Chapter VIII: Nigeria (2)

With the collection and planting of the seeds from the teak-trees originally planted about 1889 in the Ebuttemetta garden, a new area opened in the afforestation of Nigeria. Seedlings developed rapidly, and were found to grow at least 10 if not 18 feet in the first year. Although not always keeping up this promise of exceedingly rapid growth, more especially in height, the teak bids fair to become, as in Burma so in Nigeria, the most valuable of all trees. On the whole it has been by far the most extensively planted tree of any in Nigeria, excepting that in the case of mahogany many more have been planted in the Central Circle. Teak plantations are now found as widely apart as on the banks of the Cross River near Ikom, Inkum, Ndeh and Ikrigon amongst the historic stones, and in the Arboretum at Calabar. Near Ndeh, for over a quarter of a mile the river bank is quite enlivened by the large and showy leaves as well as the tall, thin stem of the teak. To a lesser extent, though appearing more picturesque, is the riverside plantation on the opposite bank just below Abragba. In a district with a rainfall of about 60 inches and a deep sand alluvial soil, the teak so far has proved quite at home in the Cross River districts of the Eastern Circle. Even amongst the thickly growing grass at Ikrigon they have survived after coming up from seeds sown at stake, and bid fair to become an established tree of that locality.

Teak has also found a place in the plantation near Mpot and the Oban Reserve. Going over now to the Central Circle, we have Oria, situated near the right bank of the Niger in the Benin province, with its rapidly growing teak plantations. Again choosing a local climate similar to that where teak is found has so far proved it to be a most suitable tree for this locality. Many other trees do not thrive or attain much size near here, so that the teak is all the more valuable for that reason. Near Benin itself, with its heavier rainfall and comparatively approximate to the sea (about 45 miles), it is doubtful if teak will do so well. Even so, growing more slowly, it would prove an additional most valuable tree to those already found growing in the district from which timber has already been obtained.

Again, in the Western Circle the very largest teak plantations are found: even from the railway carriage window you get an impression of the extent of these just before reaching the Eruwa Road station, and again just after leaving Olokemeji station, between 85 and 90 miles from Lagos respectively. Despite one or two fires, trees at Eruwa Road show quite average growth for the Southern Provinces of Nigeria. In seven years the trees had reached a girth of over 12 inches and a height of over 25 feet. Happily, they were not fruiting so profusely as at Olokemeji. This plantation is all the more interesting in that it was made primarily for the use of the Railway Administration to supply teak timber for sleepers and constructional work.

On closer inspection it will be seen that the Olokemeji plantations nearest the railway comprise six “falls,” “stands,” or “compartments” of 25 acres each, adjoining each other. Although the trees everywhere have not grown as well as on the better soil, these are far and away the largest plantations of any in Nigeria. Each “stand” is separated from the next by a broad ride and top and bottom by a broad road. Near by these are another two compartments of 25 acres each, though neither of these is entirely filled with teak, as also the first one in the other series. Nearer the bungalows there are the first made plantations of 1908, thriving, yet growing on the poor laterite soil. These stretch away nearly half a mile into the open deciduous forests at the back. What a strange contrast is presented in the dense, close growth of the teak plantation, with its soil covering of decaying and large brown leaves of the teak, compared to the stunted growth of Red Ironwood, small Bauhinia, some Paradaniellas and a few gnarled oak-like Shea Butter Trees! Such teak plantations open up a long vista of future developments in the conversion of the poor dry-zone vegetation into forests of valuable trees, both with and without extensive permanent improvements of the soil and subsoil. Even the large raceme-like clusters of the flowers, almost covering the whole of the teak trees in April and May, are not to be despised for improving the looks of a grassy lawn near a bungalow. A glimpse through the tall Terminalias on both sides of the Ogun, just before the curve is reached at Olokemeji village, reveals yet another teak plantation on the lower slopes of the easternmost of the two hills. Olokemeji means the “man of, or owner of, two hills” (_oke_ means a hill, and _meji_ means two, in Yoruba). Again, still further along in the valley of the stream, near the station, are some other older teak plantations from the years 1910, 1911. Here there is yet a different contrast. The broad, wide masses of the teak plantation are still on one side rather overshadowed towards the hillside by the giants of the mixed deciduous forests, such as the cotton-tree (_Eriodendron Orientale_) and _Sterculia cordifolia_ and ebony (_Diospyros mespiliformis_). However, later on the teak, growing on better soil than is found in many parts of the Olokemeji Reserve, will no doubt equal it, if not surpass it.

Further to the south, in the Ilaro Reserve, teak has not proved to be so much at home; although growing well the first year or so, the rate of growth since then has been distinctly disappointing. The soil may have been too damp, and the rainfall of the locality may be a little high, and perhaps later on it may be proved that it can be grown on the higher land at a profit.

