1906 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



315 



harmful influences, are found on the 

 smaller, isolated areas throughout the 

 forests. The following specific exam- 

 ple will be cited as one of several ways 

 by which natural reforesting takes 

 place. 



In effecting the transition back from 

 clearings to high forest, the initial step 

 is taken by a small, woody plant, 

 "Cupao-cupao" {Flemingia strobili- 

 fera). This plant is one of the very 

 few that can endure extended drought, 

 and not only grows well among the 

 cogon, which it gradually replaces, but 

 is seldom killed by fire. After estab- 

 lishing itself well and affording a cer- 

 tain amount of shade, which conserves 

 small amounts of moisture, we find 

 conditions which will permit the en- 

 trance of Bayabas (Psidium guayava) 

 and Alalangad (Albizsia sp.), either 

 of which are trees of the open or semi- 

 open, and are intermediary in effect- 

 ing steps from open grass lands back 

 to forest cover. 



An important and valuable charac- 

 teristic of these species is that they will 

 reproduce vegetatively, and are there- 

 by of service where the parched soil 

 prevents the germination of seeds. 



Clearings having become set with 

 the drought-enduring species, such as 

 those noted above, pave the way for 

 the better forest species and gradually 

 partake of a nature peculiar to the sur- 

 rounding forest. 



In the Remban district of the Malay 

 States, "Tembusa" (Fagraea fra- 

 graiis) is one of the few trees which is 

 able to grow on "Lalang" or cogon 

 areas, and which it soon conquers. 



fire; on grass lands. 



Under the caption of clearings may 

 properly be included the destructive 

 influence of fires, which annually or 

 more frequently sweep over the open 

 grass lands. These fires are usually 

 confined to the dry months of Febru- 

 ary, March, April, and May, and dur- 

 ing the rainy season which immediate- 

 ly follows there springs up tender 

 grass suitable for grazing. At this sea- 

 son deer are attracted to the open and 

 are more easily hunted. Such fires 



are usually started by hunters, who 

 have held the custom from remote 

 times. Owing to the rapidity with 

 which these fires travel, driven before 

 the wind, and the difficulty of finding 

 the author, the practice remains a hard 

 one to overcome. 



Recent experiments by the Bureau 

 of Government Laboratories show 

 that cogon will furnish good paper 

 material, and in the event of its exten- 

 sive use for such a purpose, doubtless 

 the natives, with view to reaping profit 

 therefrom, will protect these areas 

 from fire. 



While it would be of advantage to 

 place fires under control of all areas, 

 it is especially important to do so 

 where the grass lands terminate 

 abruptly at the edge of high forest, 

 where each succeeding fire causes them 

 to recede. 



During each rainy season, a certain 

 amount of tree growth springs up on 

 the grass lands. Some of the more 

 hardy survive, but the majority suc- 

 cumb to drought or are killed by suc- 

 ceeding fires. Many rocky slopes are 

 naturally seeded with Molave (Vitex 

 littoralis). This species is moderately 

 drought-enduring, and, were it not 

 killed by fire, would no doubt spread 

 gradually over considerable areas. 



CONTROL. 



The control of artificial clearings 

 such as usually follow excessive cut- 

 tings has been found much more sim- 

 ple than that of firing the open grass 

 lands, and there is little doubt that the 

 latter causes less direct damage to the 

 forests. 



The forest service of India, in deal- 

 ing with much the same conditions as 

 exist here, has found the problem of 

 fire protection to be one of the most 

 difficult with which it has to contend. 

 The people were taught that injury to 

 the forest was an offense. Large areas 

 were formerly destroyed by fire and 

 axe in order to gather a few uncertain 

 crops of cereals. The grazing ques- 

 tion with which they had to deal and 

 one which is important in many coun- 

 tries need scarcely be considered 

 here. India has found that a gradual 



