VI 



so that it may prove of service to all in the country interested in, or 

 responsible for, the future welfare of the forests and the factors bearing 

 on them. It is realised that the information given is very small, and 

 later research will doubtless modify many of the conclusions here set 

 out, but the need of some reference work on the Gold Coast forests 

 has been increasingly felt of late, and it was therefore considered 

 advisable not to delay any longer the publication of the present work 

 which will serve as a basis for future research. By directing the study 

 of Officers of the Department to what appear to be the main forestry 

 problems of the country, and by these Officers' own observations, 

 criticisms and records, a comprehensive and reliable work will be able 

 to be compiled at a later date. 



The forests have in this work been considered entirely from the 

 point of their value and importance to this country. 



There has been no opportunity to consider them with regard to 

 Empire needs, and they, with those of Nigeria, form 14 per cent, of 

 the Empire's forests. * 



T. F. CHIPP. 



COOMASSIE, 



March, 1922. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENT 



To Lieut.-Col. R. H. Rowe, D.S.O., M.C., R.A., Surveyor-General, 

 Gold Coast, I am indebted for permission to use the plate from which 

 the maps of the Gold Coast have been prepared. His assistance in 

 lending the plate and having the graphs prepared for reproduction is 

 gratefully acknowledged. 



T. F. C. 



* "Empire Forestry J' March, 1921. 



