124 Ths yoiniial of Forestry. 



Indian empire ; and gives the British public some insight into the hiws 

 and regulations which govern that branch of State economy, as well as an 

 ■idea of the vast extent of the Indian forests, and the important in- 

 fluences they have on the soil and climate and the social and sanitary 

 welfare of the country. 



The number opens with a long and rambling " Note " of 2G pages 

 " On the Demarcation of the Forest Area in Districts containing Hill or 

 IVIountain Eauges," giving some good advice on laying out the boundaries 

 of forest land, and "taking stock" of the trees growing upon it, which 

 will be found a useful method where extensive forests have to be dealt 

 with. " Supply and Demand in their relation to Working Plans " and 

 "" Subordinate Forest Establishment" are of the grumbling order, and of no 

 interest but to the limited few concerned. In a " Memorandum on Jungle 

 Fires," by M. J. Slym, D.C.F., British Burma, are some good suggestions 

 upon the benefit of judicious burning of teak forests, and the injury done 

 by indiscriminate burning. He remarks : — 



"There is a general belief among the majority of forest officers that these 

 fires yearly do a great deal of harm to the teak-producing parts of the forests, 

 and, considering what a number of seedlings must be either killed or injured 

 •by them annually, the current view would at first sight not appear to be 

 entirely without grounds. 



" A great deal has been written both for and against these fires ; many have 

 pronounced their effects upon the forests to be unqualifiedly injurious; seme 

 even think that they must be prevented at any cost ; •while others believe 

 that they act favourably towards the growth of the teak, and the Commis- 

 sioners in Bengal are of opinion that these fires kill yearly a great number of 

 injurious insects and their ovaries which adhere usually to fallen leaves, &c. ;'* 

 and after discussing and examining the matter in a sensible manner, he con- 

 cludes by saying, " The collective inference I draw is that these fires should 

 not be pi'evented entxrdy, but the strength of them sufficiently lessened to 

 lessen the harm. This can only be effected by firing the forest ourselves two 

 or three times during the dry weather, commencing in the beginning of 

 February, before the leaves are so thick on the ground as in burning to cause 

 an injurious heat to the trees; while i a each interval the quantity collected 

 would be insufficient to cause any harm. Those engaged in firing the forest 

 could clear the young and old trees from creepers or any vegetation endanger- 

 ing their growth. I would also recommend the burning of all dead bamboo 

 tracts, and afterwards casting over the surface a large quantity of teak seed; 

 -the bamboo may spring up again, but the kind we find on the hills usually 

 ^ows in clusters, with sufficient room between them to allow the growth of 

 teak saplings. If these belts of dead bamboo with which our forests are 

 periodically intersected are left unburnt, millions of the seed germinate which 

 otherwise would have been destroyed, and the country becomes such a wilder- 

 ness, there is no chance left whatsoever for the springing up of a teak seedling 

 amongst the bamboo ; besides, the ground being covered by rubbish and the 

 teak seed being large, the latter remains on the top of it to rot, and the smaller 

 , kinds of seed, which penetrate this rubbish and come in contact with the 

 -ground, have a better chance to germinate. 



" The Political Value of Forest Conservancy " is argued at considerable 

 length by B. 11. B. P , but is much more suitable for a newspaper article 



