31 



Threatened ex- esparto, the rapid exhaustion of this 



haustion of sup- 

 ply of esparto, sedge is threatened by the improvident 



method of plucking up roots and all, resorted to by 

 the natives of Spain, while Alfa (or African esparto), 

 which is also used for paper, realizes a much lower 

 price, being in all respects, I believe, inferior to the 

 Spanish, indeed it is, I am told, chiefly employed as 

 a blend. 



39. I will now pass on to the next subject that 

 utilization of appears to me worthy of consideration. 



plants hitherto L 



regarded as evils. I mean the utilization of certain plants 

 which have hitherto been regarded as evils, which 

 must be got rid of at any price. 



40. How to suppress the annual jungle-fires 

 gi^nresTVheh- nas ever been, and will, I fear, long re- 

 3us s probiem a main, one of the greatest problems to be 

 solved by Indian Foresters. Various and numerous 

 have been the remedies resorted to, at very heavy 

 expenditure, and without any benefit, except, 

 perhaps, the partial control of the conflagrations 

 for one or more seasons. 



41. These fires generally occur between March 

 The jungie-nres. and May, when the whole vegetation of 

 the country is parched and dried up from the severe 

 droughts at this season. The jungles are then fired 

 by the people, with the double object of securing a 

 fresh crop of succulent grass for their cattle on the 

 first burst of the rains, and of facilitating their 

 moving about the country with less risk of death by 

 reptiles and wild beasts. It sometimes so happens, 

 perhaps, that these conflagrations are caused by the 

 friction of trees, but this is certainly the exception. 



