HISTORICAL. 47 



systematic forestry in India, and it developed into the establish- 

 ment of the Indian Imperial Forest Department in the year 1864. 

 The existing forests were explored, and those belonging to the 

 State taken under the control of the Forest Department. A 

 " Forest Act " was passed in 1865 but superseded in 1878 by a 

 more comprehensive Act which greatly enlarged the functions and 

 powers of the department. Working on the lines of that Act, 

 the department proceeded to select suitable areas and to declare 

 them permanent State forests ; up to date, over 100,000 square 

 miles of reserved State forests have been estabUshed. Working 

 plans have been, or are being, prepared for them based on the 

 principle of a sustained yield ; the areas are protected against 

 damage by fire and other sources of injury, and the regeneration 

 of the forests forms a prominent part of the department's activity. 

 As a result, the net revenue from the State forests is now more 

 than ten times what it was in 1864. 



The example thus set by India attracted the attention of other 

 parts of the Empire, with the result that similar steps were taken, 

 and, in many cases, the services of Indian forest officers were 

 asked for. India has, as far as possible, met these requests ; 

 officers have been lent to Ceylon, the Federated Malay States, 

 Mauritius, New Zealand, Australia, South-, West- and East-Africa, 

 the Sudan, Cyprus, the West Indies and British Honduras. The 

 development of forest conservancy in Canada has also been 

 influenced by the example set by India. Last, but not least, the 

 first scientifically trained forest officer employed in the British 

 Crown forests was a distinguished Indian forest officer, and 

 several Indian foresters have held, and are still holding, profes- 

 sorial chairs at British Universities. 



The great indifference of the Government as regards forest 

 conservancy in the United Kingdom commenced to be disturbed 

 about the year 1883. Foresters, committees, commissions and 

 associations urged the necessity of State interference, but it took 

 36 years and the great war to bring about the passing of the Forest 

 Act of 1919, immediately followed by the estabhshment of the 

 Forestry Commission as the forest authority of the United King- 

 dom. Almost the first work of that Commission was to organise 

 an Imperial Forest Conference to which delegates from all parts 

 of the Empire were invited. In sending out these invitations the 



