234 



THE FORESTER. 



October, 



country, where we have to deal with de- 

 lapidated virgin woods in which a sound 

 financial policy can only be to replace 

 them as soon as possible by a crop which 

 will utilize the soil to its fullest capacity. 

 No fine measuring, calculating and pre- 

 dicting of future incomes is necessary to 

 assure us that the replacement of a de- 

 crepit, old stand of timber by a vigorous 

 new r crop of better kinds is the true finan- 

 cial policy for the State. Let the next gen- 



eration count the chickens for which we 

 have secured the opportunity of develop- 

 ment, favoring the better breeds. 



And so for the rest of the State lands 

 the same policy should be pursued, namely, 

 as slowly or as fast as market conditions 

 and other aesthetic as well as economic 

 considerations warrant, to change the old, 

 unprofitable investment of nature into a 

 new, live investment of art and skill, by 

 practicing silviculture pure and simple. 



A GLIMPSE OF FORESTRY IN THE HIMALAYAS.* 



BY F. E. OLMSTED. 



If one can picture to himself a country Here the summer climate is most 



something like the mountains of North delightful, and the winter not at all severe. 



Carolina, but with a forest growth more In fact on the coldest days the sun has a 



like that of the Adirondacks, and then way of being very tricky, and if you step 



place a glorious range of giant snow-peaks out of the bungalow without a hat you will 



in the background, one can form a very certainly pay for your carelessness in a 



good idea of the Himalayan foothills ; at very painful way. 



least of that part known as the " Jaun Sar" The forest organization is a most ad- 

 Division of the Dehva Dun Conservancy, mirable one, the higher officers being men 

 to which this very brief and rough account trained in the schools of Germany and 

 refers. France, while the subordinate positions are 



.Strip the southern slopes of all tree occupied by natives who have graduated 



growth, and the picture is still better; when or studied at the Royal Forest School in 



the monsoon breaks in June of each year, Dehva Dun. It must be said, however, 



the snows are quickly melted away, and that the majority of ' ' natives " do not 



the soil is left at once to the mercies of an take to life in the jungle, but prefer posi- 



Indian sun, which has remarkable powers tions in the towns and large cities ; so that 



of drying what little earth the snows and at times it is difficult to obtain good men. 



floods have left. The northerly slopes, Some Government forests are " reser- 



li'Avever, are fairly well covered with con- ved," that is, held without any hindering 



ifcrs and broad-leaf species, both in pure " rights" or privileges of any kind, while 



and mixed woods, the trees running up to others are " protected," or subject to graz- 



ten and twelve thousand feet in altitude. ing rights and other ancient usages of the 



Above and beyond the tree line lie the villagers. 



grand old snows, those snows from which As for the forests themselves, they con- 



tlic sacred rivers, Ganges, Jumus and sist principally of Deodar, Spruce, Fir 



Iiidu> spring, in whose waters countless and Pine, among the conifers, and various 



numbers of good Brahmins wash their sins species of Oak, both mixed with the 



vay eacli day, and down whose streams former and forming pine woods in certain 



'^mess-like Forest Department localities. By far the most valuable of all 



the timber trees is the Deodar, which has 



* Read before the meeting of the American a wo d very much resembling our own 



restry Association in New York ou June 26th. Cedar, and which is used for many pur- 



