THE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



461 



seven sleepers. Some of the trees would 

 be tit for felling at fifteen years of age. 

 Self-sown trees I find are much quicker 

 in growth. As you see, a man, if he does 

 not put it off too long, may himself reap 

 the money returns from his tree planting. 

 I must not forget to tell you that I have 

 found great difficulty in getting seed true 

 to description from the Australian seeds- 

 men i have dealt with. Like the ' Free 

 State chemists,' they have a way of send- 

 ing what they have most of. This has 

 led to confusion of names." 



" Are there any other good trees ? " 



" The Longif olia gum is also very good ; 

 the timber is hard, and it is ant-proof. 

 The Cypress horizontalis grows into 

 timber in fifteen years. The Pinus 

 helepensis, which comes from the Medi- 

 terranean, gives timber of extraordinary 

 durability : the coffins of the Egyptian 

 mummies were made of this wood." 



" And what trees to avoid ? " 

 It is no good trying on the coast, for 

 forest timber, blue gum, stringy bark, 

 pinus insignis, or black wattle — the climate 

 is too hot." 



"Are many accepting your precepts 

 and following your practice ? " 



" About the first there can be no dispute, 

 they are world established. About the 

 second we few tree planters have but few 



followers. The fruit tree planting, and 

 the planting of small belts of trees for 

 ornamental or shelter purposes can have 

 no appreciable effect. Moreover, more 

 and more land is continually being leased 

 and sold to the coolies and the coolies 

 take the first place for keeping the surface 

 of the ground they cultivate bare. After 

 the crops have ripened they burn oEE 

 everything, and the heat radiation from 

 their fields must be intense. Everybody's 

 business is nobody's business, and it is 

 useless to expect the reafforestation of 

 this district from private enterprise. The 

 profits of forestry are splendid, but they 

 are too remote. The average colonist is 

 not a man to sink capital for returns 20 

 years off. Government ways may be 

 more costly, but in compensation they 

 can borrow money cheaper than private 

 individuals. At any rate without Go- 

 vernment assistance nothing will be done, 

 and this district will go from bad to 

 worse. Germany, Russia, France, India, 

 the Cape, South Australia, and other 

 countries have their Forest Departments, 

 and I hope that Natal will not be without 

 one much longer. All this I have written 

 and said scores of times." 



Forestry is the subject which com- 

 mands Mr, Wilkinson's most enthusiastic 

 interest, and with it I may fittingly l)ring 

 the interview to an end. 



Veterinary Departmental Report for June, 1901m 



ABSTRACTS FROM REPORTS. 



Minister of Agriculture — 



I HAVE the honour to forward my de- 

 partmental reports for the month of 

 July. There is nothing to which I need 

 draw your attention in particular. A 

 slight falling-oflE in the reported cases of 

 contagious diseases is observable as a 

 satisfactory feature in the reports as 

 furnished from the various Districts. 



Much time was spent during the month 

 in the suppression of the disease rinder- 

 pest in the Umvoti Valley. As many 

 weeks have elapsed, I am sanguine that 

 this outbreak has been stamped out. 



The considerable decrease in the num- 

 ber of cases of glanders reported is worthy 

 of note. A year ago it was a matter of 



frequent occurrence to receive announce- 

 ments of fresh outbreaks of glanders in 

 various parts of the Colony. The fre- 

 quency of such outbreaks seems to have 

 steadily diminished, and I trust that we 

 are within ineasui-'^able distance of the 

 announcement that glanders has ceased to 

 exist in Natal. With the cessation of 

 military operations, and the consequent 

 promiscuous movement of horses, a 

 better opportunity will be given of com- 

 pleting the good work already achieved 

 by the Glanders Law of 1898. 



The Quarantine and Grazing Depots are 

 acting efficiently in relieving the incon- 

 venience of the necessary lungsickness 

 restrictions. 



