103 
The South Australian Naturalist. 
of an aeroplane landing. Flight is eoming nearer and nearer 
as a rapid and usual means of progression, and here we have a 
landing sit(' on oui* hills whither on Saturdays and holidays 
visitors eould be rapidly translated from town. Without inter- 
fering materially with the natural growth as a reserve, the 
Tourist Bureau eoidd ereet a residential house where people 
could stay for week-ends or during their holidays. A golf course 
could be established on the grassy lower hills as an additional 
attraction. 
Surely, with so many interests all calling for this as a 
Reserve and with only a comparatively small sum required to 
hold the land from further despoiling of its natural beauties, 
we shall be able to secure it and hand it on to the generations to 
come, to them a ]>riceless heirloom. 
THE FORESTS OF MOUNT LOFTY RANGE. 
By Ernest H. Ising. 
South Australia has a wonderful heritage in the forests 
which clothe the Ranges. The beauty of the wooded hills and 
gullies is well known, not only to visiting Australians, but also 
to tourists from all parts of the world. The authorities would 
do well to preserve the beauty nnd Avealth of the forests, Avhieh 
means a tangible asset to the State. The forests are for the use 
of the State and destruction of them should not be tolerated. 
Ft is our duty to see that sufficient timber supplies are passed 
on to posterity. It is an unfortunate fact that our State is not 
so blessed Avith forests: as are the other parts of Australia, and 
this should lead to a sustained and vigorous forestry policy in 
this State until the industry has l>een placed in a safe and 
sound position. 
Forests have other functions than that of supplying timber 
and hreAAn)od. It has been scientifically proved in other coun- 
tries, SAvitzerland in lAartieular, that a forest ensures a per- 
manent supply of pure Avater. It has been shown that lack of 
timber-covered areas has been the cause of floods in the wet 
season, Avith consequent loss of good soil, and silting up of lakes 
and flats, and a drought in the summer or dry season. This 
has been demonstrated in a small Avay in the Avatershed of our 
Torrens River, and the silting up of our low-lying land along 
the foreshore near Henle.y. The timber around the source of 
the Torrens has been removed, and the bare hills now let the 
rhiiiAA^ater flow into the Torrens in a flood; with forests present 
