334 Major F. Bailey's Forest Tour 



specially cared for when the flames pass round them. The 

 operation must be repeated every six or seven years, or more 

 frequently if necessary, to prevent the undergrowth of 

 shrubs from becoming so dense and tall, that the entry of 

 an accidental fire would be attended with disastrous con- 

 sequences. Of course there is a certain amount of risk of the 

 fire escaping beyond control, but this does not often happen. 

 Masses of young seedlings could not be treated in this 

 manner ; fire-lines must be made round them. 



The advantage of this system, as compared with the 

 clearance of the ground by digging out the roots of the 

 shrubs, is its cheapness ; it costs only some 3s. or 3p. 6d., 

 instead of from £3 to £5 an acre. But its disadvantages 

 are obvious, for it injures the stems of the older trees, and 

 burns up the covering of decaying leaves, which, especially 

 in this hot climate, is so much required to protect the soil, 

 and prevent its impoverishment. The only thing that can 

 be said in its favour, in addition to its cheapness, is that the 

 " small fire" is under control, and the extent of the damage 

 it causes can be estimated and taken account of; while by 

 means of it the forest is saved from risk of total destruction, 

 through an accidental or incendiary fire entering it after 

 a great mass of combustible materials has accumulated on 

 the ground. But the existence of this practice cannot be 

 in any way used as an argument in favour of permitting 

 the annual jungle fires to pass through the Indian forests. 

 An essential feature of the Provence system is that there 

 is an interval of six or seven years between two burnings, 

 and that in this interval J'oung trees can grow up and 

 establish themselves ; while the fire being kept always 

 under control, the workmen can succeed in protecting from 

 injury by it at least the greater part of the larger plants 

 of valuable species. Annual fires do not fulfil the first of 

 these conditions ; while, except perhaps in the deodar 

 forests, where the Provence system could hardly be 

 applied, because the young trees unavoidably burnt will 

 not coppice, there is usually so much coarse grass, and the 

 fire is so intensely hot, that the kind of control above 

 described could rarely if ever be exercised, and all young 

 growth would almost to a certainty be burnt down. 



A fourth system of protecting the forests from fire is a 



