440 ~ XXIII. LEGmnNOSAE 



In each case the seed was sown at the beginning of the year, and at the 

 end of the first season the success, particularly in the case of the sowings in 

 ploughed strips and along contour lines, was decidedly promising. A j^ear of 

 abnormal frost and two years of abnormal drought, however, killed a large 

 proportion of the young plants and seriously interfered with the success of 

 the experiment. Indeed, throughout these sowings drought has proved the 

 most serious source of injury, and success depends largely on years of good 

 rainfall. The normal rainfall here is 32 in. 



The sowings on the more level parts of the plantation have proved least 

 successful, owing to the poverty and hardness of the soil, which increase the 

 danger from drought. The whole plantation has been fenced and regularly 

 fire-protected. The crop of grass which sprang up with the sowings necessitated 

 careful weeding from the first season. It was sometimes found necessary to 

 weed more than once during the first season, and the weeding was continued 

 in subsequent years until the plants were well clear of grass and weeds. Hand- 

 watering of the young plants was tried at one time, but had to be given up 

 owing to its high cost. Fig. 164 shows the general aspect of the ravine lands 

 in the Kalpi plantation, and Fig. 165 shows some of the results of the afforesta- 

 tion work. 



More recent work in the afforestation of ravine lands in the Etawah 

 district has given wonderfully successful results even on the most unpromising 

 ground, where owing to the denuded and hardened condition of the soil the 

 whole rainfall drains off rapidly. The subsoil water-level is at a great depth, 

 and the upper strata of the soil are excessively dry. On such ground great 

 success has been attained by deep ploughing, sowing of tree seeds in June, 

 and repeated weeding and loosening of the soil. The first weeding is carried 

 out spon after the first showers of rain, and two more weedings are carried out 

 before the end of October, the soil being well loosened at the time of the last 

 weeding. The ravines themselves are reclaimed by the construction of earth 

 bunds at intervals across their beds, with the object of holding up silt, and 

 the bunds and beds of silt are sown up. The sides of the ravines are 

 afforested by means of a system of contour trenches and ridges on which 

 sowings are carried out. Apart from Acacia arahica it has been found 

 possible to raise crops of teak, Dalbergia Sissoo, Omelina arborea, and other 

 species on these ravine lands. The total cost of reclamation and afforesta- 

 tion amounts to between Rs. 50 and Rs. 60 per acre, inclusive of establish- 

 ment charges and depreciation on plough bullocks and plant. The success 

 of this work depends largely on the protection of the young plantations from 

 grazing. 



Experimental plantations on saline layids. Experimental plantations of 

 Acacia arahica and Prosopis spicigera on salt-impregnated lands in the Aligarh 

 district are described by Mr. G. Greig in the Indian Forester, vol. ix (1883), 

 p. 454. Success was obtained by digging pits 3 to 4 ft. deep and filling them 

 with good soil, in which young nursery-raised plants were planted. The seed 

 was sown in the nursery early in June, the seedhngs being pricked out 2 ft. 

 apart in July, when about 4 in. high, and transplanted early in the rainy 

 fieason of the following year, when about 2 ft. high, great care being taken to 

 keep moist earth, bound on with grass, round the roots. Transplanting was 



