4 



to this, the Sirsi sugar mill-owner last year bought a coupe which is said to 

 have yielded about 470 tons. The material from this coupe forms a 2 years' 

 supply, and the quantity has probably been over-estimated. This source of 

 demand may be taken at 150 tons per annum. 



The total yearly consumption of firewood by the people of Sirsi amounts, 

 therefore, to 1,120 tons. 



The average annual amount of timber purchased on permit during the 

 years 1907-08 1911-12 was 1,858 cubic feet, or 148 khandis. Moat of the 

 timber sold at the depdt sales comes from areas outside the plan. 



To allow a margin for possible increase provision must be made for about 

 1,250 tons of firewood and 200 khandis of timber. (A ton of firewood=lOO 

 cubic feet stacked). 



Sandalwood will be treated separately. 



15. Lines of export. 



There are good roads leading into Sirsi from all parts of the forest, and 

 these are supplemented by numerous cart-tracks. The removal of the produce 

 will be easy. 



16. Centres of Consumption : Markets. 



It is intended that the troublesome permit system be given up, and that 

 only material from the annual coupes be sold. 



Probably, to start with, it will be necessary to make the fellings depart- 

 mentally. The timber would then either be sold on the spot or at Sirsi dep6t. 

 The firewood would be sold by stacks in the coupe. It is expected, however, 

 that contractors will soon come forward to buy the coupes, in which case a 

 regular firewood dep6t would be established in Sirsi Town. 



f7.-Mode of extraction and its cost. 



At present a cart-load of firewood costs the permit-holder not less than 

 Us. 1-8-0 including the permit fee, but not including the municipal octroi. 

 Sometimes it costs a great deal more. The stacks should, therefore, be sold in 

 the coupe at about annas 12 or 1 rupee each. The logs could be sold at the 

 dep6t at seigniorage rates plus the cost of extraction, plus a small sum for 

 supervision charges. It is desirable to keep the price of firewood and small 

 timber as low as possible, and some arrangement such as the above is necessary 

 to ensure the smooth working of the Plan, and to make the change of system 

 acceptable to the people. 



18. The Forest Staff. 



All the forest is in charge of the Range Forest Officer, Sirsi. It comprises 

 part or whole of the forests of 26 villages. All of these with one exception are 

 situated in the Sirsi round, and 20 are included in the Sirsi beat. It will be 

 best to bring the whole area under the Sirsi beat of the Sirsi round. 



The subordinate staff of this round consists of 1 round forester on Rs. 30 

 and three beat guards, one on Rs. 10 and 2 on Rs. 9. 



19. Labour Supply. 



There is always a shortage of labour around Sirsi. The coolies employed 

 in the betel-nut gardens nearly all come from the coast. Good axemen can be 

 obtained from Ankola, Kumta and other coast villages. 



