WOOD SUPPLY OF APRICA 103 



The forest-area of New Zealand, estimated at over 20,000,000 

 acres in 1830, was only 12,000,000 acres in 1874, when clearing 

 was proceeding at the rate of 4 per cent, per annum ; but conserva- 

 tion was then inaugurated and the many valuable species of timber 

 thereby saved from extermination. 



Of these the most valuable is the Kauri Pine {AgatMs australis), 

 which is confined to the North Island. This fine durable timber 

 is the softwood of the country, and is extensively converted for 

 export to AustraMa, the freight militating against it in competition 

 with Baltic timber for the English market, though it is employed to 

 some extent for the decks of yachts. 



Africa. — Little can be said as to the timber resources of the 

 African continent. Neither Atlas Cedar (Oedrus atldntica), re- 

 sembling the Deodar, nor Atlas Cypress {TetracUnis articuldta), the 

 Citron-wood of the ancients, are well known commercially, and 

 the same must be said of Morocco Ironwood {Arginia Sideroxylon) , 

 Algeria, however, has nearly 5 milhon acres of forest, three-fifths 

 of which are under State control, and its Evergreen Oaks {Quircus 

 Ilex, Suber, bdllota, etc.), its Kabyle Ash, said to be equal to Enghsh, 

 and Maritime Pine {Pinus Pinaster) should prove of value. Prom 

 our West African colonies we did import small quantities of African 

 Oak or Teak [Oldfieldia africdna), a dense wood, shipped from Sierra 

 Leone, and still obtain African Rosewood [Pterocdrfus erindceus) ; 

 but the trade in Mahogany from Lagos, Benin, Bathurst, Axim, 

 Assini, and other ports has of late years assumed considerable 

 dimensions. Several distinct species are undoubtedly imported 

 under this name. But little is known of the timber-trees of 

 tropical Africa, though several valuable species appear to extend 

 right across the continent from east to west ; while the south of the 

 continent is one of the districts of the world which suffers most in 

 climate from the want of timber, partly from reckless destruction. 



Little is known as yet as to the botanical nature or abundance 

 of the undoubtedly valuable timbers of Rhodesia. It is estimated 

 that there are about 2,000 square miles of forest in Matabeleland, 

 while Mashonaland is not so well timbered. Annual grass fires 

 kill inniumerable young trees : the natives are answerable for the 

 destruction of many thousands ; and the felling of large timber 

 is attended with much unnecessary destruction of smaller trees. 

 The Gwaai forest, which extends along the river of that name, 

 fifty miles from Buluwayo, consists of Ikusi, or Native Teak, 

 several kinds of Acacia, and Mopane. Large areas in Mashona- 

 land also are covered with Ikusi, a handsome dark brown wood 

 streaked with yellow, which is worked for building purposes. The 

 Shangani river passes through a forest of Baobab, the largest tree 



