Abstract
THE Report of Consul Siler, the United States representative at Cape Colony, which has been just issued, contains a full account of the present state of forestry in that country. He says that of the 214,000 square miles which are comprised in Cape Colony, there are something over 350 square miles covered with large forest trees. These forests lie almost all together near the sea, running nearly parallel to the coast, in the temperate regions of the southern mountain chains. Till recent years the system of felling pursued was a most wasteful and unsystematic one. Far from confining the operations of the woodcutters to certain limited sections or areas, the authorities permitted them to roam about at pleasure, and to pick and choose from among the forests what trees they should cut down. This license had its natural effect: only the choicest trees were cut, and even of these only selected portions were taken away, the rejected parts being left to cumber the ground. It has been estimated by those skilled in woodcraft that by this pernicious system 30 cubic feet of wood were wasted to each one utilized; and thus it is that many forests have totally disappeared, and even those that were not so easily accessible have been sadly impoverished. Till 1880 no steps were taken to preserve this natural wealth that was being so shamefully abused. In that year, however, the question was strongly urged on the attention of the Colonial Parliament. One of the chief defects of the system was pointed out—namely, the total absence of skilled caretakers, those then in charge having received no technical education whatever; and to meet this in some measure Parliament at once voted a sum of money to pay a trained superintendent. The choice fell on Count de Vasselot, who had had wide experience in French forestry at Nancy, and he at once proceeded to lay the foundations of the present forest department at the Cape. One of his first steps was to divide the forests into districts, which he again subdivided into sections, and to direct that felling should proceed in sections, the re-growth of the first section being given time to develop into mature trees before the axe was again used in that section. By this system the entire shutting up of any forest for a time is done away with. At present the period for the “revolution” of fellings is fixed at forty years. The tariffs now vary for standing timber from 2 cents to 6 cents per cubic foot of sound wood; with the exception of stinkwood (Oreodaphne bullata), which, being very hard and very valuable, was almost threatened with extermination, for which the price is 24 cents per cubic foot. Poles from 6 inches to 10 inches in diameter are sold at the rate of 2 cents per running foot; spars from 4 inches to 6 inches in diameter at 12 cents per 100 running feet.
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Forestry in the Cape Colony . Nature 37, 598 (1888). https://doi.org/10.1038/037598a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/037598a0