40 



its native Persia. It has been aptly called the Oak of the 

 Karoo. Few trees better stand brack, frost and drought, 

 while the growth there for a Cypress is rapid and 

 vigorous. In the Cape Peninsula and near the S.W. coast 

 it is stunted and killed by the Summer droughts, unless 

 planted on good soil and kept well cultivated, nor is the 

 subsequent growth there ever equal to that in the Karoo. 

 But the value of the wood makes it well worth the good 

 soil and extra expense of cultivation. In some localities it 

 shows a good natural reproduction from self-sown seedlings* 

 On poor sandy soil the growth is very slow. It is in the 

 Karoo and warm rich valleys, as at Kat Eiver, that these 

 trees are seen at their best. There they stand drought 

 well, and mount up gradually to lofty dimensions. The 

 wood, though white in colour, smells like Cedar, and is 

 very durable. The spreading and the upright kinds are 

 merely varieties, both growing from the same seed. The 

 former is the wild, the latter the cultivated form. The 

 Cypress grows as a forest tree in North Africa, where the 

 climate, except being rather hotter, is similar to South Africa. 

 The Colonial Cypress bears good seed, usually better than 

 can be imported. To save the seed, gather the Cypress 

 cones before they open and as soon as the seeds are plump 

 and dark brown in colour. The seed is best sown in 

 Autumn, although Spring sowings sometimes give a good 

 germination. It may be pricked out into tins or beds, 

 makes good roots in the nursery and transplants easily. 

 The point where this tree demands particular and special 

 care is in the weeding and cleaning after planting out. The 

 common Cypress is one of those trees that merit more 

 extended cultivation. It stands extremes of drought and 

 heat, and may therefore be planted far in the interior. 

 4,580 seeds go the ounce. 



Cupressus sinensis. CHINESE CYPRESS. 



There are handsome specimens of this tree in the arbore- 

 tum at Tokai where the growth is as good as C. marcrocarpa 

 or C. torulosa : also at Ceres Koad. It has been extensively 

 planted in the coast plantations but not however with 



