NOTES ON INDIAN FORESTRY IN 1906. 227 
Sanghoi village, a distance of 9 miles only, there are five or six 
such as, one of which (specially called 4ahan, and only about 
3 miles from Jhelum) is now about 14 miles in breadth. All these 
kas bring down every rains an immense quantity of sand on to 
the cultivation. During the last ten years between Jhelum and 
Sanghoi two new sas have appeared, so that the devastation 
caused is on the increase. In February 1906 the big kahan 
shifted its course and turned towards the cultivation of the 
villages Naugran, Kot and Aryala, thus covering valuable fields 
with sand, and creating also a new 4as near the village Naugran. 
Great devastation is being done. All the hills are absolutely or 
nearly bare. They consist of loose sandstone with very little 
vegetation, and there is nothing to prevent the water carrying 
the sand down towards the Jhelum river. As there are fewer 
executive difficulties than was the case in the Hoshiarpur district 
(for all these hill tracts are already Reserved Forests, and the 
people have only limited and defined rights in them), it is to be 
trusted that the Government may soon try to restock the hills, and 
thus save the cultivators from the calamity which is otherwise 
impending. 
Throughout the Punjab much is also being done in the way of 
planting trees along the road-sides. During 1902 to 1905 nearly 
600 miles were planted, 76 per cent. of which were successful. 
This is a very satisfactory result, seeing that the work was mainly 
carried out in Mianwali and the two Canal Colonies, which are 
all districts in the arid region. Of the roads suitable for arbori- 
culture, 53 per cent. have now been planted with trees at a heavy 
cost, met from Government grants made to district boards. 
The Irrigation Department during 1902-05 planted over 1000 
miles of avenues, and more than half the total length suitable 
for tree-planting has now been stocked. The planting chiefly 
took place in the arid western districts of the Province,.where 
the Jhelum river and the Chenab Canals enabled a high 
percentage of success to be achieved. Some 2700 acres of 
nurseries were started with excellent results, the failures re- 
presenting only one-fifth of the whole. Arboricultural operations 
cost over £20,000. But the Buildings and Roads Branch of 
the Public Works Department made tree-planting profitable, and 
realised £1100 net revenue from their operations. About two- 
thirds of the total length of the roads considered suitable are 
now planted with trees, and the percentage of failures is low. 
