6 SCIENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



JOG species in the Government arboreta at Tokai. Of these among 

 the most valuable for sleepers and general use as hard woods may 

 be mentioned Eucalyptus pilularis, the fastest grower known in the 

 Cape Peninsula, E. microcorys or Tallowwood, E. resinifem, yielding 

 a jarrah-like timber, E. paniculata, an Ironbark, and E. saligna. 

 The above are being planted on a large scale for the production of 

 sleepers, for which item alone Cape Colony has now to spend yearly 

 100,000, most of this money going to Australia. After the Blue- 

 gum the tree that has been most widely planted is E. tereticornis, 

 commonly known in South Africa as the Red Gum. Up-country 

 it flourishes at all elevations, from Johannesburg at 6,000 feet to 

 Delagoa Bay, where it may be seen growing with Cocoa-nut Palms 

 and other tropical trees. E. maculata flourishes on poor soils within 

 the summer-rainfall areas of the sub-continent, and the closely- 

 allied E. citriodora, with its scented foliage, in the warmer parts of 

 the same region. Of Iron-barks, the pearl of Eucalypt timbers, 

 E paniculata has given the best results near the coast, and E. 

 sideroxylon inland. E. paniculata is one of the fastest-growing 

 Eucalypts in South Africa, and a hardwood of unsurpassed ex- 

 cellence. Other valuable Eucalypts being largely propagated are 

 Eucalyptus diversicolor or Kari, a hardy free-grower, and one of the 

 giant trees of the world in its home in West Australia. E. margi- 

 nata, the West Australian Jarrah, has not proved to be one of the 

 most profitable of the Eucalypts to plant for timber, though it 

 grows well enough in its own climate in the south-west of Cape 

 Colony. Eucalyptus corynocalyx, or Sugar-gum, is a tree recently 

 introduced to the drier districts, and growing with great success at 

 Robertson and elsewhere. It also produces a first-class timber. 

 Other Eucalypts suited to the drier parts of the country are Euca- 

 lyptus tereticornis, E. leucoxylon, E. hemiphloia, and the two Cool- 

 gardie gums from West Australia ; E. salmonophloia and E. 

 sdlnbris. E. polyanthemos is the Eucalypt that has proved hardiest 

 against frost and drought in the severe climates of the high South 

 African plateaux. All the above Eucalypts are being planted on a 

 large scale in the Government timber plantations. 



Pines. Most of the extra-tropical pines are now being grown 

 by the Forest Department. Of the Pines recently introduced the 

 most promising appears to be Pinus canariensis. The timber of 

 this tree is justly esteemed at a high value in the Canary Islands. 

 On the southern mountains of Cape Colony it appears to rival the 

 Cluster-pine in hardiness and quickness of growth. It is also being 

 successfully planted in Natal and the Transvaal. 



Pinus insignis. This handsome Pine has been largely planted 

 in recent years in South Africa. It is only climatically suited, 

 however, to the winter rainfall districts, and the wholesale planting 

 of this tree in Natal and the Transvaal has produced disappoint- 

 ment. This is a large, rapidly-growing tree, particularly at first. 



Other Pines being planted more or less extensively are Pinus 

 halepensis or Jerusalem Pine, P. muricata and other Calif ornian 

 Pines, the two Japanese Pines P. thunbergii and P. densi flora, 



