430 THE INDIAN FOREST SURVEY. [Nov. 



Department commenced its operations, and the chief of them had 

 been saved from destruction either because, in the absence of 

 communications, they were inaccessible, or because they occupied 

 ground which is too much broken to be suited for farming purposes, 

 or which cannot be irrigated. The principal forests consist of 

 extensive tracts of wild, almost uninhabited country, situated either 

 in the plains or on the low ranges of hills rising from them, or on 

 the lower and middle slopes of the Himalayas up to an elevation of 

 8000 or 9000 feet above sea-level. The want of protective 

 measures in former years has resulted in the most serious deteriora- 

 tion of the forests which have now been reserved, and they, in many 

 instances, include within their boundaries considerable areas which 

 are partially or entirely denuded of trees, or from which the valuable 

 species have disappeared. The ground, especially on the great hill 

 ranges, is still, however, generally speaking, more or less densely 

 covered with trees and jungle, and in the mountains many of the 

 slopes and ridges are covered with a dense growth extending over 

 large areas. The gradual deterioration and ultimate extinction of 

 forests has gone on in all countries, and is still unfortunately in 

 progress ; but the necessity for preserving those which remain, and 

 for reclothing denuded mountain ranges, is now recognised in most 

 civilised countries. In France very large sums have been expended 

 annually for the last twenty years in afforesting the slopes of the 

 Alps, the denudation of which has resulted in the most disastrous 

 floods, and Colonel Plnyfair told us yesterday that the most stringent 

 measures are being taken by the French in Tunis to arrest the 

 process of destruction of the forests of that country before it has 

 gone too far. 



In Burma and in Southern and Central India, the principal trees 

 are the teak and sandalwood ; in the north-eastern portion of the 

 peninsula the sal and the india-rubber tree are the most valuable 

 species, while in the north-west the principal forests are stocked 

 with sdl, sissoo, and the cutch tree. Tliese kinds are, however, 

 largely mixed with others, many of which are at the present time 

 almost without value, and with bamboos. In the North-Western 

 Himalayas the most valuable tree is the deodar, which is found 

 mixed with several species of pines, firs, and maples, and also with 

 elm, hornbean), birch, and poplar. 



Until the Forest Department undertook the management of these 

 areas a few years ago, they were not thouglit to have any great 

 value ; it was supposed that they would supply the wants of the 

 population in forest produce and grazing for ever, without the 

 necessity for any special measures of protection, and nothing in the 

 way of an accurate map of them was required. The system of 



