OF FOREST SOILS, &C., IN INDIA. 105 



of the Indian Forester's Vocabulary. To suppress the 

 practice will take years and years. The aboriginal tribes 

 must be found some other means of employment. They 

 must be civilised. Lands must be set apart for them and 

 permanent villages built. They must be encouraged to 

 plant fruit trees and grow other crops than those they have 

 been accustomed to. They must be taught trades and 

 stimulated to practise such as they engage in at present, 

 e.g., the manufacture of pottery, of basket-work and the 

 art of the blacksmith. Congenial employment must be 

 found for them by the Forest Department, such as timber 

 squaring, the collection of forest produce, &c., and deserv- 

 ing men should be employed as watchers, elephant-drivers 

 and maistries. They can be made of the greatest service 

 to the Forest Department or the reverse, as they happen to 

 be treated ; at present, they are aliens and outcastes, swindled 

 by everybody and oppressed by every peon and police- 

 man in the country. How can the Curumber be expected 

 to rise in the scale of civilization when he dare not possess 

 property ? If he invests in a few fowls, sheep, or goats, 

 the first peon who happens to see them will at once 

 appropriate them to his own use. If he grows vegetables, 

 they too will be stolen from him and the unfortunate owner 

 most probably be made to carry them to the house of his 

 despoiler. Dare the wretched man complain he is kicked 

 and beaten. This picture is not over-coloured in any way. 

 It is what actually occurs in every forest and almost every 

 day. 



Tracts of forests that have been much " Tuckled" must 

 be closed and carefully conserved for perhaps centuries 

 before they can be expected to recover from the mischief 

 done to them. 



Grass lands will have to be fire-traced, and no cattle per- 

 mitted to graze over them when recently burnt. When, 

 however, the monsoon has restored the thick carpet of grass, 

 that should naturally cover them, cattle can do but little 

 harm. The grazing of cattle, as already pointed out on 



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