forests, with a small staff of assistants, was appointed. 

 Since then, good progress has been made with the demarcation 

 of the indigenous forests, and 14,000 acres have already been 

 declared forest reserves. The final area of reserves cannot be 

 given, but it is clear that they will not be able to supply the 

 Transvaal with timber. The imports of timber in 1896 

 amounted in value to £600,815. During the war they fell 

 considerably, but in 1903 they rose again to i'1,022,854. 

 Under these circumstances, the Department set to work 

 establishing nurseries, seed stores and plantations. The 

 latter were started at five difterent places, so that up to date 

 682 acres have been planted. It is hoped to plant in future not 

 less than 2,000 acres annually, so as to meet in time the 

 ever-increasing demands, especially for mining timber. 



SOUTHERN RHODESIA. 



The larger portion of the high veldt of Southern Ehodesia 

 is covered with forest of an open character which, though 

 better than scrub, is far from being good timber forest. The 

 indigenous species are almost all excessively hard, while most 

 of them are not durable. 



The first step to be taken as regards forestry in Rhodesia 

 is to determine what areas shall be definitely reserved as forest 



