THE WORK OF THE FOREST DEPARTMENT IN INDIA. H 



5. Research. 



For the first fifty years of the existence of the Forest De- 

 partment in India no attempt was made to organize the conduct 

 of forest research, and thus to coordinate and elaborate the 

 scientific knowledge so necessary to successful economic working. 

 Valuable scientific work has, it is true, been carried out from 

 time to time as the result of individual efforts on the part of 

 enthusiasts in special branches, but, while the results of these 

 efforts have in many cases been published, much useful work has 

 been lost for want of systematized methods. This state of 

 affairs may perhaps be considered to some extent as a reproach 

 to those concerned, but it must be remembered that the existence 

 of the Forest Department in its earlier years depended on its 

 justifying itself by immediate financial results, so that the very 

 inadequate staff employed was compelled to devote the whole of 

 its time to the preliminary work of organization, often in the 

 face of powerful opposition. 



A commencement in organized forest research was at last 

 made in 1906 by the establishment, at the instance of Sir Saint- 

 hill Eardley-Wilmot, then Inspector-General of Forests, of 

 a Forest Research Institute at Dehra Dun. From that time 

 onwards research work has been prosecuted energetically in 

 spite of deficient accommodation. This deficiency has, how- 

 ever, been remedied, for the Institute buildings were completed 

 in 1914 and further land was taken up in the following year to 

 provide for the requirements of the Provincial Service students. 

 The main building of the Institute contains museums and offices 

 for the Silvicultural, Economic and Zoological branches, as well 

 as the general library and lecture rooms, while the Botanical 

 and Chemical branches and the various laboratories and work- 

 shops are housed in separate buildings. In addition to quarters 

 for forty students and a fine playing field there are also a resid- 

 ence for the house tutor and two houses for research officers. 

 The estate, which is situated in a desirable part of Dehra Dun, is 

 a fine one and contains ample room for the expansion that will 

 certainly be necessary in course of time. 



The Forest Research Institute, which is under the adminis- 

 trative control of the Inspector-General of Forests, is in the 



