3. Murivara. A thriving tahsili town of nearly 10,000 inhabitants on the East Indian 

 Railway 57 miles north of Jubbulpore, famous for its extensive lime-industry, which consumes 

 about 1,000,000 maunds of firewood. There is a small lac factory here and a by no means 

 inconsiderable quantity of lac and harra comes here for sale. 



4. Sihora. The Head-quarters of the Sihora tahsil, also situated on the East Indian 

 Railway, about half-way between Jubbulpore and Murwara and possessing the same population 

 as Murwara. It is the centre of an extensive grain trade. 



5. Panagar. Also on the East Indian Railway, with a population of about 4,500 

 souls. An important weekly bazar is held here, to which numbers of cattle and large quanti- 

 ties of timber, firewood and bamboos are brought for sale. 



6. Barela. Population 3,166, consumes a considerable quantity of the produce of the 

 Dhanwahi Range. 



77. Other small towns of some importance are Bilheri (population 2,750), Bijeragogarh 

 (population 2,450), Majholi (population 2,270), and Silondi (population 2,050). There are 

 many wealthy and enterprizing persons in the last-named town who trade in forest produce. 



78. The iron industry of the Jubbulpore district, now in a state of collapse owing to 

 the introduction of cheap European iron in convenient form, consumed formerly an enormous 

 quantity of charcoal. If the present endeavours to revive it are successful, there will be a 

 demand for all the fuel which the forests of the Jubbulpore district can produce. At the 

 present time there are some 41 furnaces at spasmodic or regular work. Of these 7 are in the 

 Sihora Range, 4 in the Murwara Range and 30 in the Jubbulpore Range. 



A furnace in regular blast works about 1 80 days in the year and consumes during that 

 time on an average nearly 4,000 maunds of wood, the corresponding outturn of crude pig-iron 

 being 31 9 maunds from 802 maunds of ore. The present average annual yield of an acre 

 being roughly 25 maunds of firewood, 160 acres are required to keep one furnace going. 



The iron ores of the district are rich in metal, as proved by the following figures : 



Ferric 



Oxide. Iron. 



Schistose hematite ... ... 98 per cent. 68 per cent. 



Micaceous iron ... ... 92 65 



Semi-ochreous hematite ... ... 98 69 



Manganiferous hematite ... ... 66 46 Also 12 per cent. oE manganese. 



ARTICLE 4. Mode of Extraction and its Cost. 



79. As far as possible, timber and firewood coupes are sold standing, the purchaser being 

 bound by strict conditions in order to ensure the observance of sylvicultural considerations. 

 Otherwise felling and sometimes even export are carried out departmentally. Outside the 

 Regular Felling Series coupes, petty purchasers holding licenses are allowed to come and cut 

 what they like, leaving the standards untouched. By Jand produce is removed either in carts 

 or by head or kanwar loads, or on pack animals (bullocks, ponies and donkeys). The daily hire 

 of a cart is 9 12 annas, the load varying from 10 12 maunds on fair-weather tracks to 20 

 maunds and even more on bridged and metalled roads. Pack animals can be obtained at 8 

 annas a day and draught bullocks at about 4 annas a day each. 



The cost of cutting firewood ranges from Re. 1 to Re. 1-4-0 per stack of 25 x 3' x 5'. 

 Charcoal is made at Rs.20 per 100 maunds. 



The daily wages usually paid for labour are : 



Per man ... ... ... ... ... ... 2 2 annas. 



woman ... ... ... ... ... 1-J ,, 



child \ ... ... ... ... ... ... 1 anna 



ARTICLE 5. Net Value of each Glass of Produce. 



80. The net value of each class of produce must obviously vary from time to time with 

 the extent of the demand for it and the labour of putting it on the market, which latter 

 condition will itself depend on the nearness to markets and degree of accessibility of the 

 forests. Until a few years ago a single set of rates was fixed for all forests independent of 

 these considerations, the result being that there was no sale for produce from any forests 

 except those which were situated within a few miles of central markets or which were tapped 

 by good roads. Since an endeavour has been made to adopt a sliding scale of rates diminish- 

 ing with increasing distance and difficulty of access, we have been handicapped by years 

 of recurring famine and distress. It is therefore as yet impossible to state with any accuracy 

 the net value of the various classes of produce. 



As far as agriculturists are concerned the maximum rates of royalty we may charge 

 them have been fixed for us by Chief Commissioner's Resolution No. 102, dated the 5th 

 January 1893, an abstract of which will be found at the end of this Report as Appendix I. 



