164 WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 



Luffa Soudanica, or wrapping-leaves for food, termed Ewayon by the 

 Yorubas, or thatching laths, Ebe by the Benin natives, and the 

 roofing canes termed Itebe by the Yorubas. 



Seventhly, the production of medicinal plants, such as those 

 for native Ju-ju ; and some, such as Cassia occidentalis. Cassia fistula, 

 also useful to Europeans. 



The main difference between the beautiful, untouched existing forests 

 and a Forest Reserve is chiefly in the matter of management. In the 

 unreserved forests a lease may be granted for five or seven years, and 

 the leaseholder may fell a great number of trees, such as mahogany, 

 Iroko, etc. At the same time there is nothing to hinder the natives 

 or original occupier or user of the land from clearing the greater part 

 of the forest, except the protected trees, and making farms throughout 

 the area ; thus, in fact, gradually hindering, or at least reducing, the 

 possible output of timber from that area. No new seedlings come up 

 in these areas which are farmed, and, in fact, the fires which are made 

 in the course of clearing the land for farming operations kill the young 

 growth of all kinds. In reality, in a Forest Reserve there is more 

 permanency with regard to the output of timber than in the original 

 forest ; there is, in fact, absolute permanency. Although no actual 

 lease may be granted for a period of several years in a Forest Reserve, 

 yet, as a matter of fact and usual experience, after a year's working it 

 would be quite unlikely for a Forest Department to stop the timber 

 merchant from working the forest again, or rather from allowing him 

 much the same number of trees as he had in the former year, because 

 not only would the revenue from the forest suffer, but timber experience 

 would have to be gained with another firm, which means a loss of time 

 as well as revenue. Thus, in the ordinary way it is more satisfactory 

 to have the same firm working in that locality year after year, provided 

 they pay an adequate price for all the timber trees which they have. 

 They can then invest the proper amount of capital in plant and hauling 

 appliances, and thus make a greater profit and exploit the forest to 

 better advantage than if a fresh firm came in year after year. 



To give a more concrete idea of what these areas mean, we will 

 take it that on the average there are only 50 trees per acre which are 

 of some value or another, either for timber for local use or for export, 

 and taking the average rate of fee at only 4s. per tree (it should be 

 noted that mahogany and so on are rated at £2 16s. per tree), it will 

 be seen that the value of these forests is in all £12,800,000. This 

 sounds a great deal, but when it is considered what a very large number 

 of trees can now be utilized, either locally, in the form of planks and 

 scantlings, and joists for posts, not to speak of all the various kinds of 

 mahogany, Iroko, walnut, ebony and other substitutes which can be 

 used for export, it will be seen that this value is none too great ; in fact, 



