342 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



are the effects of landslips and avalanches, and how badly some 

 valleys are becoming denuded in consequence of a neglect of proper 

 protection of the forests. Some small attempts have been made 

 in India to stop the ravages of torrents, and of course wherever it 

 has been able to step in, the Forest Department has tried to urge 

 the formation of permanent reserved forests on slopes which 

 are liable to damage; but this is not much when compared 

 with what remains to be done. Except a few forest officers 

 who have studied the subject, and a few others such as the 

 late Mr B. H. Baden-Powell, whose recent death Indian forest 

 officers have especial reason to deplore, and who was probably 

 the first to draw the serious attention of Government to the 

 matter, the Indian officials have not appreciated the extent of 

 the danger : and one of the first of the lessons for the British 

 Empire which I think we may draw from the Paris Forestry 

 Exhibition is that something requires seriously to be done in the 

 Himalaya before it is too late. In some places it already is 

 almost too late; for I have myself seen hill-slopes which, when I 

 knew them first, were covered with fine forest of big trees, but 

 are now scored with landslips, and their gentle streams converted 

 into torrents, because the trees had been cut down and burnt to 

 make patches of poor cultivation. The subject requires to be 

 taken up seriously and systematically, as is done in France, Austria, 

 Hungaiy, and elsewhere ; but anyone who knows India and the 

 "sufficient for the day "policy of Indian administrators, knows 

 that the chances of anything of use being done are small indeed. 



The question of the fixing of shifting coast sands and dunes is one 

 which is of more general interest in this country, as any one who, 

 like myself,has visited the important w r orks undertaken near Forres, 

 on the coast of Morayshire, can testify. In France these works 

 have been of the greatest importance, and I daresay some of those 

 here present have visited the extensive and important works 

 which the French have undertaken on the coast of the Bay of 

 Biscay. There is no harm, however, in again referring to them. 

 In 1779 the work began under the celebrated engineer Bremontier, 

 and in 1864 it was almost completed, an area of about 260 square 

 miles having, during the interval, been reclaimed and affoi'ested, 

 nearly all of it with the Pinaster (Pi?ius ma/ritima), at a cost of 

 about £620,000. In some other exhibits of different countries 

 interesting accounts were given of similar works : thus the Por- 

 tuguese Government had some valuable drawings of works under- 



