3 



especially up the narrow side valleys, the climate is very humid and close for a 

 great part of the year. 



11. These forests have a very bad reputation as being feverish and 

 unhealthy, especially at the foot of the ghats and, judging from the way the 

 establishment suffered, this is no doubt true. In consequence of the bad climate 

 labour is always a difficulty and work in the forest is often delayed. 



12. The population living within these forests is not large being limited 



to cultivators who have settled near the banks of the 



o En Iar 8 er rivera aud often in verv out of the wav . P laces 



up small valleys where they cultivate small rice and 



sugarcane fields, while directly round their huts are situated their Supari (betel- 

 nut) and cocoanut gardens. Their requirements consist of small timber for 

 house building, for their sugar mills and canoes, firewood, fencing material and 

 twigs and green leaves for manuring their " Supari " gardens. They further 

 require grazing for a very limited head of cattle. There is no difficulty in 

 supplying the population with timber and fuel, while, under the revised settle- 

 ment which has been submitted for the sanction of Government, four acres of 

 forest to an acre of Supari garden has baen proposed to meet the supply of 

 green leaf manm*e for these gardens. The grazing question will be dealt with 

 hereafter. There is, besides the local demand, a considerable amount of 

 timber and building material required by sea coast villages, arrangements for 

 which will have to be made. 



B. Composition and condition of the crop. 



13. The area forms an elongated block of forests containing 49,643*7 acres, 



divided lengthways down the centre by the Ganga- 



)area * vali River. Of this area 41,875*8 acres are Reserved 



Forest (shown green on the map), 3,131*2 acres Minor Forest (shown purple 



on the map), 1,106'9 acres Soppin Betta (where green leaf manure may be cut, 



shown brown on the map), and 3,529'8 acres under cultivation (not coloured). 



The 45,007*0 acres of Reserved and Minor Forests comprise 3,105 acres of 

 teak-bearing deciduous forest (shown by the letter " T " in red on the map), 

 37,697 acres of non-teak deciduous forest (shown dark and light green according 

 to 1st and 2nd quality) and 4,205 acres of evergreen forest (shown by deep 

 green lines on the map). 



14. The main object in view while fixing the outer boundaries of the 



blocks was to separate the deciduous from the ever- 

 green forests. So as to keep the outer boundary as 



regular as possible and also so as not to exclude semi-evergreen areas containing 

 some fine deciduous species scattered here and there in them, it was found 

 occasionally necessary to include evergreen areas of considerable extent within 

 the plan. The external boundary fixed has been demarcated by deeply blazing 

 all trees within 10 feet of it on each side. The internal lines demarcating the 

 compartments have generally been taken along roads or nalas, the trees on the 

 sides and banks of which have been heavily blazed ; where natural features 

 could not be taken as boundaries, they have been demarcated by a cut line 25 

 feet broad. 



15. Under the original forest Settlement made in 1880, part of the area 



was constituted Reserved Forest and part Protected 

 Rlghts * Forest. In 1906 the work of re-settlement was 

 undertaken resulting in the whole area being constituted Reserved Forest with 

 the exception of 1,106 - 9 acres left as Protected Forest for the purpose of provid- 

 ing green-leaf manure for the spice gardens. 3,131*2 acres of Reserved Forest 

 have been classed as Minor Forest in which the villagers are allowed to exercise 

 the privileges sanctioned by Government from time to time, the remaining area 

 being classed as " Forest Proper. " The area now consists of 41,875*8 acres of 

 forest proper, 3,131*2 acres of minor forest and 1,106*9 acres of Soppin-betta or 

 protected forest. 



16. The exercise of privileges under the Kanara Forest Rules is permitted 

 . - in the Minor Forests, from which the cultivators may 



cut their brushwood, fencing material, firewood and 



