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THE HILL FORESTS OF WESTERN INDIA. 



By H. M. Birdwood, C.S.I. , LL.D., M.A., late Vice-President 



OF THE Bombay Natural History Society. 



Notes of a paper read at the Lecture Hall, Greater Britain Exhibition, 



Earl's Court, London, on the 4cth July 1899, under the Presidency of 

 General Michael, C.S.T. 



I trust that the following notes of a paper [ lately read at the Earl's 

 Court Exhibition will be of interest to the Members of the Bombay 

 Natural History Society. My object was to direct attention to a limited 

 area only in Western India, where the operations of the Indian Forest 

 Department may be regarded as more or less typical of its general 

 work. But, first, I referred to some considerations which determine 

 the applicability of a system of scientific forestry to any particular 

 country, and attempted to trace, in outline, the history of the measures 

 adopted by the Government of India for the Conservancy of Forests 

 in districts where scientific forestry is likely to secure permanent ad- 

 vantages to the people. I also adduced some statistical iufonnation 

 which gave an idea of the progress so far made. 



It is obvious that, in some parts of the globe, it would be of no 

 advantage at all to increase the existing forest areas or to try to grow 

 forests where no forests have ever yet grown. The increase of vegeta- 

 tion in some countries might indeed be a positive evil to the inhabitants. 

 It might reduce the temperature of the air and of the soil where it is 

 already cold enough for human comfort ; or it might increase the rain- 

 fall in sea-bound regions which are damp enough already ; or it might 

 unduly reduce the area of cultivation in thickly populated countries 

 where people are mainly dependent on their own lands and crops for 

 sustenance. Or, again, the afforestation of new lands might not be 

 required for the production of fuel or of materials for building ships 

 or houses, or for railways or machinery, in countries already well 

 supplied with peat or coal or iron or other substitutes for firewood and 

 timber. And, lastly, employment on forest industries might not be 

 a matter of public concern in places where other industries sufficiently 

 occupy the time and intelligence of the people. 



But India is not a country where such considerations prevail. 



Dr. Schlich, in his admirable " Manual of Forestry," tells us that, 

 as a rule, the nearer we are to the Equator, the more important 



