JARDINAGE. 93 



of value in timber has been destroyed through the reckless 

 behaviour of these individuals, and those in their employ- 

 ment, igniting the grass, which has caused fearful destruc- 

 tion. There are a few other small patches and stripes of 

 bush ; but, comparatively speaking, they are nothing, only 

 adapted for fuel; most of the valuable timber has been 

 removed, and by fire greatly destroyed. The great evils 

 are men cutting without licences, and grass fires. 



' To my knowledge, there is on an average 40 loads of 

 fuel, poles, and spars removed weekly to Port Elizabeth 

 from the forests between the Gamptoos and the Van 

 Staden Rivers, for cutting timber for which I have never 

 issued one licence for the benefit of Government. I feel 

 convinced that it all comes from the Crown forest ; but as 

 it is a case of disputed boundary and licences, I am not 

 empowered to move in the matter. If this state of things 

 continues much longer, the whole of the forest will be 

 eradicated and destroyed.' 



Such an issue as is thus indicated may be considered 

 the second stage of the destruction of forests under primi- 

 tive Jardtnage, the conversion of forests into bush. In 

 Krakakamma, between the Zitzikamma and Port Eliza- 

 beth, there is a good deal of arborescent vegetation, but it 

 can scarcely be reckoned forest ; the same may be said of 

 the Kadouw Bush, between Port Elizabeth and Grahams- 

 town ; and such, I am informed, is the present condition of 

 what within the last thirty years was an extensive forest 

 in the valley of the Kowie, in the neighbourhood of Bath- 

 urst : the old timber having been destroyed, but not re- 

 placed, the forest character has been lost. 



But this second stage of the progress of the work of 

 destruction is not unfrequently succeeded by a third, in 

 which even the arborescent bush may disappear. From 

 more than one of my correspondents I have heard of the 

 mountainous country around Somerset having abounded 

 in forest trees of various kinds Yellow-wood (Podocarpus), 

 Iron-wood (Olea), Assegai-wood (Curtisia), but all of these 



