( 21A ) 



*_ 



possesses no fuel or fodder reserve. The district has a smaller 

 cultivated area than most plains districts, and development is 

 checked by the encroachment of the ravines. 



A great part of the population depends for its livelihood on its 

 cattle and has not, under present conditions, sufficient fodder to 

 enable it to produce good cattle, much less to expand the glii indus- 

 try, of which the district is a centre. Yet the district contains at 

 least 120,000 acres of good ravine land capable of producing a large 

 crop of excellent cut fodder and of affording excellent pasture to the 

 present number of cattle or even to a large number of a superior 

 breed. In spite of its vast area of uncultivated land the district does 

 not produce a sufficient quantity of fuel or timber for the needs of the 

 inhabitants. The unirrigated part of the district suffers from a 

 serious lack of water and especially of tanks for watering cattle. 



I have said that the statements made in paragraph 12 of the 

 resolution of the Local Government appear to be peculiarly applica- 

 ble to the Etawah district. The .same resolution has suggested 

 an agricultural branch of the Forest department as a remedy for 

 the present unsatisfactory state of affairs. It will be well there- 

 fore to discuss generally the ways in which such a branch of 

 forestry may be useful. 



Obviously by sowing and planting trees it will be possible, in 

 the course of time, to supply the district with timber and fuel. Dr. 

 Voelcker considers that the supply of a sufficient quantity of fuel is 

 the most important agricultural problem to be solved. He shows 

 that by this means the cowdung, now used in enormous quantities 

 as fuel, will be set free for its proper use as manure ; that the treat- 

 ment of the fields, with manure will result in more cattle fodder, 

 which will result in an increase of cattle and consequently in an 

 increase of manure. But there are other ways, less obvious 

 perhaps, in which afforestation of bare grazing land is useful, I 

 nave not had an opportunity of discussing this matter with the 

 Director of Agriculture, but a conversation with the Deputy 

 Director confirmed my impressions as to the importance of shade for 

 the cattle. He told me that he thought that the apathy displayed 

 by the people of Bundelkhand towards the improvement of their 

 stock was in a large measure due to the fact that they had nowhere 

 to take their cattle during .the scorching months of April, May, and 

 June. He believes that if there were forests in which the cattle 

 could find fodder and shade, their condition would be much im- 

 proved. The same argument applies to the bare ravines of the 

 Etawah district. 



Moreover, there can be no doubt at all that the existence of a 

 light tree-growth improves the growth and quality of the grass. 



