( 53A ) 



8. It is obvious that the direct returns from the sale of the 

 produce of any plantation must vary with the distance of that plan- 

 tation from' the chief markets and from the railways and roads by 

 which those markets are reached. The main sources of revenue 

 from plantations established on ravines will be (1) timber, (2) fire- 

 wood and charcoal, (3) babul bark, (4) hay, (5) grazing dues, (6) 

 minor produce, such as mahua fruit. It is also hoped that it may 

 be possible to grow bamboos, for which there would be a great 

 demand. As far as is known at present, the only large timber tree 

 which would be grown on the ravine tracts is shisham, for which 

 there is an almost unlimited sale, but there can be little doubt that 

 other timber trees will be found suitable. Many species of trees 

 which will produce small round timber can be grown. Timber, 

 both large and small, would probably find a market even in planta- 

 ions situated at considerable distance from the main lines of 

 communication. Fuel, however, will only be exported from planta- 

 tions situated quite close to railway lines, except in the case of 

 Jbabul plan batioas from which purchasers will buy wood together 

 with the bark if situated within about 15 miles of a railway line. 

 In ordinary years the demand for hay is strictly limited and it can 

 only be exported to the markets in large cities from areas close to a 

 railway line. In times of scarcity, however, the demand for hay is 

 very great, and it can be sold at Re. 1 to Es. 2 per maund in the 

 district, while in the cities even higher prices can be obtained. The 

 yield of hay in the Kalpi plantation in a dry year was 10 maunds 

 per acre, and there is no reason to suppose that it would be less in 

 other ravines. Assuming that only half of the reclaimed area were 

 closed to grazing during the rains, it may safely be assumed that 

 the profits from the sale of grass would be Es. 4 or Es. 5 per acre 

 over the whole of the reclaimed area, and, assuming that such years 

 of scarcity occur once in every five years, the annual revenue from 

 the sale of grass would be about Ee. 1 per acre, even if no grass 

 wexe cut and stacked in good years for sale in time of scarcity. The 

 demand for grazing varies in different districts. In those tracts in 

 which the cultivation is intense the demand is great owing to the 

 fact that the area available for grazing is limited. In such tracts 

 as those along the Dhasan river, however, there is so much waste 

 land as compared with the area under cultivation that it is probable 

 that in ordinary years the cattle-owners would prefer to graze their 

 cattle free ou inferior pasture to paying fees for the privilege of 

 grazing on the improved areas. Grazing dues therefore must be 

 looked upon as an asset of the more accessible forests only. 

 Calculating that the crop of trees in the plantations established on re- 

 claimed ravines in accessible areas would be worth Es. 100 per acre 



