J.D. Crew (Author)
Published by the Sandton Nature Conservation Society and the Tree Society of Southern Africa 1994
This book is complete, in good condition, slightly water damaged, pages warped, but not stained. It was still in great condition to be scanned.
This book does not appear to be readily available.
When you buy the book, you will receive the password to open the PDF and Word Document scan of the book.
Introduction
The writer has been a keen indigenous flora enthusiast since his youth when he first visited the then unspoiled bush of the Eastern Transvaal Lowveld. Though still a schoolboy and lacking any horticultural background, he developed at that stage an urge to propagate and have growing at home, trees and shrubs from the bush. Thus began an infatuation with the indigenous trees and shrubs and there developed an urge to persuade others to appreciate and grow them and to provide a guide for them to do so.
It is likely that virtually everyone must now be aware of the importance of trees, but although an increasing number are getting to know the merits of indigenous species, there must be many to whom one tree is much the same as any other. By growing and then distributing indigenous trees one learns which are propagated without difficulty and which can adapt to the Highveld weather conditions.
Thus when space became available and it was possible to obtain seed more easily, propagation and cultivation of trees and shrubs began in earnest, though this was some 13 years prior to the writer's retirement. About ten years or so previously it was thought advisable to keep propagation records for future use and this began to be done for all sowings. Some three years ago the writer was asked to produce information on the growing of
indigenous trees occurring in the Sandton area. This he agreed to do but felt it would be preferable to record all experience gained and to include both successes and failures. This has been set out in the following pages, in many cases with very sparse information, but with reasonable detail in some instances. It is hoped it will be of
some assistance to other propagators and to those who, dismayed by the absence of any written guide, have been reluctant to start any propagation attempts.
The lack of any mention of a considerable number of indigenous species mostly indicates that seed of those plants was not available. This is an unfortunate. consequence of not having been free to wander over the entire area of Southern Africa in search of propagation material and also because it seemed obvious that certain plants could hardly be expected to survive on the Highveld in a climate totally unlike that to which they are accustomed.