HISTORY FROM 1816. 13 



staff, or it will be impossible for them, arid particularly at first, to 

 enforce the rules and give efficient protection to the forests under 

 their charge. 



" I await, with interest, Dr. Cleghorn's report ou the forests 

 in the Punjab and the North-Western Provinces. I am aware 

 that, in this part of India, the forests of the Government have 

 been especially neglected, and that what remains are chiefly in 

 the hands of private persons ; but unless, the forest land has been, 

 entirely given up to the plough, there may, I hope, be still some 

 portions of the various forests which care and rest may again 

 render serviceable for the production of timber and firewood. The 

 provision of this latter article will, I do not doubt, not escape the 

 attention of your Government, the demand for it, especially in the 

 neighbourhood of hill stations, has much increased, and is likely to 

 continue large in the present difficulty of obtaining coal in India. 



"' The step taken by you, of summoning Dr. Brandis from 

 Burma, that you may have the benefit of the experience and 

 knowledge of an officer so well qualified to give sound advice as 

 to the arrangements required on this important matter, was most 

 judicious." 



These two Despatches inaugurated the birth of the Forest 

 department in the United Provinces (as well as the rest of India), 

 and have been quoted at some length, as they prove so clearly, the 

 serious state that was arising due to the absence of a settled forest 

 policy. Fortunately for India and the United Provinces, a strong 

 forest policy was inaugurated in sufficient time, with the results 

 we see to-day. It is earnestly hoped that those results will be 

 maintained in the future. 



A comprehensive account of the early history of the forests and 

 of the work of the Forest department is given in Stebbing'a book 

 ' The Forests of India, " which may be referred to for fuller 

 details. 



With the inauguration of a special department to look after the 

 forest estates, it became necessary to organise the personnel. At . 



