336 FORESTRY IN THE CROWN COLONIES. 



The Governor has power to resume any land included in a lease 

 or Ucence, which may be required for a pubHc purpose. 



Licences to collect balata, gums, &c., are subject to special 

 regulations. No balata tree may be tapped which is under 

 36 inches girth at 4^ feet from the ground. 



Administrative Methods. — No legislation exists in regard to fire 

 protection or the regulation of shifting cultivation, and no attempts 

 have been made to control or check the forest fires which occur 

 during long periods of drought ; nor has any planting been 

 attempted. Natural regeneration is said to re-afEorest, in the 

 course of time, areas which have been cut. 



Assistance given to Forestrij. — A few experiments have been 

 made in growing forest trees from seed. Expert advice has been 

 obtained in botanical identifications from the Government 

 Herbarium and from Kew Gardens. The Imperial Institute has 

 pubUshed reports on timbers, palm oil and mangrove bark for 

 tanning. 



The Forest Authority. — A branch of the Department of Lands 

 and Mines has been placed under a Forest Officer since 1910. His 

 powers are limited ; his reports are sent to the Commissioner of 

 Lands and Mines, who would take any necessary action. Up to 

 date a superficial preliminary examination has been made extend- 

 ing over about one-fourth of the existing forest area, consisting 

 chiefly of the easily accessible parts. There are some 7 Forest 

 Rangers, all being Natives, with assistants who patrol the 

 principal rivers and the adjoining lands. 



Receipts and Expenses. — The averages of the last 4 years were : 

 Income = £14,062 ; Expenditure = £2,083, giving a surplus of 

 £11,979. The expenditure does not, however, cover a certain 

 amount of office work done in the office of the Commissioner of 

 Lands and Mines. 



6. Increment and Utilization. 



No data are as yet available by means of which even a rough 

 estimate of the increment could be made, or of the annual losses 

 through fire, waste or decay. 



As regards utilization the sub-joined data indicate only the 

 quantities removed from the forests under State control : — 



