ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT, NOVEMBER G, 1872. 7 



here involved ; and though it would he altogether incorrect to say, 

 that what answers on a small scale will not answer, or will answer 

 only in a less degree, on a large scale, there can he little douht that 

 those who have to administer on a large scale should first study 

 administration on a large scale ; for the results of a mistake which 

 on a small scale may he insignificant, may on a large scale he fatal. 

 It is in this view that the differences hetween the administration 

 of private forests and of government domains are so marked ; and 

 whether we confine our view to the more ordinary operations of 

 forest conservancy and working, including the agency hy which 

 timher should he got out of the forest, or embrace within our gaze 

 those allied operations, such as the making of forest surveys, the 

 demarcation of forest tracts, the transport and cutting up of timher, 

 the construction of slides and roads, &c, we must feel that in the 

 matter of the adaptation of means to ends, we should lose much 

 experience if we confined ourselves to the experience available in 

 our private forests, or in any one country whatsoever. 



I may mention to you some of the most striking differences that 

 occur to me between the management of Scotch and Indian forests. 

 One great point of difference is, that with many of you, much atten- 

 tion is given to ornamental effect ; I, on the contrary, had to do with 

 dark unfrequented forests, where there was often no human eye 

 except that of those employed in forest work. Another difference 

 is, that while our forests are subject to depredations by hares/rabbits, 

 and in some places by deer, the Indian forests are exposed to the 

 rooting up of wild hogs, to the browsing of goats, many of the deer 

 tribe, and above all of camels, whose hard palate, strong teeth and 

 jaws, enable them to break off and masticate thorny branches as 

 thick as the finger. Again, from the vast extent and scattered 

 position of Indian forests, to encircle them with fences, living or 

 dead, is almost a physical impossibility ; the usual method of 

 demarcation is by the erection of boundary pillars between which 

 extends a broad belt of cleared ground. This has to be cleared 

 annually, and is useful for checking the ingress of forest fires, which 

 are of frequent occurrence, and are often productive of serious 

 damage. 



The circumstances regarding the carriage of heavy timber in 

 India are peculiar, and the transport is generally effected by means 

 of trained elephants or buffaloes. The former valuable animals are 

 now becoming scarce, and it is for many reasons desirable, if not 

 essential, that foresters for India should acquire some experience 



