90 OX THE DISTRIBUTION OF FORESTS IN INDIA. 



rain, is recognised by some of tlie larger landholders. Nor must we 

 forget that we owe the maintenance of the forests in Sindh and of 

 the rukhs in the Punjab entirely to the action taken by the former 

 rulers; and that during the first period after the occupation of the 

 country, the action of the British Government has not in all cases 

 been favourable to the preservation of the forests and woodlands in 

 the arid and dry regions of India. Great exertions have, however, 

 been made of late years to make up in some measure for past neglect 

 in this respect, and in the Punjab extensive plantations have been 

 established since 1865, which now cover upwards of 12,000 acres, 

 the main object in the formation of these new forests being to pro- 

 vide fuel for the consumption of the railways, and fuel and timber 

 for the large towns in that province. The first commencement of 

 these plantations was made by Dr J. L. Stewart, the author of seve- 

 ral valuable books and papers on the vegetation of North- Western 

 India. There is a second dry region in the Peninsula, comprising 

 part of the Deccan, the Maidan or open country of Mysore, and 

 several districts of the Madras Presidency. Exceptionally moist 

 places are within its limits, such as Bangalore, which, being situated 

 3000 feet above the sea, has thirty-five inches rain; but upon the 

 whole, and excluding such hills as rise considerably above the table- 

 land of South India, this belt, which stretches from Nassick in the 

 north to Cape Comorin in the south, has a normal rainfall of less 

 than thirty inches. This belt includes Poona, Bellary, and Kurnool 

 in the north, and Madura and Tinnevelly in the south. Over a 

 great part of it is found the sandal-wood {Santalum album), a small 

 tree with fragrant heart-wood, which comes up here and there in 

 bushes and hedges, but does not grow gregariously, and does not 

 form pure forests. Large quantities of this delightfully fragrant 

 wood are used for carving and inlaid work, as incense in Hindoo 

 temples, and there is a considerable export of it to China. 



Outside these two dry zones the normal annual rainfall exceeds 

 thirty inches, save north of the first great snowy range of the Hima- 

 laya, where rain and snow are scanty, and the country consequently 

 arid and bare. The rest of India has a rainfall greater than that of 

 Europe. Yet really thriving forests are only found where the fall 

 exceeds forty inches, and rich luxuriant vegetation is limited to those 

 belts which have a much higher rainfall. It must be borne in mind 

 that the annual mean temperature of Central Europe ranges between 

 45° and 60°, while that of India is as high as 75° to 85°. Under a 

 higher temperature a larger amount of moisture is required to pro- 



