GOLD COAST REPORT ON FORESTS. 157 



(c.) Wasteful logging. This is inevitable to a certain 

 extent, but attention should be drawn to any excessive 

 and uncalled-for waste that may occur, and persist- 

 ence in it should be dealt with as noted above 

 under (b). 



(d.) The inspection of plantations made by concessionaires 

 to replace the trees felled by them. The forest officer 

 should see that the species planted is really the same 

 as that felled (cases have occurred where the seeds 

 [ilauted belonged to species different from those which 

 they were intended to replace), and that they are 

 planted close enough together to enable them to 

 acquire a sufficient height in a few years' time to 

 escape being suppressed by other growth. 



If instead of planting, the freeing from dominant 

 growth of seedlings that have sprung up naturally in 

 the forests is taken in hand, then care should be 

 exercised in ensuring that such seedlings are suffi- 

 ciently cleared from growth to enable them to shoot 

 up without further trouble. 



(e.) Every opportunity should be taken to inspect the books 

 of concessionaires and licensees and to check therein 

 the number of trees and logs shown with the numbers 

 actually found on the stumps in the forest. 



(/.) Adequate supervision should be exercised over the work 

 done by the subordinate staff, and any case of abuse 

 on their part of the powers given to them should at 

 once be enquired into and suitable punishment 

 inflicted. 



H. General Forest Policy. 



This question has been dealt with to some extent when dis- 

 cussing the legislative measures necessary for the establishment 

 of forest conservancy on a satisfactory footing. It now remains 

 to state briefly the forest policy that should be pursued with a 

 view to consolidating the various measures proposed and guiding 

 them along the proper channels. 



I trust that I hav>- -ulliciciit ly explained the importance of 

 establishing reserre.x of a sufficient extent to meet all the demands 

 for forest produce likely to arise in the future, and for the pur- 

 pose of realising those beneficial effects on the climatic factors 

 of a country that are usually associated with the presence of 

 large masses of forest vegetation. 



The keystone to all forest conservancy is reservation. Unless 

 the paramount Government can ensure the thorough and legal 

 protection afforded by reservation to estates that are meant to 

 be managed as forests, real conservancy is out of the question, 

 and the forests as such will gradually disappear off the face of 

 the land. 



