164 WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 
Luffa Soudanica, or wrapping-leaves for food, termed Ewayon by the 
Yorubas, or thatching laths, Ebe by the Benin natives, and the 
roofing canes termed Itebe by the Yorubas. 
Seventhly, the production of medicinal plants, such as those 
for native Ju-ju ; and some, such as Cassia occidentalis, Cassia fistula, 
also useful to Europeans. 
The main difference between the beautiful, untouched existing forests 
and a Forest Reserve is chiefly in the matter of management. In the 
unreserved forests a lease may be granted for five or seven years, and 
the leaseholder may fell a great number of trees, such as mahogany, 
Iroko, etc. At the same time there is nothing to hinder the natives 
or original occupier or user of the land from clearing the greater part 
of the forest, except the protected trees, and making farms throughout 
the area; thus, in fact, gradually hindering, or at least reducing, the 
possible output of timber from that area. No new seedlings come up 
in these areas which are farmed, and, in fact, the fires which are made 
in the course of clearing the land for farming operations kill the young 
growth of all kinds. In reality, in a Forest Reserve there is more 
permanency with regard to the output of timber than in the original 
forest ; there is, in fact, absolute permanency. Although no actual 
lease may be granted for a period of several years in a Forest Reserve, 
yet, as a matter of fact and usual experience, after a year’s working it 
would be quite unlikely for a Forest Department to stop the timber 
merchant from working the forest again, or rather from allowing him 
much the same number of trees as he had in the former year, because 
not only would the revenue from the forest suffer, but timber experience 
would have to be gained with another firm, which means a loss of time 
as well as revenue. Thus, in the ordinary way it is more satisfactory 
to have the same firm working in that locality year after year, provided 
they pay an adequate price for all the timber trees which they have. 
They can then invest the proper amount of capital in plant and hauling 
appliances, and thus make a greater profit and exploit the forest to 
better advantage than if a fresh firm came in year after year. 
To give a more concrete idea of what these areas mean, we will 
take it that on the average there are only 50 trees per acre which are 
of some value or another, either for timber for local use or for export, 
and taking the average rate of fee at only 4s. per tree (it should be 
noted that mahogany and so on are rated at £2 16s. per tree), it will 
be seen that the value of these forests is in all £12,800,000. This 
sounds a great deal, but when it is considered what a very large number 
of trees can now be utilized, either locally, in the form of planks and 
scantlings, and joists for posts, not to speak of all the various kinds of 
mahogany, Iroko, walnut, ebony and other substitutes which can be 
used for export, it will be seen that this value is none too great; in fact, 
