SOUTHERN RHODESIA. 305 



destruction of herbage, trees, and shrubs by fire. Certain species 

 of trees are specially protected in various districts. 



The recent appointment of a trained forest officer is likely to 

 lead to further legislation, more particularly as regards fire 

 protection, the planting of light woods and natural regeneration. 



Assistance given to Forestry. — Nursery stock has been given 

 at low rates ; the number of trees amounted in 1919 to 109,000. 



The Forest Authority consists at present of 1 trained Forest 

 Officer who is subordinate to the Director of Agriculture. He was 

 appointed in January, 1920. 



Education, Research and Experimental Work. — Certain data 

 bearing on various aspects of forestry have in the past been 

 pubUshed in the Journal of Agriculture. A Hmited amount of 

 research work has been undertaken on the properties and uses of 

 timbers and other forest produce. Experiments with indigenous 

 and exotic species have been made in the Salisbury nursery. No 

 other faciUties for instruction in forestry exist as yet, but 

 considerable interest in the growing of timber is now taken, and 

 there is a reasonable prospect that in time the country's wants 

 will be supplied from home-grown timber. 



6. Increment and Utilization. 



The data available at the present time are not sufficient for 

 even an approximately correct account of either the increment 

 or utilization ; only rough estimates can be given. The following 

 information has been given by the local Forest Officer. The 

 growing stock in the 91,500 square miles of indigenous forest is 

 estimated at 11,771,187,200 cubic feet, which gives an average of 

 201 cubic feet per acre. 



The increment on the 73,200 square miles of at present inacces- 

 sible forests is estimated as equal to the annual waste by fire and 

 natural decay. The net increment on the 18,300 square miles 

 of merchantable forest is estimated at 42,681,472 cubic feet, or 

 about 4 cubic feet per acre and year. 



The annual utilization has been estimated at : — 



Cubic feet. Value, £. 



Sawn timber, mine props, poles, &c. . 4,801,553 . . 92,714 

 Fuel for Europeans, Natives and Mines 56,656,800 .. 71,427 



Total Timber and Fuel . . 61,458,353 .. 164,141 