Further eastward and further northward, in the Mamu Reserve, the teak has grown as well, if not better than up the Cross River. Trees five years old have reached a girth of 24 inches and a height of 35 feet; with its good soil and comparatively high rainfall, probably rather more than 60 inches, Mamu bids fair to be one of the homes of teak in Africa. The older plantations on the river bank, some three miles away from those on the side of the Ibadan-Jebu-ode Road, have done nearly as well as those standing on inferior soil. So far the only damage done to any of the trees anywhere is that caused by a mistletoe-like parasite termed Afoma by the Yorubas, and known botanically as _Polystachys odorata_. However, only isolated trees having been attacked both at Olokemeji and Mamu, it is not difficult to combat its presence by cutting the trees down and burning the parasite. Still further north, on the bank of the Ogun just above the bridge on the Oyo-Iseyin Road, is yet another teak plantation. This was mainly formed by many of the seedlings in the nursery not being transplanted in time and being allowed to grow up altogether unthinned. Teak, however, forms such very persistent side branches, and has such a tendency to flower and fruit early in its existence, that only helps it to form a clean straight bole and retards the period of flowering by being planted close together. Also, nearly 5 per cent. of all the stems have a tendency to bend over and form stronger side branches than a leader, and have, in fact, rather a more shrub-like habit than that of a tree. Again, quite 1 per cent. grow very slowly right from the beginning and thus sooner or later get suppressed. For these reasons, then, more are required right from the beginning in order to form a full crop of clean-boled timber.

In the Ondo Circle there are some teak at Awshun, where, owing to rather a high rainfall and somewhat low-lying ground, the trees have not grown so very fast after the first year.

In addition to isolated specimens over twelve years old in the Olokemeji Arboretum region, the oldest trees of all are found in the Ebuttemetta gardens near Lagos. These trees are nearly thirty years of age, and show a girth of about 6 feet. By no means growing on good soil, or in a suitable locality either with regard to elevation or the close proximity to the lagoon and the sea, useful for the best growth of teak, they do not at all show the possible limits of growth of this tree. Already sample sections have been cut from one or two of these trees and reported on most favourably by the Railway Administration. Similar samples have been sent to the Imperial Institute for exhibition purposes. In a short time the first thinnings of the plantations will take place, and it will be possible to see for what purpose they are most suitable. At any rate, it is a termite-proof wood, and despite the fact that the white ants often attack the growing tree, they usually eat only the outer bark, leaving the tree quite intact and alive.

In all, about 300 acres have been planted with teak, and even at the low valuation of the cost of making them they are worth at least £45,000. In this case a nominal value of only 3s. per cubic foot is assumed. As has proved the case in Burma, probably on the best soils only a period of eighty years will have to elapse before the final filling of the trees is made on the better classes of soil, and one of a hundred on the poorer soils. At approximately regular intervals of every ten years after the first ten or fifteen have elapsed from the date of the making of the plantation, thinnings are made. With each succeeding period the trees cut out are of larger size, and thus of increasing value with each decade. These returns soon more than cover the cost of planting, and assume greater and greater proportion towards the end of the rotation.

Another tree with which a considerable amount of work has been done is the Iroko (_Chlorophora excelsa_). Here, despite many disappointing results, care and attention show that this tree is capable of reproducing itself in a comparatively short period. Beyond many specimens in the Arboretum at Olokemeji, a whole plantation was made by the Railway between that place and Eruwa Road. Seedlings come up in large numbers from fresh seed sown in a nursery. In fact, sometimes, as at Olokemeji, they have appeared thicker than grass. Subsequently, when transplanted, many thousands died, the roots being apparently unable to quickly adjust themselves to new surroundings and grow again before the leaves have transpired nearly all the moisture from the plant, and thus quite withered and dried it up. However, those which have survived show fair growth, even on poor laterite soil. This soil, of course, is quite unsuited, and certainly one of the poorest mediums in which to plant Iroko.

Natural regeneration or the sowing of seeds at stake seems to be the best method, as we have in nearly all the Reserves large numbers of young Iroko seedlings of all ages and sizes coming up. In that connection one of the most instructive Forest Reserves is that of Ikrigon, where the Iroko (_Chlorophora excelsa_) is the most prevalent tree. Here, where most of the land has been farmed at one time or another and where the rainfall on the whole is sufficient to induce a good forest growth, the Iroko has tended to increase in numbers all through this part of the country. It may also be said, of course, that the natives have directly helped in this process, by leaving some of the less straight and more branched Iroko-trees standing. They have used the best for canoe-making. In this manner seed-bearing trees have been available, and with part of the ground having been cleared for farms, the conditions have been most suitable for the reproduction of the tree. Subsequently the farms have been abandoned and the young trees have grown up amongst the weeds, creepers, and other inferior tree species, such as Albizzia, just according sufficient shade and protection for the young Irokos, and yet not too dense or thick to prevent them from sooner or later emerging and overgrowing the rest of the trees. Although, of course, many trees growing up under these conditions branch somewhat low down, they do not suffer nearly to the same extent, and sometimes not at all, from the attacks of the leaf coccus. This has two effects: not only does it not hinder and retard the sapling’s growth, but also all the sooner it reaches the higher zone or greater distance from the ground (as far as its upper foliage is concerned), so that these attacks do not occur. Again, the competition of the various weeds, Albizzias, creepers, etc., has the effect of so stimulating the growth of the young Iroko that in such positions it reaches a much greater height in a quicker time than when planted in pure plantations. From numerous observations it appears that after the first year the height growth may exceed 6 feet in one season. Even later this is kept up, and if the rest of the forest growth remains comparatively thick, no side branches can be formed on the bole of the Iroko, so that clean-stemmed trees are the result. As it gets older the Iroko stands less shade, and thus any small branches which do form are soon killed by the surrounding trees. Thus it is seen how we find these very straight, long-boled Irokos in the forests. Again, too, it is not very expensive, and at least much cheaper, to undertake partial cleaning and pruning amongst the self-sown Iroko- trees, especially to eliminate forks low down in the stem. Various experiments undertaken in the Ikrigon, Olokemeji and Mamu Reserves showed how quickly the sapling Irokos respond to this treatment. In some cases, trees only 2 inches in diameter and forked have reached nearly 4 inches in diameter and nearly doubled in height in one year. Another advantageous feature of the Iroko is the rapid, satisfactory, and smooth way in which the occlusion of the wounds made by pruning takes place. Even in the case of a very crooked tree covered with several branches, in fact almost forming a crown, these may be marked but not all cut until the following year. Surfaces of less than 2 inches will be nearly occluded over, and a tendency of the tree towards a crown will be almost obliterated at that point and be forming much higher up the tree.

