THE GOLD COAST, GAMBIA AND SIERRA LEONE. 319 



Excess of Exports . 1,037,306 .. 114,748 



The average annual exports of other forest produce were 

 Rubber, 1,000 tons ; paim kernels, 9,000 tons ; palm oil, 1,000,000 

 gallons ; kopra, 650 tons ; and kola, 35,000 tons. 



7. Summary and Outlook. 



Cubic feet. 



Timber : 



Utilization 1,898,500 



Less Export 1,383,500 



515,000 

 Add Imports 346,194 



Total Consumption . . . 861,194 



Fuel : excluding Native Consumption . 9,000,000 



Total Consumption . . . 9,861,194 



A comparison with the net increment is not possible, as the Native 

 consumption is not known. 



The important steps to be taken in the immediate future are : — 



(1) To establish a sufficient area of Reserves, to place them 



under efficient treatment and protection, especially 

 against shifting cultivation and fire. 



(2) To open a regular propaganda with the view of convincing 



the Native proprietors that the preservation of the forests 

 is essential for their own benefit, and for the country as a 

 whole. 



No reports were received by tiic Imperial Forestry Conference 

 on Forestry in the Gambia and Sierra Leone Colonies ; hence, 

 only the following few notes, chiefly taken from Unvvin's " West 

 African Forests," can be recorded here. 



Gambia has an area of 4,000 square miles and a population of 



