B. DE WINTER, MAYDA DE WINTER and D. J. B. KILLICK (Authors)
1966
Department of Agricultural Technical Services
Issued on the occasion of the REPUBLIC FESTIVAL, 1966
Book is in perfect condition.
This is a valuable book aimed at the novice lover of nature, even your children!
Book has been scanned complete with all 4 color plates
When you buy the book, you will receive the password to open the PDF Scan of the book and the Word document.
FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR TO THE READER
This book, dear reader, has been written for you and me, who are nature lovers but who know little, too little. It invites you and your children into the wonder world of our indigenous trees. We state with a certainty which you will share in time that he who has once learned to recognize some ten or twelve species of trees in the veld, will not rest (even though it might take years!) until he can call by name each of the 66 beautiful species described in this book. This introduction has been written by experts to make the first "lessons" as easy as possible for us. We see the wealth of trees around us, almost daily; they are no more to us than just "trees" - like strangers on the sidewalk are merely "people". It is only when we can greet them by name that they begin to belong to us. This book wishes to introduce some of them to you.
And as our acquaintance grows we shall suddenly realize that for all these years we have been getting trees from elsewhere for decoration and shade in our parks and gardens and along our streets, while we had more suitable kinds of our own, nearby here in the veld. Those who know have shown that many of them are faster growing than the foreigners we are treasuring in our gardens. And of course more attractive, because they are our own. Though the title of this book mentions "Transvaal trees" you will notice from the text that it might as well have been called "South African" or even "Southern African trees". Many of these so-called "Transvaal" species will flourish elsewhere in the Republic if the planting is done with the necessary care. It might be worth our while to try.
Every book has a history. This one too. The National Parks Board some years ago began to number 50 species of trees in the Kruger Park, issuing to tourists a number-name-list. From that fine beginning sprang the idea of doing something similar for the whole of the Province: to number attractive specimens at picnic spots along the highways, in parks, on school grounds, along the streets and to publish a list of names that correspond with the numbers. That was about a year ago. The scheme then was a suggestion only. All the authorities concerned with the preservation of nature have since considered the idea and taken a decision: that a numerical list of all the species of trees in the whole of the country should be compiled. Work on it was started at once, and during the last few months such a list has been compiled by the Botanical Research Institute in collaboration with the Department of Forestry and other experts. I am gratified that at the time of writing, a bare six months after the decision was taken, the list is ready for publication. At the back of this book you will find the complete national list. (No doubt you will be as surprised as I was to find that no less than 738 separate species are listed!) If therefore you should run across a tree bearing the number 617 growing on the slopes of Table Mountain, you would know from the list that it is the same Wild Olive (Olienhout) that you spotted in the Game Reserve or in Natal under the same number, or in northern South West Africa or in the Orange Free State or wherever it might have been.
Numbers by themselves are not enough, of course. That is why the numerical list of the Game Reserve has grown into this volume. In it you will find the name (and other interesting facts) that belongs to the number you have seen, in the case of 66 of our most attractive or most important trees. I say "interesting" because this book contains a great deal of information that has not been published before.
The Transvaal Province is giving financial assistance towards the publication of the first print of means the retail price is being kept within the reach of almost all who are able to read. But I have is sound a warning, that in the case of a reprint the price may very well be a good deal higher.
All nature lovers will owe a debt of gratitude for this magnificent piece of work to the three authors: B. de Winter D.Sc., Assistant Chief of the Botanical Research Institute, D. J. B. Killick Ph.D., Officer. in-Charge of the Botanical Survey Section of the Institute, and Mayda de Winter B.Sc., formerly of the Institute. In a quite incredibly short space of time they prepared a unique publication. Thanks are also due to the ad hoc Committee assisting them.
The Republic Festival of 1966 is an occasion of thanksgiving for the mighty blessings we have received during the past five years. It can assuredly not be regarded as inappropriate if on such a joyous occasion we happen to think also of the great gift from nature, our wealth of indigenous trees, which Providence gave us before we even asked for it.