[1 Jan., 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 71 
The next question that arises is that of timber reserves. In Queensland 
there are State forests in the following districts :— 
Place. Area—Acres, District. 
Fraser Island ... oe 108,800... Maryborough. 
Barron River ae on 1,450 ... Herberton. 
St. Mary ... 08 c00 1,357... Maryborough. 
Bungorah ... ae ro 2,300 ... St. George. 
Glastonbury ae i 4,480 ... Gympie. 
Woondum ... x) ace 640 # 
Noosa on 300 oe 640 is 
Kilkivan  ... do aw 5,600 35 
Como — a0 on 5,766 i. 
Marodian and Kilkivan ... 193200 ees 1 
Warrah ... ass aes 7,100... Maryborough. 
Brooyar ... bs) a 5,544 ... Gympie. 
ota leer a 162,877 
There are, besides these State forests, areas in various parts of the colony 
classed as timber reserves amounting in the aggregate to 1,508,374 acres. 
These, however, include areas reserved for other purposes besides forestry. 
The reserves might be classified by a competent authority, according to 
the description, quantity, and quality of timber contained in each. Thus it 
could be ascertained how much timber they would approximately produce 
annually. ‘This settled, we could provide (1) against waste by controlling the 
cutting of timber; (2) against the destruction of immature trees, by marking 
those which it would be lawful to cut; (3) for replanting or reproduction in 
some form; (4) by encouraging and assisting the natural growth of the trees ; 
(5) by sowing seeds and transplanting from crowded localities to other spots 
less favoured. 
By closing portions of the reserves against further cuttings at the end of 
a year, and opening successive blocks, the méans exist fora continuous supply 
of timber. , f 
There yet remains a difficulty, which Ido not see any present method 
of overcoming without great expenditure. I allude to the heads and limbs of 
large trees from which the log has been removed, which will cumber the ground 
and choke the growth of young trees, often distorting them unless the débris 
are got rid of in some manner. Near the large centres of population, or near 
sugar-mills or mines, this waste presents no difficulty, as there are many people 
who would be willing to remove them from any closed block, because there 
would be an immediate market for the wood. Many advantages would accrue 
from this method of restricted licensing—all the older and matured trees 
would be utilised, and the young growing timber would be protected. 
I might enlarge on this subject, but for the present enough has been said, 
and in my next paper will consider the best means of reproducing our timber 
in exhausted areas. 
With regard to the effect of forest destruction on rainfall mentioned in 
my first article (Queensland Agricultural Journal, Part 6.),Mr. H. C. Russell, 
Government Astronomer of New South Wales, says:—‘ The destruction of 
forests in New South Wales from the time that ringbarking was introduced, 
and for some fifteen or twenty years after, would seem to have been more rapid 
than the destruction of any other forest in the world, and during that period. 
the rainfall gradually increased. There is clear proof that the rainfall in this 
part of the world did not get less as the trees disappeared ; and in other 
countries where the question has been fully investigated, it has been found 
that the rain comes whether there be trees or not.”—Wew South Wales Agricul- 
tural Gazette. 
