| 1 May, 1900.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULIUKAL JOUKNAL. 401 
= | EXHAUSTION OF TIMBER IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 
| 42 a Conference of the Murray River Branches of the South Australian 
| Bureau of Agriculture, the question of arboreal shelter was considered, and the 
‘| ceneral secretary (Mr. A. Molyneux, F.L.S.) read a paper by Mr. Walter 
jill, F..S., conservator of forests, on “Maintenance of Efficient Shelter in 
‘ome South-eastern Districts.”’ He followed the reading with some remarks 
| "pon the effects of denudation of forest lands. Timber for fences, firewood, 
|'dges, and many other purposes was, he said, becoming scarcer and more 
| “arce every year, and he doubted if enough could now be obtained in the 
| ‘lony to replace the fences which were now very old. Professor Lourie, Mr. 
)tnn (horticultural instructor), and the Hon. A. W. Sandford took prominent 
Parts in the discussion which followed. 
That such a dearth of timber as is here recorded should be found in an 
Australian colony will surprise many whose knowledge of the outside districts 
| Slimited. Queensland still possesses large stores of valuable timber; but if 
“ops are continually taken from the land and nothing is returned to the soil 
|the results are ruinous to the farmer. So with our timber crops. If we 
jitnually remove many million feet of trees, and do not replace them, or, at 
| “ast, take care to preserve the young stock, the inevitable result must be that 
| Ye shall arrive at the end of our resources, and shall have to look abroad for 
|*tpplies. But whence are those supplies to come? Other countries have 
| en drifting towards the same end, and on all sides we hear of feverish 
| deavours to plant-up denuded areas and to nurse existing young forests into 
| Maturity for the benefit of future generations. Year by year we find the 
“nand for timber increasing for railways, bridges, fencing, building, firewood, 
] 2d now an enormous demand has arisen for timber to be ground up into pulp 
| “or paper-making. 
__In the United States (according to the Pacific Rural Press) the Division 
jo Forestry has determined to make an exhaustive series of measurements and 
| “vestigations for the purpose of securing accurate knowledge of the relation 
| ‘forest to the run-off of streams. The question has become an exceedingly 
| ®portant one in many parts of the United States where lumbering is extensive, 
has caused tah diversity of opinion among scientific men. After 
| 8mining many watersheds and securing the advice of a number of hydraulic 
|gineers, the Division of Forestry has chosen the watershed which embraces 
® sources of the Mohave River, in the San Bernardino mountains, as the best 
| “ntre for experiments. 
; The work will commence soon, and will embrace a comprehensive study of 
the present forest cover, considered in relation to the rainfall and the flood 
| @bacity of streams. The area selected contains three distinct types—the 
| toleomb shed, a brush-covered district ; the Little Bear shed, which has been 
| “nuded by lumbering; and the Deep Creek shed, still covered with heavy 
| itgin forest. These areas are under the control of the Arrowhead Trrigation 
| °mpany, which has kept twenty-eight rain-gauge stations in operation for 
| ven years, and has also measured the flow of the streams during that time, so 
that the Government experts will have much data already on hand. The soil is 
“milar on all portions, and the geological formation uniformly granitic. The 
| nfall on the forested and logged-off tracts is practically the same, but is 
‘lightly less on the Holcomb steal which approaches desert conditions. It is 
lieved that conditions are so nearly similar throughout the region that the 
Servations will be as instructive as if made on the same tract before and after 
Unbering. The effects of grazing and fires will also be noted. ° 
lh: The flood capacity of the streams will be made the basis of investigation. 
| ~ +8 well known that, although the rainfall may be less, a barren area will often 
| grduce greater floods than a wooded area. This is because the water, unob- 
| yucted by vegetable cover, runs off the surface rapidly and is practically 
| ‘sted. A lesser total rainfall, if conserved by the forest, will soak into the 
Stound and. flow steadily throughout the year. The investigations projected will 
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