Apparently, the more northward the tree is found the less liable it is to attack by the leaf coccus. Whilst it is found in the Olokemeji, Ilaro and Mamu Reserve, it is less frequent in the Ikrigon Reserve. In the Sokode it was quite unknown. This last-named place is in Togo, and the plantation is situated in a latitude of over 9° North.

In the Ilaro and to a lesser extent in the Mamu Reserve it has been remarkable how rapidly the Iroko increases in girth when given plenty of space after being freed from the surrounding forest trees. In these trees, when showing a girth of from 4 to 8 feet, the diameter increment is most rapid. In most cases it averages over 6 inches in girth, and in one case at Ilaro it was as much as 11 inches in one year. This rapid growth in girth is all the more valuable as the trees of this size growing in the high forest have usually nearly completed their height growth. Thus the bole is comparatively long and clean, and the extra growth is put on evenly all the way up, tending to make it more cylindrical than before.

With the protection of the forests alone as Forest Reserve both in the evergreen and mixed deciduous forest zone, not only are many Iroko-trees preserved and allowed to grow to their full size, but also large numbers of self-sown seedlings come up in the abandoned ground and augment the value of the forests. This is an additional reason why the farming in a Reserve cannot be continued for any length of time. The old farms become more and more filled up with valuable young Iroko-trees, which would be at any rate damaged, if not killed, by the farming operations.

Even without taking into consideration the number of planted trees, the Forest Department has practically guaranteed certain future quantities of Iroko timber in the number of small trees which have been preserved and the potential value of the little ones grown up since the Reserves were made. Only in one part of the country is this anything like the case, and that is in the Ahoada district, where the natives use the Iroko-tree as a boundary mark between the different village lands and also between many farms. To a minor extent this can be seen in the Onitsha district, where the Iroko-trees have been preserved inside the villages, thus giving them the appearance of being the woods of the country while the rest of the land is bare. It is, however, just the reverse. They form the towns and villages amongst the trees, which are thus preserved from the axe and fire of the local farmer. Despite the fact that a fair number of large oversized Irokos have been cut each year in the Olokemeji Reserve, there are many more of the smaller size now coming on than were in existence when the first fellings took place.

Another tree which has received a considerable amount of attention is the Cigar-box Cedar (_Cedrela odorata_), and to a lesser extent the Toon (_Cedrela Toona_). Although both are exotic trees, the former especially shows very quick growth. Despite the unevenness with which it is liable to come up from seed, the rapid growth of the tree soon compensates for this disadvantage. In three or four years it may be from 18 to 24 feet high and 8 to 16 inches in girth. Both the largest individual specimens as well as plantations are found in the Olokemeji forest as well.

More in place in the firewood plantations near Lagos and Ibadan is the Casuarina (_Casuarina equisetifolia_). At Olokemeji this tree has only done comparatively well. Also an exotic, it is most useful for planting near the sea-side on sandy soil, and in places with a smaller rainfall. It will also stand a comparatively dry atmosphere. The wood of this tree is very hard, almost like Ironwood. It is sometimes known as the Australian Beef Tree. Its numerous small branches on the stem make the wood rather knotty and of less value for general construction work. However, its heating power as a firewood is very great. Amongst all the forest trees it is one which yields the greatest amount of acetic acid, which forms the basis of an explosive.

Another Australian tree which has been used to a lesser extent for Afforestation purposes is the Blue Gum of various kinds. _Eucalyptus citriodora_ and _E. amygdalina_ have proved to grow the quickest of any planted in Nigeria. Many others have been tried, but most have not survived. Specimen trees and small groups are seen as far apart as Onitsha, on the banks of the Niger, Ikassa, near the mouth of the Nun branch of the Niger, the Botanical Gardens, Calabar, the Olokemeji Arboretum and Forest Plantations, not to forget the streets of Lagos. In a similar way Casuarinas are seen near Government House at Calabar and in Lagos, besides the forest Arboretums and plantations.

Another exotic from India, Lagerstrœmia (_Lagerstrœmia flos Reginæ_), has grown well both on the banks of the Ogun and on poor laterite soil of the Olokemeji Forest Reserve. For the sake of the flowers alone it is worth planting to ornament a garden or the edge of a plantation. The masses of mauve flowers last a considerable time and blend most beautifully with the foliage and any green grass near by. Although of branching habit when planted 10 feet apart, if planted closer it will grow straighter and with cleaner bole. The timber is hard and very durable. So far this tree has proved a valuable introduction, especially for planting poor soils and river banks liable to inundation.

