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:: The distribution of plantations
The main timber producing areas of the southern Lowveld region possess the advantages of good soil and favourable climatic conditions. In some instances the growth and yield of timber per acre are amongst the highest in the world. The chief areas of occurance are as follows:=
a) Along the Great Escarpment (approximately 4,000-5,500 feet above sea-level). This includes the high country about Barberton, Kaapsche Hoop, Sabie and Graskop, with hot summers, a high mean annual rainfall, perennial stream flow and frequent mists care must be taken in planting those genera of trees best suited to local conditions and in the escarpment zone these are pines (especially patula) and wattles.
b) In the Lowveld (2,000-4,000 feet)0. The chief areas lie north of White River, east of Graskop near Barberton. Rainfall is lower, the incidence of mist less, and summers are hotter than along the escarpment. The chief genera cultivated here are eucalypts (especially saligma) and pines (especially caribaea and patula).
:: South African Timber Consumption
The timber shortage during and immediately after World Wars I and II created an unprecedented demand for locally-grown timber and the Union became largely dependent upon the yields from State and private plantations for its softwood requirements. Import control has also had a bearing on the additional use of South African-grown timber by curtailing importation, while devaluation has had a beneficial effect by the relative increase in prices for supplies from dollar areas. These factors have emphasized the need for an extended afforestation programme.
Lest the impression be gained that our product cannot hold its own under conditions of free competition, it needs to be emphasized that box shooks which are today being produced in this Region and elsewhere in the Union by experienced manufacturers are the equal of or superior to those to be seen at Covent Garden and other European markets where the packaging materials from many nations can be readily compared. What is more, the South African box shooks sells at a considerably lower price than the imported article.
The position in regard to building timber sawn from South African trees is a little different. In times of emergency, material produced from immature trees, improperly seasoned, had sometimes to be supplied to meet demand, and as a result a certain prejudice developed against this timber. At times, too, there has been very little price advantage in using the local product. The efforts of the State mills and the experienced private sawmillers have, however, succeeded to a very large extent in demonstrating the usefulness of South African structural timber so that today the better known marks enjoy a steady demand.
Though certain types of imported softwood lumber will be difficult to replace by a South African product, a very large proportion of the loacl market today from overseas will eventually be met by the products of South African plantations with little, if any, sacrifice of quality.
In 1950 State plantations in the Union produced only 27.3 million cu. ft. of pine logs annually and more than 50% of the country's softwood requirements were imported. The State aims at producing 40 million cu. ft. from its own plantations by 1960, and 70 million cu. ft. by 1970 with the object of achieving self-sufficiency in the cheaper building and packing-case timbers, to which the increased output of private plantations will greatly contribute.
South Africa will probably always be dependent to some exent upon imports of softwood timber. The potentialities for afforestation of the escarpment zone of the Eastern Transvaal therefore assume great importance.
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