TnkI.I KXCK 01 FuKKSTS ON NaTIIJAL \N' ATKU-Sr PI'I.N . 1 I ."'• 



suppDi't oiH'-fourtli its foinuT population; this is due to tlie desiecatioii 

 that has followed tlie destiiictioii of forests wiiieh once covered a i^reat 

 portion of the island.* 



This diminution of the water-supply following the destruction of 

 forests is the experience in every part of tlie world. The decay of 

 agriculture in Spain began with the reckless wood cutting in the 

 mountains. The once well-wooiled Dahnatia is a stony desert, and a 

 large extent of Persia, unce one of the granaries of the Ecist, is barren 

 and desolate : whilst India, especially in the intermediate and dry 

 zones in the Deccan and the north-west, has been injured l)y the 

 destruction of the forests. f The hills of the Kamanding, in the Bel- 

 la rv district, were covei'eil with a good strong jungle as recently as 

 it^iii: : during the night and the greater part of the day there was 

 always a heavy cloud resting on the hills ; rain fell in both north-east 

 and south-west monsoons ; all the springs ran abundantly ; the main 

 feeder of the Dorojee tank and its tributaries ran all the year through ; 

 the climate was at times cold enough for fires, and the water-supply 

 was abundant during the whole of the hot season. But in fifteen 

 years all this was changed ; the jungle had been almost entirely 

 destroved : the rainfall had become very precarious and reduced by 

 ahnost one-half : the tank had not filled for three years ; the springs 

 were generallv dry : the climate was warm : the maiii feeder of the 

 tank was dry in Feljruary, and none of the tributaries had water, i 

 Another striking instance occurs near Simla. The hills between 

 Mahrtsu and Fagu w^ere, as late as 186f>, covered b)' a magnificent forest 

 of spruces, silver firs, deodars and oaks ; but the ground was cleared for 

 potato fields, and the soil has been washed down into ravines, leaving 

 the unprotected hillsides cut up b}' torrents. The Hoshiarpur Chos 

 affords one of the most markevl examples of the injur\- that may result 

 from the denudation caused by the destruction of forest growth. The 

 hills were once densely wooded and destructive torrents did not exist ; 

 but now that the forests have disappeared large areas in the fiats are 

 year by year coAered \\ith unproducti\ e sand, causing incalculable loss 

 to the countr)'. The loss of land revenue alone is said to amount to 

 K90,000 per annum. J; Prof. Schlich describes this as one of the worst 

 cases of its kind in India, and attributes the loss of the forests to 

 the combined action of man, cows, sheep and goats. He says that, 

 although the debris has been carried into the plains, and has even 

 destroyed a portion of the town of Hoshiarpur, tlie evil has not yet 

 reached its maximum. 



The evil effects of deforestation and clearing have been very 

 marked in parts of the United States of America. An interesting 

 case is that of the Rock Ki\ er in Wisconsin, which not only supplies 

 the water-power for numerous mills and factories, but contributes 



* h'e/iort of the liepldatnitf of fhr Islaiid of Cjiprns, by 1*. <I. Madoii. 

 Enclosure in Cyprus (Despateiij No. 36fi of 1S81. 



t Forestr;^ i)i Briti>ili India, l)v B. Ribhentrop, CLE., p. 40. 



X fbiff. p. 4fi. S fltu/. p. 50. : Mfnuidl of Forcntrij, p. 149. 