A later, though an exceedingly good introduction is that of the Satinwood (_Swietenia chloroxylon_), which gives promise in the Olokemeji Forest Reserve of making a valuable addition to the number of timber trees of indigenous and exotic origin. This tree yields the Ceylon satinwood, which is usually worth at least £12 per ton. The almost silvery-white tufted formation of the leaves is reminiscent almost of the Eucalyptus, though the leaf is rather smoother and not quite so narrow in proportion to its length as most of the Eucalyptus family.

To face p. 174.

Some years ago the seeds of _Pinus Mercusii_ were planted in several places, including those of higher elevation. Although it many cases the seed germinated, the seedlings subsequently died.

Another exotic, the Swamp Cypress or Bald Cypress, or, as it is known in England, the Deciduous Cypress (_Taxodium distichum_), was tried near Benin City some years ago for swamp planting. Here, as in the other case, the seeds germinated and the small trees reached the height of about a foot and then subsequently died. The swampy ground where they were planted may, however, have been rather too acid or sour for them. The climate, of course, was no doubt considerably hotter than that of the Southern States of the United States, in which country this tree is indigenous.

The original Spanish Mahogany, or _Swietenia mahagoni_, was intended for Afforestation purposes with a view to its yielding on the average a more highly valued wood than that of the African Mahogany. However, in Africa generally, and in the Olokemeji Arboretum, it has proved a very slow growth and more liable to attack by the leading-shoot borer than even the indigenous mahogany-tree.

For the comparatively dry laterite soil of the Olokemeji Forest Reserve, Indian Rosewood or Blackwood (_Dalbergia latifolia_) has proved a valuable introduction. Growing comparatively fast and of somewhat branching habit, it soon covers the ground. It is, of course, better in mixture with others in order to produce clean stems. Latterly the larger trees have been attacked by a borer and considerable damage has been done. Still, in spite of it the trees have gone on growing, and apparently are capable of outgrowing the damage without an enormous loss of increment. In all, several acres have been planted with this tree.

Indian Walnut (_Albizzia Lebbek_) has found a foremost place in the firewood plantation at Ibadan and Ede, as well as in the forest plantations at Olokemeji. Its rapid growth and comparative indifference to soil make it a comparatively valuable tree for Afforestation purposes. Although it is usually only considered suitable for firewood, there is no doubt that its wood can be used as a substitute for walnut, as it is in India. Already, in fact, it is largely a forest escape in Africa, and is found in many of the old farms and cultivated places. Its greyer, almost silvery-grey, foliage easily distinguishes it from that of _Albizzia Brownii_, which has larger leaves.

A South American exotic, the Lignum Vitæ (_Guaiacum officinale_), is found in isolated specimens in the Olokemeji Arboretum and forest plantations. With such a very slow-growing tree, which may show half an inch growth in a year, it is difficult to be patient and wait for the many years before it will attain even a size large enough from which to cut the smallest bowl for a game of skittles or bowls. Its very yellow small foliage is most distinctive and not unlike box (_Buxus sempervirens_), but the leaf is flatter and does not curl like box.

One of the most valuable introductions in the forest plantations at Olokemeji and in the firewood plantations at Ibadan is the Siamese Cassia or Bombay Blackwood (_Cassia Siamea_). Almost indifferent as to soil and not requiring a heavy rainfall, and casting a heavy shade, it soon grows on the laterite, covers the ground, killing weeds, and rapidly attaining the size of a tree. In the plantations at Olokemeji, the trees reached a height of over 20 feet and a girth of about a foot in five years. It is one of the few trees that will thoroughly kill the Econ grass. The masses of yellow flowers which appear in the crown of the tree and also in the leader rather interrupt the height growth, but make a magnificent show at the end of the dry season. It continues to flower and fruit for the larger part of the year. Either as a firewood tree or as a timber tree, it should always be worthy of a place in all Afforestation areas where the rainfall is none too heavy. The hard, almost black wood is of value in India, so that it should prove of value in Nigeria when the trees are large enough for cutting into planks or boards. Amongst the exotic trees which have not yet found a place is the Trinkomali Wood (_Berrya Ammomilla_) and Indian Rose Chestnut or Ironwood (_Mesua ferrua_), seedlings which were obtained from seeds of the large trees in the Botanical Gardens at Victoria. If they grow well in Nigeria, the somewhat heavy and flexible Trinkomali Wood or Petwun and the Ironwood should both prove of value for local industrial work.

Although found as specimen trees in the Olokemeji Arboretum, _Copaifera officinalis_ has not been formed in plantations, though small groups of the West African Gum Copal (_Copaifera salikounda_) are seen in the Ogba plantation of the Central Circle. Both these trees are doing very well, more especially the latter, which have reached a height of over 12 feet in six years. The former had produced some tears of gum three-quarters of an inch in diameter in the tenth year of its growth. In addition to these two, there is the Cameroon Gum Copal (_Copaifera Demeusii_), seedlings of which were obtained from the Botanical Gardens at Victoria. Considering that the last-named tree is indigenous in a territory so much closer to Nigeria than either of the first-named Gum Copals, it is highly probable that this one will grow better than either of the others. Up to the present it is not known, however, how the yield of the Gum Copal compares with either of the former. As far as West Africa is concerned, the Sierra Leone Gum Copal has proved to be the most prolific in this respect.

