208 ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT, NOVEMBER 4, 1874. 



than in others. In the extreme north the value of these minor 

 products, as they are called, is comparatively insignificant. The 

 Himalaya could yield large supplies of resin, hut the difficulty and 

 cost of transport to the plains have hitherto prevented anything 

 being done in this direction. The Punjab has hardly anything 

 worth speaking of; gum from the Acacia arabica, Odina, and 

 other trees is collected for local use. A little lac is collected in some 

 districts, but very inferior to that of Central and Southern India. 



" These minor forest products yield a large revenue in the sub- 

 Himalayan forests, especially in the districts of Kumaon and Garh- 

 wal. A system of revenue has been established in these places 

 with marked success, the collection of all sorts of articles of minor 

 produce is allowed; while at the same time all destructive processes, 

 such as the felling of large trees, lopping for resin, &c, are prohi- 

 bited. Any one may collect these products, " but the forests are so 

 situated that when the exporter leaves the place he must pass by 

 certain routes on which toll-houses are established, and at these his 

 collection is overhauled, and made to pay certain seigniorage rates, 

 according to a fixed and published scale." Amongst the produce so 

 collected are solid and hollow bamboo stems, used for walking- 

 sticks, pipes, boxes, &c. ; Eriophorurn cannabinum, used for ropes ; 

 various kinds of reeds, used for matting and for thatching houses ; 

 also the numerous gums; the resins of the Sal and other plants, 

 the fruits of Feronia elepliantum, the Chiretta {Ophelia chiretta), a 

 Gentianaceous plant, used as a febrifuge and tonic, which is becom- 

 ing more and more in repute in this country ; Myrobalans, the fruits 

 of Terminalia Chebula and T. Bellerica, largely imported for tanning 

 purposes ; kamela, the red powder obtained from the capsules of 

 Rottlera tinctoria, and used both as a dye and as a vermifuge."* 



In January of this year a conference of forest officers for the dis- 

 cussion of questions connected with forestry was held at Allahabad, 

 and the proceedings have been fully reported in a volume printed 

 by Government, which constitutes a remarkable contribution to 

 forest literature. The report is edited by Messrs Baden Powell and 

 J. S. Gamble, and prefaced by some comments from the pen of Dr 

 Brandis. The subjects discussed had reference to forest legislation, the 

 relation of forest officers to civil officers, forest revenue, the required 

 forest area in each province, the questions of forest rights and forest 

 licences, the method of planting in the Himalaya, the present state 

 of the Deodar forests, &c. It is proposed to hold another confer- 



* Notes on Indian Forest Produce in " Gard. Chron. 1874," vol. ii. p. 490. 



