The Federated Malay States, with 26,350 square miles, and heavily wooded, after a report by the Indian Inspector-General, have begun to reserve forest areas, some 100,000 acres having been set aside, which are administered by the Conservator of the Strait Settlement’s reserves.
The government of the island of Cyprus also employs a forest officer and guards to look after its 700 square miles of forest.
In Africa, during the last few years small forest departments have been established by the governments of the Soudan, East Africa, Nigeria, Transvaal, Orange River and Natal, mostly for the purpose of planting on the treeless plains.
The government of Mauritius had made attempts at conservancy for many years, but without notable success.
The most successful attempt in Africa so far is reported from Cape Colony, which as early as 1819 had a Superintendent of Lands and Woods, and in 1876, a Department of Forests and Plantations, neither of which have left much of record.
In 1881, a new forest department under a French forest officer was started, which has grown until now its consists of one Conservator (D. E. Hutchins), 22 Assistant Conservators, 84 European foresters, and a few native guards. In 1888, the needed legislation was had for regulating the working of the nearly half million acres of forest area, which, in 1902, was declared inalienable government property. Since the wood imports amount to over two million and a quarter dollars annually, the need of conservative use is appreciated especially as climatic conditions are unfavorable to reproduction. Some 24,000 acres have been planted during 22 years, at a cost of $1,500,000, the first plantations beginning to yield a substantial revenue, and it is believed that another 40,000 acres of such plantations would supply all the timber needed in the Colony. Treeplanting by private land owners and municipalities is encouraged by furnishing advice gratis and plant material at low cost, and to municipalities in addition government aid is extended to the extent of half the cost of planting.