ON THE DESTRUCTION OP TROPICAL FORESTS. 81 



proper kind, of the proper age, and at proper distances, that is, in accessible 

 situations. As might have been expected, from continual drains being made 

 on these forests, without adequate measures having been adopted to keep up 

 the supply, a continued and increasing deficiency has been experienced in 

 all parts of India, which has frequently attracted the attention of the Indian 

 and Home Governments, so that in the Bombay Presidency numerous reports 

 have been made on the state of the teak forests, and measures adopted for their 

 improvement, without as yet much benefit. 



In the Madras Presidency steps have at different times been taken to 

 encourage planting, as in the time of Dr. Anderson ; ami lately we have seen 

 the Madras Government applying annually to Bengal for the seeds of Saul 

 and Sissoo, for planting in Madras. These have been very successfully intro- 

 duced and acclimated in the territories of Mysore and other southern pro- 

 vinces. In a letter from Capt. Onslow to Dr. Cleghorn, dated Shemogah, 

 21st July 1847, that intelligent officer writes in reference to a plantation on 

 the banks of the Toombudra, — " I have never seen any vegetation so won- 

 derful as that of the Sissoo ; last year's seedlings are almost too large to 

 transplant. It would be a pity to allow the monsoon to pass over without 

 putting in more seed." The Mahogany (^Sivietenia Mahogani), a tree of 

 great value and beauty, has been introduced successfully into the Calcutta 

 Botanic Gardens, and a few specimens are thriving at Madras and in Mysore, 

 giving promise of its being nearly equal to the finest varieties from the Hon- 

 duras. Specimens of furniture prepared by Dr. Wallich from trees grown 

 at Calcutta are now in the museum at the India House. 



Dr. Wallich was despatched in 1825 to the Upper Provinces in order 

 to inquire into and watch over the extensive forests of the empire, which 

 were found to be undergoing most wasteful and rapid decay. Three MS. 

 volumes of reports and proceedings, with two original maps of the route 

 taken by Dr. Wallich and Captain Satchwell, were placed by the Supreme 

 Government with the Agricultural and Horticultural Society '^ for informa- 

 tion and deposit." These volumes contain the labours of a body of public 

 officers, which, under the denomination of " The Plantation Committee," 

 originated under the administration of the Marquis of Hastings and con- 

 tinued in existence six years. The records of its proceedings, as contained 

 in these volumes, extend over 1070 pages of manuscript. They contain much 

 and most valuable, indeed generally unknown information, bearing on the 

 great practical measure of forest cultivation, the Sissoo localities in par- 

 ticular ; and every eflTort should be made to rescue this information from 

 oblivion. The late Dr. Spry, Secretary of the Agricultural and Horticul- 

 tural Society, was desired to undertake the examination of these records, 

 and favour the Society with a report upon their contents. He devoted much 

 time to this duty, and reported in July 1841, that the really valuable part of 

 these papers might be condensed into a small-sized volume of about 250 pages. 

 The work of condensation, that is the compilation, so as to avoid the official 

 forms in which the information is introduced that the matter may be brought 

 into a continuous form, will necessarily be great, and require that some 

 specific allowance be made for its performance. The carrying out of this 

 proposal was committed to Dr. Spry, and had his life been prolonged, would 

 have been executed by him. We regret that the fulfilment of his intentions 

 has not devolved upon any of his friends, considering the importance of 

 giving publicity to such valuable information, and we still think the matter 

 deserving of recommendation to Government. Dr. Wallich has borne testi- 

 mony to the value of the information, and stated that if the undertaking be 



1851. G 



