80 SYLVICULTURE IN THE TROPICS 



IT. I 



forester, fearful of damage to his forest crop, and on 

 the other the cattle - owner, who may have been 

 accustomed from time immemorial to pasture his cattle, 

 unchecked in numbers, wherever an abundance of fodder 

 and of water were to be found. These people have no 

 idea that a country may become overgrazed, and many 

 tribes, w T hose wealth is their herds and flocks, do not 

 readily part with a certain number every year in order 

 to keep within the limits of their supply. In countries 

 where there is no civilised government this thinning 

 out is done by means of raids, or by unchecked 

 cattle-plague ; but where the inhabitants are under 

 control and live in peace, the flocks are apt to 

 grow out of all proportion to the capability of feeding 

 them properly, and a clamour for more grazing-ground 

 arises, or a complaint of encroachments by the expand- 

 ing flocks of other tribes or villages. The tendency of 

 the civil administration is to shirk interference at the 

 outset and to wait till the situation becomes acute. 

 This is especially the case in a recently settled country, 

 where it is desirable to keep a rather turbulent portion 

 of the population content. And there is no doubt that 

 over drastic measures have led, in places, to widespread 

 discontent which has ultimately resulted in setting back 

 the encouragement of other useful forest measures. In 

 such places it is desirable, therefore, to introduce 

 protective measures carefully. The first step will be 

 the prohibition of herds belonging to new-comers who 

 have never exercised the right of pasture in the district. 

 Then in most districts there are large areas which are 

 natural grazing-grounds and can be marked down as 

 sucli. If these do not suffice it is desirable, after taking 

 a census of the cattle, to have the rights defined and 

 settled and to open certain forest lands to grazing, a 

 record being kept of the number of cattle permitted to 

 pasture, and to see that this number be not exceeded. 

 If the forest is to be maintained as such, certain areas 

 will have to be closed in rotation, in order to allow a 

 young crop to grow up sufficiently to be above the reach 



