Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 9.djvu/422

 408 FORESTS trees. Stanley writes in glowing terms of the dense growth of lofty forests through which he had to cut his way, and specially refers to Bassia Parkii, or shea butter, which attains a large size, Oldficldia africana, or African teak, kola nut (Sterculia), cashew nut, and gigantic tamarinds. The western coast states Congo, Sierra Leone, Senegambia are all rich in wood, but comparatively little is known of the amount or of the value of the timbers, though some of these already find their way into European markets, in small quantities, viz., bar- wood or camwood (BapMa nitida), African mahogany (Swietenia ticncgalcnsis), and African teak (Oldfieldia africana). The low-lying portions are malarious, where the mangroves and other swamp-lov ing trees abound. The baobab (Adansonia digitata), which grows also on the east coast and in Nubia, attains a large size, with a huge rapidly tapering trunk, and yields a strong fibre from the bark. From the compact green appearance of the foliage of a mass of bao bab Cape de Verd is said to have received its name. The Guinea palm (Elais guinensis) abounds on the western coast, and England imports annually from Africa 10,000 tons of the palm oil. Valu able gums, as copal, &c., are also obtained from both the east and west coasts ; and with the prospective opening tip of Central Africa many valuable forest products will certainly come into com merce. Ashantee may almost be described as one continuous forest, &quot;com posed of tall and massive trees, with creepers extending like cordage from one to another, and so matting the foliage together overhead that a green roof is formed almost impenetrable to the sun. Here and there are chinks and skylights through which the sun shoots in and falls upon the tree trunks and ground in gleams and splashes of crystal light. There is not much undergrowth, for that kind of vegetation cannot exist without sunshine, and in the virgin forest is always a kind of twilight &quot; (Winwood Reade). Loiver Guinea. &quot;Welwitach describes forests extending 700 miles along the coast from the Congo to the Cunene River. These con sist of Diospyros, Cccsalpiniece, Combretacece, and Cclastrincce, the higher mountains behind being covered with extensive forests of the same families, with Stcrculiic, Cynomatice, and Copaifcra Afopane, Bt-nth. He saw ten miles exclusively covered with Hyphcene cucifcra, Pers., and adds: &quot;I conclude that these palm forests covered in past ages a great portion of the coast districts of Angola, where at present they only appear as dwarf bushes without stems, and never blossom.&quot; The only tree which braves the general dwindling is the Adansonia, which is seen in full splendour through out the district. The export of gum copal from Benguela is about 1,600,000 Ibper annum. (Jour. Linn. Soc., ix. 288.) South Africa has suffered much from denudation, and according to the Colonial Botanists reports many of its evil effects have followed, such as the frequent occurrence of sudden and destructive floods, and occasional droughts of extreme severity. But South Africa possesses a great variety of forest trees, yielding timber of great strength and beauty ; they are, however, only found in moun tain gorges and over a limited area. (Harvey and Sender s Flora Capensis. ) Mauritius, with its insular position and humid climate, possessed a most luxuriant indigenous vegetation, reaching to the water s edge ; but the aboriginal forests have disappeared, and the scarcity of wood for building and fuel has necessitated an annual outlay of 20,000 for imported timber. To supply the wants of the people, to provide shelter, and to improve the sanitary condition of the island, the local Government adopted measures some years ago for forming plantations on the higher elevations. The Australian eucalypti flourish well, and the planting around Port Louis has been attended with marked advantage to the town. (Flora of Mau ritius, Baker.) Through the agency of fire and goats, supplemented by the rapid spread of introduced plants, the rich primitive forests of Rodriguez and St Helena have likewise become extinct. (Hooker s Insular Floras.) Madagascar has been celebrated for its luxuriant vegetation, and in the north and east, where the climate is moist, magnificent forests clothe the hills. Elsewhere vegetation forms a narrow belt along the shore. The Ravenala, or traveller s tree, is character istic of the island. (Rev. W. Ellis, Rev. Dr Mullens.) From this sketch of the principal forest lands of the world it appears that, although the progress of civilization and the increase of population have greatly diminished the area of forests in many countries, they still cover a large portion of the earth s surface, and the necessity of main