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The trees should of course be selected by the Conservator of the district during his tours 

 of inspection, etc. There should be only three trees selected iu each division of liis district, and 

 the forester in charge of each division should be responsible for the execulion of the orders 

 received. The insti-uctions to be given to the forester of the division should be as fol- 

 lows : 



a. The tree should be numbered and branded with the hammer and the current No. 

 and the mark should always be branded at such a height on tlie trunk, that the party who 

 fells the tree may be able to remove the piece of the trunk which has the number on it. 



b. He should be personally present if the tree comes into flower or fruit, (a fact which 

 should be reported to him by the goungway) and he should personally superintend the collec- 

 tion of the botanical specimens. Of course if the tree is in flower or fruit at the time of 

 selection, the specimens should be collected at once. If the tree is a leaf-shedder, the flowers, 

 fruits and leaves will often have to be collected at different seasons, but only few complete 

 specimens will be required, say for three or four parties (one for the divisional officer, one for 

 the provincial oj&ce, one for the head-quarters office, Calcutta, and one possibly for England). 



c. After he has procured the prescribed specimens, he should give the necessary orders 

 for the girdling or felling of the tree at the proper time. 



d. He should then procure the required slab from the tree, see that the size and shape 

 are of the required dimensions, and that the number and mark are left on it, and then for- 

 ward it to the head office. 



e. Any information respecting the uses, native names etc., of the tree which he can ob- 

 tain with the assistance of his native subordiuates should be entered in his note-book, and 

 a copy of such information forwarded to the head office along with the specimen. 



("2.) The goungway should be charged as follows : 



a. He should be made responsible that the tree is not removed by other parties. 



b. He should find out the time when the tree flowers or fruits* (if the flowers and fruits 

 have not already been collected at the time of selection) and should inform his superior when 

 the floweriug takes place. 



c. He should be present, and should superintend the girdling and felling of the tree, 

 and see that the branded number is left on the piece of the trunk cut out. 



It would be well if the Conservator kept a note book, in which to enter the current No. 

 of the trees as branded on the stems, the native names, if any, of the trees, the locality selected, 

 the nature of the substratum, the kind of forest in which the trees grow, the exposure, slope, 

 and elevation, the name of tiie officer to whom the further care of the trees has been entrust- 

 ed, and, finally, other remarks which he may think useful, such as height, girth, clean stem, 

 uses, etc. 



It would be well also for the officer of the division to keep a similar book in which to 

 enter the current No. given him by the Conservator, the native names, if any, of the trees, the 

 locality in which they grow, and the name of the goungway who is made responsible for the 

 tree. 



It is a matter of indifference whether the slab from such a tree is cut to a certain size 

 by the officer of the division, or sent entire to the head office. The latter course is, however, 

 preferable as it ensures uniformity. The bundles of dried plants should always be well 

 packed in waxcloth or tarpaulin when forwarded. A short account of the manner in which 

 plants may be dried will be found in 3. of the auxiliary branch. 



Under such an arrangement as that described above, the Conservator of a province con- 

 sisting, for instance, of 6 divisions, would have to select yearly 18 trees, while divisional officers 

 would each have the care of only 3. This might ajspear somewhat too small, but as the 

 work advances, the number of trees for selection becomes smaller, and the search for them 

 more and more difficult. The more important trees should ot course be taken first, and with 

 regard to these a larger number than here proposed might be selected, iu order to obtain a 

 more rapid solution of the question of the relative strength of their timbers. 



Whether the selected trees should be girdled or felled green, is a question which I must 

 leave to the consideration of professional foresters. The advantages of girdling with reference 

 to specific weight are too well known, but, on the other hand, a tree if girdled would require to 

 stand two, if not three years, before it was completely seasoned ; an officer of a division would, 

 therefore, have to pay attention to 6 or 9 trees in place of only 3, and mistakes might easily 

 arise from forgetfuluess or mismanagement. 



To increase the number of trees to be selected would also, it is feared, not facilitate the 

 rapid working of the scheme, unless indeed additional expense was incurred by the appoint- 

 ment of a staff of officers to control the work. Suppose that from Madras, Bombay, Bengal, 

 N. W. Provinces, Punjab, Burmah etc., only 15 specimens were sent by each to the head- 



In this there is often some difficulty, especially if the tree has very small flowers or fruits. A Burman 

 will often say, that the tree never flowers, and will talk about " male and iemale trees" accordiug to his ideas. 



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