1885.] THE FORESTRY COMMITTEE. 313 



planting of 5000 square miles of forest on the 32,000 square 

 miles in Ireland ? AVitness said about twenty directing men would 

 look after that extent of forest in India, and about three hundred 

 other men. He could not say what would be the climatic effect on 

 the country. 



By Col. King Harman : At first the foreign foresters who went 

 out were half French and half German ; but it was thought the 

 Indian forests were better suited to the French than to the German 

 system. 



Asked if forest blocks must not be all of the same kind of timber, 

 witness said that some of the best examples of forest cultivation in 

 India were those of mixed forests. 



By the Chairman: In a forestal growth for 150 years, the forest 

 might be open for pasturage about seventy-five years. Nobody 

 knew the actual value of the Indian forests, but the value had 

 increased very much in the last twenty years. It was objected to 

 the Englishmen who went out at first that they were ignorant of 

 the first principles of forestry. 



Col. Michael, C.S.I., examined by Dr. Lyons, stated that he was 

 at the inception of the forest system in India, and especially in the 

 ]\Iadras Presidency. It originated through Gen. Frederick Cotton 

 about 1848, General Cotton, riding through the forests, was very 

 much struck with the manner in which the forests were being 

 overworked through the Government system of leasing. The General 

 conferred with him because he had paid some attention to forestry, 

 especially in Switzerland. He knew the slide on Mount Pilatus, 

 and the shoot at the Falls of Gleisbach for the removal of timber. 

 Excellent results were produced in India within seven years of the 

 establishment of the forestal system. The first forest he got in 

 charge was fifty miles long. Other forests adjoining were leased by 

 the Government, in order to enable him to carry out his system of 

 roads and tracks. No planting was done in his time in the forests 

 under his care ; planting had been done since, and had been most 

 successful. Mr. Connolly's exhibits at the Edinburgh Exhibition 

 showed what had been done in thirty years. There were now 3500 

 acres in Malabar, planted entirely in teak. The plantations paid very 

 well from the thinnings. It was put into the public market, where 

 there was great demand for it. The principal cause that led to 

 the destruction of forests in early days was that they were in 

 nobody's charge — people turned in their sheep and cattle. Teak 

 contained an essential oil that rendered it of great service in resisting 

 water and iron-rust, and it was therefore of great use in ship- 

 building. Specimen logs sent to the Edinburgh Exhibition were 

 worth 6 s. per cubic foot. He was told there was no timber in the 



