42 THE FORESTS OF UPPER INDIA 



the mature trees, and height of the stems, are greater 

 generally in India. There are forests of the spruce,* in 

 which the stems are 150 to 200 feet high. 



On the lower and hotter slopes of the foot hills, up to 

 7,000 feet, the long-leaved pines, f with red stems and 

 spines 12 inches long in hght-green tufts, are more 

 abundant, reminding one of Scotch firs exaggerated in 

 size and monopolizing the soil. In situations where the 

 rock comes to the surface, this pine will take root and 

 hold on to the cliffs in a wonderful manner, every stem 

 being twisted like a corkscrew, all in the same direction, 

 left to right, and presenting a most weird appearance. 

 The cypress tribe is represented in some ranges nearer to 

 Nepal by the very beautiful and towering Cupressus 

 torulosa.% It grows only on the sunny slopes over 7,000 

 feet, in isolated localities, one of which is at Naini Tal, 

 where some noble trees were growing under China Pahar 

 150 feet high, with clean stems to near the top. I 

 measured an old cypress at the back of China 37 feet in 

 girth, and I have measured several deodars of 40 feet. 

 These are the principal timber trees which are included 

 in the list of those reserved by the Forest Department as 

 of value for timber of construction. The jungles, how- 

 ever, contain hundreds of other beautiful and excellent 

 hard-wood trees, as well as various species of oaks and 

 sycamores, walnut, and the elm-like Celtis austraica, 

 rhododendrons (of which I have measured stems 15 feet 

 in girth of various kinds), besides, lower down, the tropical 

 sal {Shorea robusta) and saj ; while high up near the 

 snows are the familiar birch and juniper. Box is also 

 found of good thickness in some of the hills. In some 



* 'Kurchella' : drooping spruce, Ai>ies Svtithiana. 

 t * Chir' : long-leaved pine, Pintis longifoHa. 

 X Native name, ' Surai.' 



