APPENDIX V. 



Report of the proceedings of a conference held at Etawah on the 

 subject of the desirability of the afforestation oj the ravin* lands 

 in the Etawah district and their development as a fodder and 

 juel reserve. 



1. The question of the possible utilization of the large area 

 of ravine land in the Etawah district has been considered on 

 several occasions. Apart from the very promising experiment in 

 the area known as the Fisher forest in the immediate vicinity 

 of the town, the attention of the Government was drawn by 

 Afr. W. H. Moreland, C.I.E., when Director of Land Records and 

 Agriculture, to the great potential value of the extensive ravine 

 tract which extends throughout the southern portion of the district 

 more especially with the object of preserving and improving this 

 tract as a breeding-ground for agricultural stock. Special reference 

 to Etawah was made in his report on the improvement of Indian 

 Agriculture by Dr. Voelcker who in 1890 laid down that the prime 

 necessity was the creation of qxtensive fuel and fodder reserves 

 wherever such reserves might be possible. The subject was 

 revived in the resolution no- 348 of the Government, United 

 Provinces (Foreet department), dated the 20th August, 1912, 

 wherein stress was laid on the urgent necessity of subjecting to 

 careful examination such tracts as offered promise of improvement 

 under a regular system of afforestation. To this end Mr. E. A. 

 Courthope, Deputy Conservator of Forests, was deputed to 

 conduct a survey of the most promising areas Tbis officer, in 

 company with the Collector, visited a considerable portion of the 

 ravine area in the Etawah district during the cold weather of 

 1912-13. His opinion as to the highly-promising nature of the 

 country was embodied in a report to the Conservator of Forests, 

 Eastern circle, wherein he advocated the acquisition by Govern- 

 ment of the entire ravine area along the course of the Jumna and 

 to the south of that river to the extent for some 100,000 acres. 



2. In view of this report and the recommendations made by 

 the Conservator, Eastern circle, the I ocal Government directed 

 that the scheme should be considered carefully by a committee 

 selected for the purpose, with instructions to examine the various 

 points raised, and to submit to Government such recommendations 

 as might be appr ved after consultation. Facilities were afforded 

 to the members of the committee for visiting the experimental 

 plantation at Kalpi, and several members availed themselves of the 



