APPENDIX. 215 



APPENDIX. 



The main portion of this paper having been struck off, before 

 I had time to introduce some additional matter which I had 

 intended to incorporate therewith, it has been deemed advisable 

 to introduce it under several heads in an Appendix, together with 

 the meteorological observations of the E-ev. L. Guilding, in St. 

 Vincent's Island, West Indies, mentioned in the text. 



No. 1 {p. 2). — Ming-harMng. 



This process is defended on the ground that it enables a little 

 more grass to be grown at the roots of trees that are dead, and 

 that it does no harm to clear away useless scrub. Unfortunately, 

 however, it is proved (See Chambers's Journal, part 153, Sep. 30, 

 1876, p. 591) that gum-trees do not lessen but assist the deep 

 supplies of water ; and the objection I have expressed is not to 

 the clearing off of useless timber, but to the destruction of iron- 

 bark and others of our most valuable timber-trees, evidence of 

 which is easily collected, not only from the dead forests of thirty 

 or forty years existence, but from what is still going on in 

 hundreds of fresh localities. At present no statistical returns 

 have been made ; but it would be useful to know how many 

 thousands of acres have thus been disfigured, and what is the 

 annual rate of destruction, and in what ratio the evil has been 

 counteracted by re-plantation. Might not these be fit items 

 in the Eegistar General's annual Eeturns ? 



The time is fast approaching when the future occupiers of land 

 that cannot for ever be held as much of it now is, will be loud 

 in their complaints respecting wood for fencing, bridges, railway- 

 sleepers, and other wood-consuming ingenuities, to say nothing 

 of fuel, where coal is not, and the demands of mining industries, 

 which are insatiable, will be loud in denouncing the want of 

 foresight in their predecessors. 



The clamour has already been begun, and it will not cease till 

 it makes itself unpleasantly heard. 



No injustice is intended to the sheep-farmer by such remarks 

 as these. But sheep-farming may be carried on without injury 

 to the forests, by the act of re-planting judiciously to compensate 

 land now injudiciously laid bare or disfigured by some who are 

 killing the bird that lays the golden egg. 



M. 2 (p. 11).— Use of Forests. 



Let us notice what a writer in a popular English work (edited 

 by "William and Eobert Chambers) entitled " Information for the 

 People," 5th edition, 1874, on Arboriculture (vol. 1, p. 593) has 



