2 SCIENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



Pteroxylon ittile (Sneezewood). This is usually a small tree 

 with a very hard timber, but the timber is almost imperishable 

 in the ground, so that it is highly valued for fencing poles. 



Callitris arbor ea. The Clanwilliam Cedar holds the first rank 

 for general usefulness amongst the indigenous timbers. It is as 

 easy to work as Baltic pine, it seasons well, and is very durable. 

 It has a sweet lasting fragrance surpassed by no other Cedar, 

 In growth this Cedar much resembles the Atlas Cedar of North 

 Africa. The timber of Callitris arbor ea is more highly scented 

 and more durable than that of Cedrus atlantica. Unfortunately 

 Cape Cedar has been so destroyed in the past that its forest has at 

 present no commercial value. 



There are three other species of Callitris in South Africa. C. 

 cupressoides is usually shrubby. C. whytei barely comes south of 

 the Zambesi. C. schwartzii is a newly described species whose 

 capabilities are not yet fully known. It may prove not to differ 

 greatly from the tree form of Callitris cupressoides. 



Apodytes dimidiata (White Pear) j_ Medium-sized trees prized 



Curtisia faginea (Assegai) ) for wagon-making. 



Goniami kamassi. Kamasi is a Boxwood substitute expor ed 

 from Knysna. 



Buxus macowani is a second-rate Boxwood formerly exported 

 to some extent from East London. 



Olea verucosa. The common " Wild Olive " furnishes a good 

 fencing post. The European Olive can easily be grafted on it. 



Leucadendron argenteum. The Silver Tree has practically no 

 timber value. It is not known to occur naturally farther than 

 fifty miles away from Cape Town. 



There are in the Yellowwood forest altogether about 108 species' 

 of trees ; but these, with the exception of those mentioned above, 

 have little commercial value. They are occasionally brought 

 into use for fencing poles, wagon-wood, etc., and all are employed 

 on the eastern side of the Colony, in building Kafir huts. 



With the exception of the Clanwilliam Cedar the indigenous- 

 timber trees are of weak natural reproduction and difficult artificial 

 propagation. The indigenous timbers are also of slow growth 

 and of delicate constitution. It is difficult to obtain seed of Sneeze- 

 wood ; it is impossible to procure any satisfactory supply of Stink- 

 wood seed. Hence the improvement of the indigenous forest is no 

 easy matter. The stock of commercial timber in the indigenous 

 forest probably does not average above one-twentieth a full stock, 

 and in the more accessible portions it is less. Instances have occurred 

 where the total stock of timber in a good indigenous forest was only 

 equal to one year's growth of timber in a Eucalypt plantation 

 yielding a first-class hardwood, such as Ironbark. The value of 

 the standing timber in the indigenous forest, taken at 3d. per 

 cubic foot, may be averaged at : 



Forests of Cape Colony . . . . 6 per acre. 



N'atal 5 



Transvaal 4 