The Indian Almond (_Terminalia catappa_) is seen more as an avenue tree, mostly in towns such as Lagos, but also in the Mamu Forest Reserve. It is certainly one of the best shade trees for planting at the side of roads. Its rather formal habit, with the almost even whorls of branches, fits in with the straightness and even width of a road. By many it is not realized that the nuts can be comparatively easily cracked and the kernel inside is good to eat.

_Michelia champaca_ is another most suitable tree for avenues. The chestnut-like leaf and the large, almost magnolia-like flowers are of a white colour, giving it a “distinguished” appearance such as is necessary for a roadside tree. The flowers, too, are used for making scent.

Both as a shade tree and for its gum the Balsam of Peru (_Toluifera Pereiræ_) is also worthy of a place both in avenues and in plantations. Some seedlings were obtained from the Botanical Gardens at Pretoria, where the tree has grown comparatively well. Not so suitable for plantations apparently at Olokemeji is the Sugar Palm (_Arenga saccharifera_). However, in isolated places small plantations have been made with the Sago Palm (_Corypha elata_), such as in the swamp opposite Calabar and the small grove of the Betel Nut Palm (_Areca catechu_) near Lagos. Both these give promise of being useful acquisitions to the palms of economic use in Africa.

Before leaving the exotic trees, mention must be made of the Thuya (_Thuya occidentalis_), which were obtained from the Canary Islands by Major Cockburn and planted on the hill at Obubra. Although somewhat slow growing, they have thrived in that climate and do not suffer from disease. This is the only example of a Conifer which has been successfully introduced into Nigeria.

Amongst the other indigenous trees of which plantations have been made there is the Cedar Mahogany (_Pseudocedrela Kotschyi_), Emi gbegiri, Yoruba, which apparently grows but slowly in Olokemeji. It is much the same with the self-sown seedlings and with root suckers, both of which have proved disappointingly slow in that locality.

Then also at Olokemeji we have the dry-zone Mahogany, _Khaya Senegalensis_, Oganwo of the Yorubas and Ogwangu of the Benis, growing in a small plantation and raised from seed brought by H. N. Thompson, Esq., from the Shaki district in 1910. So far the growth has been comparatively rapid, though the tree is occasionally attacked by the leading-shoot borer, which makes it fork comparatively low down.

Of the African Walnut and the Long-capsuled Mahogany, _Lovoa Klaineana_ and _Entandrophragma Candollei_, most isolated specimens and groups appear to have been planted in the leased areas of Benin. In addition to these, some other specimens and small plantations are found in the Calabar, Degama, Benin and Olokemeji Arboretums, as well as in the plantations of the Ogba and Olokemeji. Thus far only the Long-capsuled Mahogany has been planted in these; the difficulty of obtaining seed of the African Walnut has precluded its wider distribution in the various plantations. Long-capsuled Mahogany grows very fast, usually with an undivided stem and a big tuft of long pinnate leaves near the top of the tree. Stump shoots form very readily and soon attain a large size, as is noticeable in the specimen in the Benin Arboretum.

The plantations of Ebony (_Diospyros mespiliformis_), Kanran of the Yorubas, have been made in the Olokemeji Forest Reserve. Although, of course, very slow growing, it demands further attention, as it yields a good black ebony.

Amongst the soft woods there are plantations of _Triplochiton Nigericum_, Arere of the Yorubas and Obechi of the Benis, in the Olokemeji Forest Reserve. At first growing rather slowly, they bid fair to prove one of the most rapid growing trees. A mixture where teak was introduced to fill up the blanks will be interesting to watch in its future development, as to whether the teak will eventually outgrow the forest maple.

Although the firewood plantations at Ibadan and certain parts of the plantations of Olokemeji have been filled up with West African Walnut (_Albizzia Brownii_), Ayinre Bonabona of the Yorubas, they will prove probably of greater value for the production of timber than for firewood. However, as a firewood tree it has yielded several cords of wood from one tree after only seven years of growth. So far it has certainly proved to be the tree which produces the greatest amount of firewood in the shortest period of time. It sprouts well from the stump, so that for a time its reproduction is very easy and assured.

The Oil Bean (_Pentaclethra macrophylla_), Apara of the Yorubas and Opaga of the Benis, is found chiefly reproduced artificially, either by being sown at stake or planted along the sides of the roads in the Owerri and Benin provinces. Considering the hardness of the wood, the tree grows not excessively slowly, though, of course, compared to a softwood it is slow.

Camwood (_Pterocarpus Osun_), Osun by the Yorubas, Ume by the Benis, has found a place in the Mamu Forest Reserve, its congener _Pterocarpus Indicus_ having been planted in the Olokemeji Forest Reserve. However, as far as the size and habit of growth is concerned, the African Redwood or Barwood appears to be much superior to the Indian Paduak. The latter usually soon develops a triple stem with many small side-branches, whereas the African species always shows an undivided stem. In rate of growth “Osun” seems to be rather slow compared to many other trees. Self-sown seedlings come up readily in suitable localities, such as the Ikrigon Reserve, and on the whole develop more quickly. Anyhow, the continual demand in increasing amounts of this red dye-wood necessitates the careful preservation of the tree in the forest, as well as its continual reproduction by natural regeneration or plantations in the Forest Reserve.

Amongst the Mamu Forest Plantations there is that of African Oak (_Afzelia Africana_), Apa (Yoruba), Aligna (Benin), one of the few survivals of the efforts made to reproduce this tree artificially. The many insect and rodent enemies give isolated plantation seedlings very little chance to develop.

