May, 1910.] 



405 



Timbers, 



reduce the amount of evaporation. This 

 effect is strongly marked on hills in the 

 tropics. 



"4. By the mechanical action of then' 

 roots and stems the plants composing 

 forest vegetation assist in preventing 

 land-slip erosion of hill-sides, the silting 

 up of rivers, and arrest the progress of 

 shifting sands. 



"5. They tend to increase the pre- 

 cipitation of moisture. 



** 6. They act as wind-breaks, and pro- 

 tect adjoining cultivated areas against 

 the action of cold or dry wind. 



* " 7, They act as barriers against the 

 spread of fungoid and insect attacks 

 from one cultivated centre to another. 



"Almost all the effects are more pro- 

 nounced in the tropics, especially in 

 localities with well-marked wet and dry 

 seasons, than they are in the temperate 

 zone." 



The regulation of the water supply is 

 one of the most important and far reach- 

 ing effects of forests in such a country 

 as the Gold Coast. With the cutting 

 down of forests a gradual change in the 

 vegetation at once sets in, if such forest 

 be well within the region of "Rain 

 Forest " no very serious consequences 

 may result, if, on the other hand, the 

 forest area lies on the borders of the 

 rain forest region the reckless cutting 

 down of the tree vegetation will so alter 

 the conditions that the character of the 

 country will quickly change from that 

 of rain forest to deciduous forest and 

 finally to that of the Savanah country. 

 The places once occupied by trees will 

 be invaded by grasses, and as soon as 

 they have established a footing the 

 forest is doomed ; the region become 

 exposed to forest fires, the rainfall is 

 not retained by the ground and the head 

 waters of the springs, formerly receiv- 

 ing a constant supply of water from 

 the damp forest-covered hill-sides, now 

 obtain a torrential supply of water during 

 the rains but are waterless during the 

 dry season. The action of cutting down 

 forest under such conditions not only 

 may cause infiuite harm in the actual 

 region but may also cause much injury 

 to areas far distant by interference with 

 the proper water supply. Mr. Thompson 

 points out that with the alteration in 

 conditions on the forest the majority of 

 the species of timber and other import- 

 ant trees confined to the moist ever- 

 green forests disappear, and all such 

 agricultural crops which depends on 

 moist conditions, as cocoa, rubber, &c, 

 will also suffer and their cultivation may 

 ultimately become impossible, 



It is clear.therefore, that the Forests of 

 the Gold Coast and of our other West 

 African possessions need efficient control 

 and supervision. 



Mr. Thompson deals very fully with 

 this side of the subject and points out 

 the lines which legislation might follow. 

 The chief danger menacing the Gold 

 Coast Forests is not their over-exploit- 

 ation for forest produce but their whole- 

 sale destruction for farming purposes. 

 It would appear, therefore, that any 

 measures adopted for the " reservation" 

 or " protection " of the forests should 

 also be accompanied by provision for the 

 instruction of the natives in methods of 

 more intensive agriculture. 



Mr, Thompson makes a very interest- 

 ing and apt comparison between the 

 forests of the Gold Coast and those of 

 the Southern Shan States of Burma, and 

 it is possible that the policy followed in 

 the East might prove suitable for the 

 conditions whish obtain in West Africa. 

 Of the arrangements suggested, perhaps 

 the most important are those relating to 

 forest taxes, the sale of timber, and the 

 revenues derived therefrom. 



In concluding this section on the 

 protection of the forest, it is conceded 

 that something might be done in the 

 way of persuading chiefs to look after 

 the forests, but it is only a method of 

 chance depending on the influence of a 

 few officials and is a slow process, 

 "meanwhile the forests are being 

 rapidly destroyed." It may confidently 

 be asserted that no real progress has or 

 ever will be made in Forest Conservancy 

 unless the Supreme Government reserves 

 to itself the right to direct and regulate 

 its application. It is only the Govern- 

 ment that can have the tenacity of 

 purpose to carry the forests through the 

 various vicissitudes and bring them into 

 an organised condition capable of ensur- 

 ing a sustained and increasing yield of 

 produce in the future. 



In the first part of the Report detailed 

 information of the forests and of the 

 condition of the country is given on 

 which the general account of the second 

 part is largely based. 



The Aburi hill forests, situated on the 

 edge of the Accra plains afford a useful 

 but disastrous object lesson of the effect 

 of removing the forest. Cassava farms, 

 made by clearing the forest, when aban- 

 doned to lie fallow become occupied by 

 grasses, and as the grass is burned every 

 year the exposed soil is washed away 

 during the rainy season and denudation 

 of the hillsides begins. 



The drying up of streams, which is 

 also associated with forest destruction, 



