114 FORESTRY IN BRITISH BAST INDIA. 



engaged in timber supply work during the war, and, on the other 

 hand, young men who had been trained at the Universities, but 

 had not entered the profession owing to war service, or had been 

 trained, when partially disabled, during the later stages of the 

 war. In future it is proposed that men of the Forest Officer class 

 shall be recruited from University trained men, and that Foresters 

 shall be trained in the foresters' schools, which the Commission 

 are running departmentally. 



The Commission will pubHsh an Annual Report. They have 

 set to work with great vigour, and they are proceeding on the 

 lines laid down in the Reconstruction Sub-Committee's Report. 

 By June, 1920, they had secured some 60,000 acres of land and 

 were negotiating for the acquisition of an additional area of 

 90,000 acres. Although no actual planting was proposed for the 

 first year, a commencement was made by stocking during the 

 winter of 1919 — 1920 an area of about 1,500 acres. The schemes 

 of assistance to private proprietors and corporations are in the 

 stage of discussion between the Commissioners and the Consulta- 

 tive Committees. Lectures to landowners, land agents and others 

 interested in forestry have been started, while Divisional Officers 

 are ready to advise private owners. On the whole, a very good 

 beginning has been made to safeguard the country in the case of 

 a future emergency. 



When this book was prepared for the press, the first Annual 

 Report of the Commissioners for the forest year ending Sep- 

 tember 30th, 1920, appeared. The acquired area amounts now 

 to 103,100 acres, of which 68,100 acres are classed as plantable. 

 The area actually planted had risen to 8,000 acres. With a view 

 to assisting in giving work to unemployed, it has been arranged 

 to speed up work by planting during the year 1921 — 1922 an 

 area of 15,000 acres. 



The work of the Commissioners in connection with the Imperial 

 Forestry Conference has already been dealt with above. 



C. FORESTRY IN" BRITISH EAST INDIA. 

 SECTION I— SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY. 



India is a very large country, extending from the 8tli to the 

 37th degree northern latitude and from the 62nd to the 100th degree 