Although Shea Butter (_Butyrospermum Parkii_), Emi Ori or Emigidi (Yoruba), has been tried as a plantation tree, the germination of the nuts is very poor, and the rodents attack them unmercifully. Apparently root-suckers form the chief means of reproduction for this tree. They are very prevalent and very persistent once they have sprouted. The forest fires destroy a great deal of the flower in the early part of the year, preventing formation of the fruit, and thus the means of reproduction by seed is very much reduced. The improvement in trees protected from fire at Olokemeji is most marked.

At Degema there is a plantation of _Mimusops Djave (?)_, or Aganokwi of the Benis, which shows comparatively fast growth; in eleven years the trees had reached a height of about 25 feet and a girth of 2 feet 6 inches. Although it sprouts well from the stump, it is easier to raise from seed, but the seedlings require great care in transplanting.

At Olokemeji, Shinglewood (_Terminalia Superba_), Afara, by the Yorubas and Egoyn Nufwa by the Benis, is being tried in a mixed plantation. The growth has been rapid, and would probably surpass that of teak after the first five years.

Over considerable areas of the Olokemeji and the Ibadan plantations the Yoruba Chewstick, or Ayin of the Yorubas (_Anogeissus leiocarpus_), has been planted. Its growth has been moderately rapid, reaching a height of about 8 feet in four years. In addition to the value of its wood both as a chewstick and from the fact that a mordant for dyes can be made from its ashes, the young plant kills all the Econ grass growing round it with its leaf fall. This makes the tree one of the most advantageous for Afforestation purposes. Its light-green foliage and delicate, graceful build, and slender bole and branches, make it also valuable as an avenue tree in the dryer parts of the country. In its similarity to the European birch it might almost be called the birch of Africa.

With the Dika Nut (_Irvingia Barteri_), Oro by the Yorubas and Okherli by the Benis, small sample plots have been made in the Mamu Reserve and isolated specimens planted near the Calabar Arboretum.

Although not for Afforestation purposes but for the production of Palm Wine, _Raffia vinifera_, Ako by the Yoruba, Augor by the Benis, has been planted and seeds distributed amongst the villagers of the upper parts of the Cross River districts. When these are grown there will not be such a demand for cutting down the oil-palm-tree for making palm wine as there is at the present time.

Allowing only a value of 3d. per tree on all the trees planted during the last fifteen years, all the mahoganies and plantations are worth £240,000.

In two circles and parts of a third a great deal of work of an Afforestation nature was undertaken years before any actual forest plantation could be made. These are the communal rubber plantations of the Ireh Rubber (_Funtumia elastica_). In the Central Circle, near over 700 villages and towns, plantations varying from a hundred plants to ones covering several acres and containing many thousands, were made, aggregating in all the setting out of over a million trees in a period of about five years. In the Eastern Circle, in over a hundred villages, and in the Ondo and Western Circles over two hundred village plantations were made. Subsequently Para Rubber (_Hevea Braziliensis_) was added and substituted for the Funtumia wherever the climate was suitable for it. Now the communities concerned have a very valuable asset, which they can tap from year to year and augment at their leisure. Whatever happens to the forest or the immediate neighbourhood of the village, there will at any rate remain the rubber plantation, giving grateful shade to the roadsides and the ground near the villages. In one case a village planted over 1,200 Para rubber-trees, which even as a commercial asset are by no means to be despised.

In addition to these efforts on the part of the natives, acting under the advice and guidance of the Forest Department, there are the numerous rubber plantations in all the Forest Reserves. In the earlier days these were planted with Funtumia, where, for instance, in the Mamu Forest Reserve nearly one square mile of land is planted with this tree.

Then, again, there are the district plantations, more especially in the Eastern Circle, where in many cases Para Rubber was planted instead of Funtumia. These areas are for the most part smaller than those of the Forest Reserve or Communal Plantations. They served more as demonstration areas to show how rubber would grow in that locality.

Furthermore, near almost each native court in the Eastern Circle rubber plantations, in many cases of Para and in others of Funtumia, were made.

The general cost of the Communal District and Native Court Plantation was practically limited to the amount involved in payment of the native Forest staff. These men, however, had other duties to perform, and on the average certainly not more than one-third of their time was occupied in the making of these plantations. For the making of the other plantations of the Forest Reserve about £2,500, or sometimes £3,000, has been spent annually in making them and in the cost of their upkeep once they have been made. Owing to the long dry season in Nigeria the number of plants failing to survive it is somewhat high, and this very considerably increases the cost of the final establishment of the plantation. For some years the cost in many cases amounted to £10 per acre for the first year and £1 or £2 for subsequent years, for the cost of “beating up” and keeping the plantations clean. With the greater experience gained both in regard to the habits of the different trees and in the methods of reproduction most suitable to various parts of Nigeria, the cost has been somewhat lessened. However, even so, the cost compared to European or English plantations is not abnormally high. In Africa there is no land to buy, and no wire-netting is needed for the plantations, and the land usually planted has not a “letting” or “sporting” value, as it has in England. The buying out or compensating of the native rights of the usufruct of the soil is not so very expensive, especially when it is spread over comparatively large areas, as it usually is in West Africa. Then, again, even with the cost of £10 per acre, the total value of a crop after fifty or sixty years would certainly not be less than 3s. per cubic foot of the timber, which thus allows ample margin for 5 per cent. compound interest on the original outlay, and a profit besides. In many cases the timber would be worth a great deal more, and also the value of the intermediate thinnings is not inconsiderable. Both these factors have been left out of the account, in order not to in any way exaggerate or make too optimistic estimates of the value of a forest plantation. But beyond the financial side of the value of forest plantations, more especially in a tropical country like Nigeria, is the very valuable indirect effect they have on the whole welfare of the country.

