41 



Awujale and Chiefs of Jebu-Ode to the Government in perpetuity. 



A. temporary agreement for this Reserve had been made 3rd 



December, 1900. The situation was regarded as excellent ; the 



forest line, and of mature age. 



The Ilaro Forest Reserve* in the Badagry district was granted 

 55th April, 1904, for a term of fifty years subject to renewal 

 ;om time to time. A Deed of Grant for this land had been 

 lade on the 11th June, 1901, but owing to some misunder- 

 sunding of the covenants as to tribal ownership, this was 

 c&icelled and the new indenture drawn up accordingly. 



''he condition of these Reserves in 1905 may be gathered 

 froi the following extract from a Colonial Office Reportf : — 



"luring the year frequent visits were made to all the Govern- 



nien reserved forests, their boundaries were inspected, roads 



clears and new ones made, farming and hunting registers 



cheeky and the planting in them of economic plants, such as 



Para ubber, Funtumia elastica, Iroko (Chloroplwra excelsa), 



mahogriy, &c., undertaken systematically. In this respect the 



Mamu *d Oloke-Meji reserves are more advanced than the others. 



The fo ner have been divided up into compartments that are 



cleared F undergrowth, the large trees being left as standards, 



and a c<$ain number planted every year with the indigenous 



rubber trV Funtumia elastica. Up to date, seven compartments, 



amounting 150 acres, have been completely stocked with that 



species wh^ clearing operations were carried out during the year 



for further ' an ti n g in 1906. The Oloke-Meji reserve, owing to its 



proximity t^he railway, is the most valuable one we possess. 



lne rorests re ma inly of the 'deciduous' type, but 'mixed 1 



ones are also De f oun d along the banks of the Ogun river and 



on the shady yp ec t s f the hills. Valuable species, such as the 



West African ahoganies and cedars, are to be met with here. 



A certain amou f restriction has been placed on farming,' and 



the natives wert lduced to plant up the fallow l an d with rubber, 



Iroko, and othey a j uaole pj an ts. The Oshun river reserve is 



much cut up w farming and, owing to its inaccessibility, 



difficult to manage The plantimf of the indigenous rubber tree 



was started here di, ^ vear> 



" In the Iliaro re^ e g roup regeneration under the wild rubber 

 trees was begun, ana e planting of six acres with that spec i es 

 accomplished, whilst land wag prepai . ed for planting during 

 1 906. Besides these ur reserveeu which ai . e either leased to 

 ( iovemment or belong u outright (Mamu reserve), the Depart- 

 ment has, conjointly wi the Ibadan authorities, the management 

 of the Ibadan btate reser Thig wag adequately pi . tected during 

 the year. 



« The forests in the M and ndo districts are regarded by 

 the Conservator as being % hegt in the whole of the Western 

 province. 



Reservation in Southern N Qutside L wag vm ^ 



being kept in view. Accoid it^ ^ Colonial Secretary's Report J 



* Copy of Indenture, I.e., tTI 

 f Col. Rep., Ann.. No. 507,** l - |QnB _ „. . 

 t Col. Rep.. Ann.. No. 512, i\*or 1905, S. Nigeria, p. 24. 

 V. Nigeria, p. 24. 



