GOLD COAST REPORT ON FORESTS. 127 



Miscellaneous. 



Ride 48 should be altered to the effect that such timber as may 

 be required locally for domestic, agricultural, or other like 

 purposes, or for the construction or repair of canoes, vessels, 

 buildings, bridges, tramways, railways, or other like works, but 

 not for purposes of sale, may be felled 'by the owners of the lands 

 or by any persons authorized by them, provided that felling*s for 

 farming purposes are not made within a distance of 100 yards 

 of either bank of a perennial stream, or on the crests of hills or 

 on their slopes in the immediate vicinity of where such streams 

 have their source, without the consent of the nearest Commis- 

 sioner or European Forest Officer. 



Also add a clause to the effect that trees of any species can be 

 felled, without restrictions as to girth or the payment of fees, 

 on all mining property for purposes of fuel and the ordinary 

 requirements of the mines, but not for sale or barter. 



Rules 49 and 50 can stand. 



Rule 51. This should be altered to the effect that the rules 

 shall apply to all 'Crown lands and lands leased to the Crown and 

 \Q native lands, but not to reserves acquired by Government nor 

 to native forest reserves. Also add a clause to the effect that the 

 Governor may, if he thinks fit, exempt any particular locality, 

 by notification in the Gazette, from the application of such rules. 



The question as to whether timber concessions already granted 

 and being worked should have the Rules extended to them is a 

 rather difficult one to decide. As the bulk of the most suitable 

 areas have already been taken up, I should advise their being 

 included under the operation of these Rules, otherwise the best 

 areas and the ones most desirable to protect will be left out in 

 the cold, so to speak, and probably suffer very considerably in 

 consequence, especially if it becomes known that timber Rules 

 are about to be introduced. I would suggest one year's grace 

 being allowed from the date of the Rules coming into force to 

 enable concessionaires to make such arrangements as may be 

 necessary for the altered conditions embodied in the Rules. 

 Meanwhile the ordinance for the protection of immature trees, 

 which is already in force, should be strictly applied to the timber 

 concessions now being exploited. 



Some additional Rules for the control and protection of forest 

 produce in transit will be required. They have not been included 

 in the Southern Nigerian Rules because the theft of timber there, 

 except in the Western Province, where the majority of the native 

 councils will have nothing to do with the Rules, is not practised 

 to any serious extent. 



The additional Rules should be based on the following, which 

 is an exact copy of part of the Upper Burma Forest Rules (1899). 



' 1. Marks of two kinds only, namely property marks and 

 classification marks, may be impressed by others than forest 

 officers on unconverted or roughly hewn timber. The former 

 denote that the timber belongs or will, after all purchase money 

 or royalties due to Government and the grantors of licences shall 