First of all, plantations in forest groves improve and beautify a locality, whether on the level or amongst hills.

In the second place, the forest induces a greater rainfall in itself and its immediate vicinity.

Then the rainfall which actually falls in the forest is partly re- evaporated to fall again, thus making extra rainfall, and also the rain which actually reaches the ground in the forest is only gradually absorbed, thus making the flow of springs and rivers regular.

Both on the level and especially on slopes, a covering of trees, such as a forest, hinders the washing away of the surface soil or tilth of the land.

Forest trees only require one-twelth of the mineral matter out of the soil that an agricultural crop does, covering the same area.

In a forest plantation there is always greater humidity in the air, and thus many plants of economic value, such as cocoa, can grow in its vicinity, which would otherwise not be possible to be grown in that locality.

A forest acts as a moderating influence on the temperature of the air, being lower inside the forest than outside, when the sun is very hot. Conversely, when it is cold outside in the “harmattan” season it is warmer in the forest.

Nearer the interior of the forest certain better grasses and pasture are found, which are of incalculable value, in a drought, to the cattle in that locality.

During the long period of the rotation, usually at least 60 or 80 years, in most forests there are large accumulations of leaf mould or litter, which on occasion can be used in reasonable quantities for manuring neighbouring agricultural lands. This is of incalculable benefit where the ground outside the forest is comparatively poor and dry.

It has been proved also that in these long forest rotations the mineral rock and subsoil have time to weather, and add further mineral matter to the enrichment of the soil.

The forest, too, provides grateful shelter and sanctuary for game animals and birds of all kinds, thus providing, especially in Africa, the largest source of meat which the native has.

When all these indirect advantages and good effects of the forest are added together and a definite value put on them, and then considered in addition to all the timber and firewood the forest produces, it will be seen how wonderfully and providentially beneficial the forests really are, and also how absolutely essential they are in a country like Africa.

Just as effective, and cheaper, except perhaps as regards time, than the artificially made forest plantation, are the protected forests; even in the worst case, starting with a poor country growth and small dry-zone shrubs and trees, after ten years there is a compact, close-growth, medium-sized tree with straightened stem and less branching habit, and the ground comparatively free from grass. During a further period this forest can be thinned out by removing the poorer shrubs and trees and allowing seedlings of more valuable species to come up. They will often do this in the shade of poorer and more hardy trees. Still later, as the soil-moisture conditions improve, the humidity increases as well as the rainfall; still other species come in or can be introduced artificially. Eventually, by the end of the first rotation there is probably quite a different forest to that in existence at the time of the annual grass- fires, and one which is more akin to the original forests before the advent of Man with his firestick.

Quite apart from any money which has been spent on direct forest plantations, the indirect effect of the protection afforded to the trees in the various forest reserves is of almost incalculable value. If the figure should be calculated out even at a low rate of only £1 per acre, then the total value is £768,000 for the Reserves already made. Again, considering this result has only been attained after about fifteen years’ work, it will only go to show the vast potentialities and resources that may be eventually created, or preserved from destruction, in Nigeria.

MEASUREMENTS OF PLANTED TREES IN THE OLOKEMEJI RESERVE

[Orig. Age 1911: Original Age in 1911.
Av. Growth: Mean Average Growth in One Year.
H.ft.: Height in feet.
G.in.: Girth in inches.]

