6 ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT. NOVEMBER 3, 1875. 



thinning in this advanced stage of growth is accompanied "with the 

 risk of exposure to the blast, which speedily levels trees having no 

 firm hold of the soil. 



Forests, in some countries, are the chief source whence fuel can 

 be obtained, and it becomes necessary to guard the plantations, to 

 Bee that the trees are properly cultivated for the purpose, and that 

 the stock of fuel is kept up by constant renewed planting. 



Dr Cleghom, our late President, so far back as 1851 called 

 attention to the need of commencing a system of forest conservancy 

 in India, with a view to securing a permanent supply of timber 

 and fuel, and he pointed out the danger of their exhaustion unless 

 proper means were taken for the protection of the forests. I 

 understand that the organisation of the Indian Forest Department 

 is steadily progressing, and that there are now about seventy trained 

 officers distributed over the numerous provinces of that vast 

 empire. An Annual Report on the valuation surveys, and the 

 progress of the work in all the districts, is published, and may be 

 consulted in the library attached to the Edinburgh Botanic Garden. 

 It is worthy of notice that a Forest Conference was held at Simla 

 on 4th October. Dr Brandis, President, and thirty-four officers were 

 present. This is the third annual gathering for considering diffi- 

 cult questions of forest administration. The first number of a 

 monthly periodical called The Indian Forester, edited by Mr Schlich, 

 was published at Calcutta in July. It is intended to supply a 

 medium for the interchange of ideas among forest officers, and for 

 the record of observations and experiments. 



In his late address, Sir John Hawkshaw, at Bristol, pointed 

 out the importance of economy in fuel, the enormous consump- 

 tion of it at the present day, and the risk of exhaustion of our 

 coal beds. His remarks on the expediency of economising fuel 

 apply even more strongly to those countries in which the chief 

 supply is furnished by the forests. 



The conservation of forests in many countries thus becomes a 

 very important matter, and nowhere is this more necessary than 

 in our Indian possessions. It is essential, therefore, that a proper 

 staff of officers and men should be employed in the department of 

 forestry in India. Such a staff can only be obtained by the proper 

 training of men for the purpose. In Continental countries, espe- 

 cially in France and Germany, forestry is taught as a regular 

 system, practical instruction and lectures being given in the forests, 

 the extent of which gives large scope for the training of young 



