l6 SCIENCE IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



of formation, and at Prynnsberg, near Clocolan, are the oldest 

 timber plantations in South Africa, formed by Mr. Newbury. 



There is no natural forest in Orangia, and there has been much 

 disappointment in the tree-planting efforts that have been made. 

 This disappointment is almost entirely due to the haphazard 

 selection made. As an instance, Bloemfontein may be mentioned. 

 Here, for years there have been persistent efforts at tree-planting, 

 but the tree mainly planted has been the Blue-gum, a tree making 

 the largest demand on water supplies, while Bloemfontein has an 

 uncertain and small rainfall, and but a poor supply of irrigation 

 water ! 



The Forest expenditure provided for the Orange River Colony 

 during the current year, 1904-1905, is 10,600. 



FORESTRY IN THE TRANSVAAL. 



The indigenous high limber forest of the Transvaal, with 

 Yellowwood as the chief species, is limited to the better watered 

 districts on the Eastern frontier. From Belvidere (near Pilgrim's 

 Rest) one looks down on to a forest scene recalling that of the Western 

 Ghauts of India. Here, on the top of what would be called the Ghauts 

 in India, is the dense Yellowwood forest, stretching in a nearly un- 

 broken line along the eastern slopes of the mountains, and spreading 

 n patches over the plateau, occupying the southern and eastern 

 sides of the mountains and deep dark valleys. Below the heavy 

 Ghaut forest stretches the open forest of the hot, low country, 

 gradually tailing away to the thorn bush and scrubs of the coast- 

 lands. The area occupied by the Yellowwood forest in the Trans- 

 vaal, to enjoy the same amount of effective moisture as at 

 the Cape, must, on account of the lower latitude and greater altitude, 

 have a considerably heavier rainfall. This rainfall may be esti- 

 mated at from 40 to 80 inches. The largest area of dense evergreen 

 forest (Yellowwood) in the Transvaal is the Woodbush, which, 

 with the adjoining Helsbush (so-called on account of the difficult 

 nature of the ground) amounts to about 10,000 acres. While ihe 

 Yellowwood forest does not extend beyond the heavy rainfall area 

 of the eastern mountains, all the eastern side of the plateau, and 

 the better watered areas on the plateau are either treeless or carry 

 only low thorn-wood and scrub forest ; there thus remains a very 

 large area, in fact the best portion of the Transvaal, which, though 

 nearly treeless now, is suited to produce first-rate timber forest, 

 using the hardier trees of larger and stronger forest floras. 



The first Boer settlers planted Poplars and Willows in the vleys. 

 Afterwards the more enlightened settlers planted Blue-gum and 

 Tereticornis gum ; and, in certain localities under irrigation, such 

 as Lydenburg (the capital of the old Lydenburg Republic), most 

 of the winter rainfall Cape trees were planted. As long as they 

 were irrigated such trees succeeded fairly enough. It is interesting 

 to see the results of these early tree-planting efforts under irriga- 

 tion in the townlands of Potchefstroom, Pretoria and Lydenburg. 



