REVIEWS 69 



port and the encouragement of local saw mills for conversion of timber 

 to meet all forms of market demands will be necessary, and the early 

 establishment of a research branch to inquire, among other things, into 

 the possibilities of utilizing many forest products at present little or not 

 used, is most essential. The commercial aspect of the forest depart- 

 ment cannot fail to become of increasing importance. 

 Other matters to which attention might profitably be devoted are : 



(1) Improved methods of cultivation and collection of lac, and extension of 

 propagation of lac to areas where suitable species of trees exist. 



(2) Improved methods of extraction of rusa oil. 



(Both these matters are receiving attention, but a special research staff is 

 needed for the work.) 



(3) Extension of bamboo plantations to Berar to meet the local demands. 



(4) Replacement of inferior species of trees in poor class forests by more 

 valuable species suitable to the locality. (As an example, may be quoted the 

 promising results obtained by sowing sandal in the Akola Division.) 



(5) Best methods of utilizing the myrabolan {Tcryninalia chebula) crop. (This 

 product, which is of the greatest importance in the tanning industry, was largely 

 exported to Germany in pre-war days.) 



(6) The commercial possibilities of creating mohwa (Bassia latifolia) plan- 

 tations. 



A liberal expenditure and an adequate staff will, however, be essen- 

 tial to ensure progress. 



Out of the total area of State forest of 19,640 square miles an area 

 of 16,544 square miles, or 85 per cent, has sanctioned working plans. 

 For an area of 1,548 square miles out of this latter, however, plans 

 are in progress of revision. An area of 1,789 square miles requires 

 revision, for 677 square miles of which it has been undertaken. New 

 plans are being prepared for an area of 545 square miles, while for an 

 area of 57 square miles plans have still to be taken in hand, the area for 

 which no plans are considered to be necessary at present being 2,503 

 square miles. These are mostly B and C class forests. 



In the Southern Circle the sowing of sal under the protection of telia 

 (IVendlandia exscrta) was continued in the Sotith Raipur Division, 

 but the results are not said to have been very successful, and basket- 

 planting is now being tried. Experiments were in progress in Alla- 

 pilli to ascertain the best methods of tending teak sowings in blanks, 

 where Anjan seed was also sown with teak. Sowings of Ciunanioin- 

 mum camphora were made in frost holes in the Bilaspur Division with 

 a view to protecting the young sal. In Nagpur-Wardha observations 

 were in progress as to the mortality of bijasal seedlings and methods 

 to counteract it. 



