402 India. 



the forest officials, a trying one as it has to be carried 

 on during the hot season. 



A separate branch of the forest service carried on the 

 work of surveying and mapping the forest area in- 

 stead of the regular Survey of India, with the result of 

 cheapening the cost. Some 74,000 square miles had 

 been mapped on the scale of 4 inch to the mile, the 

 standard, some smaller areas on smaller scale, at the 

 rate of $25 per square mile. In 1908, however, this 

 work was handed over to the Survey. 



Silviculture. Silvicultural practices are naturally 

 but little developed. Protection against fire, grazing, 

 overcutting has been the first requisite. The un- . 

 regulated selection system with a diameter limit, 

 which Brandis introduced, still prevails mostly, al- 

 though beginnings of a compartment and group sys- 

 tem in converting miscarried selection forest of Deo- 

 dar, Pine and Sal have been made, or rather of an 

 improved selection method, which seeks to secure re- 

 production in groups. Clearcutting with seed trees 

 held over is practised in the coniferous mountain 

 forest. Coppice and coppice with standards (re- 

 serves of sprouts) is a natural condition over large 

 areas, especially with Teak and Sal. Even improve- 

 ment cuttings or sowing on barren hillsides with 

 remarkable success, are not absent. 



The attempts at securing reproduction, especially 

 in the truly tropic forests have often miscarried, in- 

 ferior species filling the openings. Girdling of in- 

 ferior species to favor the better classes has hardly 

 had the desired result. In the deciduous forest, the 

 same difficulty of undesirable aftergrowth is exper- 



