52 FORESTRY IN THE BRITISH EMPIRE. 



8. Research and Experiments. 



Research connected with forestry questions was commenced 

 in India about 100 years ago. In the earlier days, botanical 

 questions chiefly occupied the investigators. From about 1860 

 onwards, silvicultural questions were taken up, as well as the 

 structure and properties of timbers and statistical matters. Part 

 of these investigations were carried out by Government agency, 

 but the greater part was the result of individual private exertions. 

 During the period from 1860 to 1905 research and experiments 

 produced a very large amount of new knowledge, as testified by 

 the excellent publications issued during that time. Then, in 1906, 

 the Dehra Dun Research Institute was organised, divided into the 

 five sections of Silviculture, Economics, Botany, Zoology and 

 Chemistry. The institute has fully justified its estabhshment, and 

 a further extension on a grand scale is now under consideration. 

 Research work is also done in the several provinces of India in 

 connection with the institute at Dehra Dun. 



A fair amount of research and experimental work lias been done, 

 in a somewhat disjointed way, by private persons, institutions and 

 Government departments in Great Britain and Ireland. The 

 Forestry Commission has been very active during the short time 

 of its existence ; it has already pubHshed prehminary Volume 

 Tables for the Scots pine and the larch, as well as Yield tables for 

 larch, Scots pine and spruce, with preliminary tables for Douglas 

 fir, Corsican pine and Japanese larch. The Commission has also 

 studied the insect conditions following the heavy war fellings, and 

 problems connected with afforestation work generally. The 

 fungoid diseases of the larch have been investigated and the results 

 published. Fair progress has been made in the investigation of 

 the mechanical properties of home-grown and colonial timbers. 



In Canada, forest products have been dealt witli at McGill. 

 In Australia, systematic work has been commenced on the rate 

 of growth of indigenous trees. Valuable experimental work has 

 been done in South Africa in connection with afforestation. The 

 trial of exotic species has been specially taken up in Great Britain 

 and Ireland, in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. 



9. Increment and Utilization. 



The balance between Increment and Utilization is of the first 

 importance, because on it depends the possibility of a sustained 



