1915. For convenience of management the Fisher Forest (2,912 

 acres) at Btawah was transferred to this division, and 22,004 

 acres of privately-owned land were finally accepted by the depart- 

 ment as suitable. The terms of the agreements were the subject 

 of special meetings at Naini Tal on the 4th October, 1915, and at 

 Lucknow on the 14th March, 1919, and at both meetings it was 

 urged that they should be so framed as to give the landowners an 

 early return and so offer a further inducement to others to offer 

 their lands for management. At the latter meeting, at which the 

 Lieutenant-Governor presided, the existing agreement was criticized 

 as being unnecessarily severe and requiring revision and it was 

 agreed that there was ample scope for both the Forest and Agricul- 

 tural departments in these provinces but that they should work 

 in separate areas. It was suggested that the Forest department 

 should work principally in the Agra and Etawah districts, while 

 the Agricultural department should interest themselves in the 

 ravines of Bundelkhand. The provision of breeding grounds 

 should not be lost sight of. 



The terms of the existing agreement are, at the time of writing, 

 under revision allowing the owners a minimum rent of 8 annas per 

 acre on the reclaimed land until the plantations mature and pay 

 a higher return. The proposition is justified on the grounds of 

 insurance against famines, saving of valuable country from erosion, 

 improvement of agricultural amenities, and reclamation of waste and 

 worthless land, as well as making it a popular measure with the 

 owners. 



The existing experimental blocks were extended (1916) by the 

 addition of 29 acres situated in the Ganges Khola of the 

 Meerut district (appendix XII) and the further extension (125 

 acres) of the Allenbagh Experimental plantations at Cawnpore 

 (1917) through the generosity of the late Mr. G. B. Allen, who 

 provided Bs. 20,000 to meet the cost of acquisition. Owing to the 

 depletion of staff during the Great War the Afforestation officer was 

 placed in charge of the Etawah division in addition to his main 

 duties and further extensions, for similar reasons, became impos- 

 sible. The scattered nature of the experimental blocks and their 

 small size was opposed to economic management and the work of 

 covering such a wide stretch of country (five districts) being too 



The Kalpi and Piprayan plantations belonging to the Ordnance department were taken 

 over by tbe United Provinces Government in 1915 on the following terms : 



(a) That the cultivation of the babul under the supervision of the Forest department 



would be encouraged to the fullest extent possible : and 



(6) That the Harness and Saddlery Factory, Cawnpore, should have the first claim on 

 all bark from such cultivation at the market rate prevailing at the time of (supply. 

 (Vide letter no. 4304/(0-5) of 26th September, 1914, from the Secretary to Govern- 

 ment, Army department, to the Chief Secretary to Government, United Provinces.) 



3 



Afforestation 

 conferences. 



Meerut and 

 Cawnpore experi- 

 mental plots. 