----------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----------
|Orig.|1911.|1912.|1913.|1911.|1912.|1913.|Av. Growth
Species. | Age +-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----
|1911 |H.ft.|H.ft.|H.ft.|G.in.|G.in.|G.in.|H.ft.|G.in.
----------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----
1. Tectona | 3½ |27 |30·5 |34 |15·25|18·25|21 | — | —
grandis | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
2. „ „ | 5½ |32·5 |37·25|38 |24·25|28 |32·5 | — | —
| | | | | | | | |
3. „ „ | 3½ |26·5 |32·75|34·5 |14·75|19·5 |23·5 | — | —
| | | | | | | | |
4. „ „ | 3½ |25·5 |28·75| — |12·25|16·0 |18·5 | — | —
| | | | | | | | |
5. „ „ | 3½ |25·5 |29 | — |13 |15·5 |18·5 | — | —
| | | | | | | | |
6. „ „ | 3½ |27 |32·35| — |15·25|18·5 |21·5 | — | —
| | | | | | | | |
7. „ „ | 3½ |11 |17 | — |8 |10 |12 | — | —
| | | | | | | | |
8. „ „ | 3½ |24 |24·75| — |10·5 |13 |15·5 | — | —
| | | | | | | | |
9. „ „ | 3½ |21 |21·5 | — |12·25|15 |19 | — | —
| | | | | | | | |
10. „ „ | 3½ |24·5 |26·25| — |13 |16 |18 | — | —
| | | | | | | | |
11. „ „ | 3½ |21 |26·5 | — |14·75|19 |22 | — | —
| | | | | | | | |
12. „ „ | 3½ |22 |28·25| — |12·75|15·5 |27 | — | —
| | | | | | | | |
13. „ „ | 3½ |23 |29·25| — |13·5 |15·5 |18 | — | —
| | | | | | | | |
14. „ „ | 3½ |32 |37·25| — |15 |19 |22·5 | — | —
| | | | | | | | |
15. „ „ | 3½ |21 | — | — |10 | — | — | — | —
| | | | | | | | |
16. „ „ | 3½ |12 | — | — | 4·5 | — | — | — | —
| | | | | | | | |
17. „ „ | 3½ |32·5 | — | — |12·25| — | — | — | —
| | | | | | | | |
18. „ „ | 3½ |22 |56 | — |10·5 |45 | — | — | —
| | | | | | | | |
19. „ „ | 8½ |51 | — | — |42·75| — |48 | — | —
| | | | | | | | |
20. „ „ | 8½ |47·5 |51·5 | — |37 |39 |42 |7·62*|4·83*
| | | | | | | | |
21. Cedrela | 6½ |40 |43·75|49 |36·5 |41 |45 |6·8 |6·28
odorata | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
22. „ „ | 6½ |35·5 |40·50|44 |27·25|30·50|34·5 |6·15 |4·74
| | | | | | | | |
23. Chlorophora | 4½ |13 |19·75|23·5 |15 |21 |27·75|4·16 |4·72
excelsa | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
24. Triplochiton| 2½ |25 |31·75|35·5 |12 |16 |19·5 |12·3 |19·0
Nigericum | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
25. Terminalia | 8½ |65 |73·0 |74 |48 |51 |53 |8·31 |6·0
superba | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
26. Eucalyptus | 8½ |95·5 |90·75|94 |34·75|37 |37 |10·98|4·26
sp. | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
27. Khaya sp. | 3½ |22 |33·5 |39 |10 |15·5 |19 |9·0 |4·23
| | | | | | | | |
28. „ „ | 3½ |15 |23·5 |28 |9·75 |13 |15 |6·34 |3·59
| | | | | | | | |
29. Casuarina | — | — |22·5 |30 | — | — |11 | — | —
sp. | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | |
30. „ „ | — | — |22·5 |30 | — | — |10·5 | — | —
----------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----

* Average for twenty teak-trees.

V. THE FOREST DEPARTMENT.[3]

European Forest Officers are of two ranks, the _scientifically_ trained Conservators of Forests and the _executively_ trained Foresters.

The scope of this paper will only cover the former, as very few of the latter are Europeans, and most of them Nigerians.

From Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh, graduates in Forestry can usually be procured. The training at these centres covers roughly a year or a year and a half’s work on the elementary subjects, such as Botany, Mathematics, Geology, Mensuration, Surveying, and Political Economy. In addition, a year or two years’ work on the professional subjects, Silviculture or the growing of Forests, Forest Protection, Forest Utilization, Forest Botany, Forest Entomology, Forest History and Forest Policy is required. At the end of the course, six months’ practical work in Scottish or English forests follows, during which period working plans and market conditions are especially studied.

After being accepted for appointment in Nigeria, a further three months’ course is taken at the Royal Gardens, Kew; and six months’ practical work on the Continent was (before the war) usually required. At Kew, the object is to acquire a working knowledge of the most important Botanical Orders which contain the African trees. The continental course shows the student forests which have been under a definite scheme of management for over a hundred years. It takes one, in fact, right through the life- history of a tree from a seedling in the nursery-bed to the well-grown financially mature tree, marked ready for the axe, a period of about eighty years.

The initial appointment is for three years on probation, after which it may be confirmed. The initial salary of an Assistant Conservator of Forests is £300 per annum, rising by increments of £15 to £400 per annum. The first appointment dates from the day of sailing, the passage being paid by the Nigerian Government, and salary on half-pay begins from the date of departure until the arrival in Nigeria, when full salary begins to accrue. Intending candidates should bear in mind that an early selection for appointment entitles them to seniority over other candidates who, owing to their being fully qualified, are appointed immediately, and thus reach the Colony before them. Locally, a commuted travelling allowance of £42 per annum is drawn to compensate for the extra cost entailed in inspecting the forests. A limited number of carriers, or other means of transport, are provided by the Government. For the purpose of more rapidly getting about, a bicycle, motor, or horse may be kept, and an allowance is given for maintenance. The cost of living is high, even when furnished quarters or a bungalow are provided.

To face p. 184.

Lagos is the first port of call in Nigeria, and there is a railway journey of 123 miles before reaching Ibadan, the temporary headquarters of the Forest Department. Olokomeji, 90 miles from Lagos, is the old headquarters, and from here the forestry work of the Southern Provinces is directed. Zaria, situated some 450 miles from Lagos, is the headquarters of the Forestry Department in the Northern Provinces.

A newly appointed officer would be liable to be sent to either of these last-named places; but owing to the larger number of men being stationed in the Southern Provinces, the majority are sent to that centre. Olokomeji is in the middle of a Forest Reserve 26 square miles in extent, and is also the headquarters both of the Western Circle and of its northern division. In each circle there is a Conservator of Forests in charge, and he has an assistant to manage each division. In the event of a shortage of staff it may happen that a new man is put in charge of a division and thus has an opportunity of learning all about the work much more quickly than would otherwise be the case. In the ordinary way he only corresponds with his Conservator and the timber interests of his division on purely local matters.