Ill 



INTRODUCTION. 



A FEW words are necessary to explain the genesis of this Working Plan. In 1 894-95 

 measures were set on foot to regulate the management of the forests of the Jubbulpore 

 Forest Division in accordance with working plans. Hangers, termed for the purpose Work- 

 ing Plan Assistants, were appointed to prepare the plans under the immediate direction of 

 the Conservator. Plans for some of the forests were drafted and put at once into execution, 

 but they were not submitted for the sanction of higher authority. In December 1896, it was 

 found that the plans were too unpractical to be longer followed. They had parcelled out 

 each forest on the maps (not on the ground) into strips and patches according to an ocular 

 estimate of the density of the stocking made by walking once or twice through it, and only 

 those plots were assigned to be worked, which were from three-quarters to fully cropped ; all 

 areas less densely stocked were not to be touched at all by the axe, but were to be perpetually 

 grazed over. The result was that the patches of forest to be worked over were, as they appear- 

 ed on the maps, mere islands surrounded by theoretically unworkable areas and on the ground 

 it was impossible to separate them, for no one could say where the three-quarter crop ended 

 and the half-crop began, especially as in nearly all our forests the density of the crop varies 

 widely from point to point, often a dozen times within a single acre. Some coupes were 

 sold standing at so much per workable acre, but disputes soon arose as to what portions of 

 the coupes were workable in accordance with the working plan. 



2. Another fatal objection to the working plans was that, as only patches here and 

 there were worked over in each coupe, it was impossible to keep grazing out of them except 

 by closing against cattle the entire coupe, i.e., also the areas which it was prescribed should 

 never be so closed. Thus in practice entire coupes were closed after exploitation. But this 

 was not all. Every one of the felling series extended over an enormous area (the coupes 

 being consequently very large) and as the coupes followed each other in unbroken successive 

 order on the ground, whole groups of villages found themselves of a sudden left without any 

 grazing grounds situated within practicable distance. 



3. These drawbacks being represented to the Inspector-General of Forests, he gave his 

 authority to set aside the working plans in question and to substitute for them new ones 

 drawn up on an entirely different basis (see in Appendix). 



4. The first plan taken in hand under these orders was that for the Bargi Range. The 

 new plan was submitted in draft to the Inspector-General of Forests and after approval was 

 printed off and was sent up by that officer to the Chief Commissioner. Experience, however, 

 soon showed that with the classes of forests we have to deal with in these Provinces, it would 

 be waste of time and labour, for the present at least, to have separate working plans for the 

 several forests and even ranges of a Division, for save as respects the constitution of the 

 felling series and coupes, one working plan would be bound to be a mere repetition of the rest. 

 Accordingly, with the support of the Inspector-General of Forests, the Chief Commissioner's 

 sanction was obtained to withdraw the Bargi Working Plan, which was still under considera- 

 tion, and to prepare a single one for the entire Division. 



5. Accordingly, during the rains of 1897, with the help of Mr. R. S. Hole, Assistant 

 Conservator of Forests, who was placed on special duty for the purpose, a working plan was 

 drawn up for all forests of the Jubbulpore Division. As these forests had never had a 

 proper chance and we were only just emerging from the severe famine of 1896-97, it was im- 

 possible to tell whether the felling series and arrangement of coupes adopted were suited to 

 the normal circumstances of the district. It was hence considered advisable to keep back 

 the plan, but to put it forthwith into execution, so that its weak points might at once become 

 manifest under the test of experience. In the rains of ] 898 the plan was revised in the 

 light of the _experience gained, but it was again deemed safe to wait another year before 

 submitting it. The open season of 1898-99 revealed a few defects which could not be 

 detected after a single year's experience. These defects were removed during the spring and 

 rains of 1899. The whole plan was rewritten with the co-operation of Mr. R. C. Thompson, 

 Extra-Assistant Conservator, who was placed on special duty for the purpose. The figures 

 and data have been worked out by Messrs. Hole, Witt and Thompson ; for what pertains to 

 the prescriptions I alone am responsible. In connection therewith I have to acknowledge 

 valuable assistance and advice received from Mr. Hole, who is now the officer in charge of the 

 Division. 



6. The plan, as it stands, has been in operation from the commencement of the open 

 season 1899-1900 and sanction is therefore solicited for starting it from 1st November 1899. 



7. The opinions of the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner on this working plan 

 are printed as Appendix VIII. 



E. E. FERNANDEZ, 



Offg. Conservator of Forests, 

 Northern Circle, Central Provinces. 



