( 26A ) 



grazing block is likely to effect an enormous improvement, by 

 allowing young seedlings at present browsed down by goats year 

 after year to assert themselves, and by allowing lopped trees to 

 resume their development. This natural improvement, moreover, 

 will indicate the most favourable lines of special development in 

 the future. But rather more than this is necessary. I would 

 reoommeud that in each grazing unit general improvements should 

 be undertaken in the closed quarter. Dams should be thrown up 

 and seed sown ; seed will be sown broadcast in favourable places ; 

 soil will be wounded round trees, and so on. Much of the work, no 

 doubt, will be destroyed when the area is thrown open, but some will 

 escape, and this alone will be worth the small expense incurred. 

 At the same time, however, some regular plantation work would 

 be necessary. This would be mostly on the experimental lines, 

 so as to ascertain the species most suitable for the locality, and 

 the best and the most economical methods of establishing planta- 

 tions of these species. I would recommend the closure of quite 

 small areas for this purpose. These would, of course, be kept closed 

 to grazing until such time as the trees are immune from damage 

 by cattle. This period would vary with different species, but it 

 would be safest to assume, to begin with, that these small areas 

 would remain closed for the first twelve years. As, however, I do 

 not anticipate that the whole area so closed could amount to 

 more than 8,000 acres in this period, the fact of the closure need 

 not be considered as inflicting any hardship on the graziers. 



It is recognized that the closure of a proportion of the area to 

 grazing may lead to the increase of destructive animals, such as 

 pigs. It would be necessary to take steps from the very start to 

 keep these down or even to exterminate them from the forest. 



I do not propose to attempt in this report any financial forecast. 

 The undertaking should not at the outset have as its objective 

 the realization of a substantial revenue. The grazing alone would 

 yield a satisfactory return is more than probable ; but the estab- 

 lishment of the first agricultural forest division would necessarily 

 be in some measure experimental. I would only say that I am 

 convinced that not only will Government be conferring an immense 

 favour upon the population of the district, but that eventually it 

 will not be a loser by its beneficial policy. 



No. 1976, dated Etawah, the 7th May, 1913. 

 From H. K. NEVILL, ESQ., Collector of Etawah, 

 To B. A. COUBTHOPE, ESQ., Deputy Conservator of Forests, 

 ' Afforestation division, Eastern circle, United Provinces. 



SIB, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your 