taining them is now generally recognized. It is beyond doubt that these vast wooded tracts affect most powerfully the economy of the globe. The direct influences may be summarized from the results arrived at by Humboldt and others: (1) By screening the soil from the heat of the sun s rays; (2) by the immense surface these leaves effer to the cooling process of radiation ; and (3) by the copious evaporation of moisture from the leaves. Some of the indirect benefits which thus accrue from the presence of forests may be mentioned, such as the maintenance of equable temperature and humidity, the affording of pro tection and shelter, the control of the regular flow of rivers, and the supply of perennial springs which fertilize and beautify the country. It is the climatic and physical im portance of a due proportion of wooded land, independent of the utility of forest products in innumerable arts which now contribute to our comfort and progress, that has at length awakened most of the civilized Governments to the necessity of protecting forests from ruthless spoliation. The following general conclusions adopted in 1851 by the British Association committee already referred to contain principles which, although limited in the first instance to British India, have been found more or less applicable to all countries: 1. That over large portions of the globe there is still an almost uncontrolled destruction of the indigenous forests in progress, from the wasteful habits of the population. 2. That where conservancy has been introduced, considerable im provement has already taken place. 3. That these improvements may be extended by a rigid enforce ment of the present regulations, and the enactment of additional provisions of the following character, viz., careful maintenance of the forest by valuation surveys and working plans, and by the pre servation or plantation of seedlings in place of mature trees removed, nurseries being established ; prohibition of cutting until trees are well grown, with rare and special exceptions for peculiar pur poses; and provision, in the case of trees yielding gums, resins, or other valuable products, that greater care be taken in tapping or notching the trees, most serious damage in some countries resulting from neglect in this operation. 4. That especial attention should be given to the preservation and maintenance of the forests occupying tracts unsuited for other cxilture, whether by reason of altitude or peculiarities of physical structure. 5. That in a country to which the maintenance of its water sup plies is of extreme importance, the indiscriminate clearing of forests around the localities whence those supplies are derived is greatly to be deprecated. 6. That it is a duty to prevent the excessive waste of wood, the timbers useful for building and manufactures being reserved and husbanded. 7. That as much local ignorance prevails as to the number and nature of valuable forest products, measures should be taken to supply through the officers in charge information calculated to diminish such ignorance. Necessity has caused the adoption of these principles in many lands of both the New and the Old World, and for estry will henceforth be studied as a science as well as practised as an art. It is manifestly of the greatest im portance that, in the progressive development of great countries, just and enlightened principles should influence the views and actions of those who are charged with the duty of advising Government in regard to the material resources committed to their care for behoof of present and future generations. For greater detail and more exhaustive treatment of the subject, the reader is referred to the following works in addition to those already alluded to : GREAT BRITAIN. Selby, A History of British Forest Trees, 1842 ; Marsh, The Earth as modified by Human Action, 1874 ; Brown, The Forester, 1861 ; Journal of Forestry, monthly. FRANCE. Mathieu, Flore Forestiere, 1877; Jules Clave, fitudes sur I Economic Forestiere, 1862 ; Nanquette, &quot; Cours d Amen- agement des Forets,&quot; 1868; Annuaire dcs Eaux ct dcs Forets; A. Parade-Lorentz, Cours Elemcntairc de Culture dcs Bois, 1860 ; Becquerel, Memoirc sur les forets et leur influence climatfriquc, 1868; Maury, Le,s FarSts de la Gaule, 1867; Croumbie Brown, Reboiscment in France, 1876. GERMANY. Leo, For st- Statist ik uber Deutschland und Ocstcrrcich-Ungarn, 1874; Schneider, Forst- imd Jagd-Kalender fur das Deutsche Reich; Fischbach, Lchr- luch dcr Forst-urissenschaft, 1865 ; Hartig, Lchrbuch fur Forstcr, 1861 ; Judeich, Die Forst-Einrichtung, 1871. SWITZERLAND, Bericht an den hohcn Bundesrath ubcr die Hochgcbirge Waldungcn, 1862. ITALY. Di Beirnger, Studii di Archcologia Forestalc, 1863 ; Racc olta delle Lctjgi Forestall, 1866 ; Siemoni, Manualc d Artc Forcstale. ( H - C -&amp;gt;