134 FORESTRY IN BRITISH EAST INDIA. 



India rubber is yielded by the indigenous Ficus elastica, a large 

 evergreen tree found wild in moist forests of the outer Eastern 

 Himalayas, Assam and Upper Burma. It has been artificially 

 planted, but it cannot compete with the Para rubber tree. The 

 Forest Department introduced the latter into India, and having 

 proved the suitability of the climate of Tenasserim for the tree, 

 sold the plantations to a private company. Since then further 

 extensions have been made in South India, so that over 6,000 tons 

 of rubber were exported from India in 1918 — 1919. 



Drugs and Spices are collected from the forests, such as aconite 

 belladonna, nux vomica, podophyllum, barberry, violet, wild 

 pepper, cardamoms, pods of Cassia Fistula, tamarind and others. 



Edible products are yielded by trees, shrubs and herbs, forming 

 an important natural supply of food for the various jungle tribes, 

 which is of considerable importance in time of scarcity. Special 

 mention should be made of the flowers of Bassia latifolia, the 

 " mohwa " tree, the corolla of which is eaten fresh or dried, or 

 distilled into intoxicating liquor ; recently they have been a 

 source of supply of acetone and alcohol. 



Animal products. — Lac, the production of Tachardia lacca, is 

 one of the most important animal products of the forest, which is 

 artificially propagated on a large scale. India has practically a 

 monopoly of the lac industry, and its importance may be judged 

 by the fact that the export of lac of various kinds in 1917 — 1918 

 was valued at 38 million rupees. Silk is another product 

 capable of further development. Horns, hides, bones and ivory 

 are other animal products. 



It has been stated above that the percentage of land under 

 forest in British India is about the same as that of the forests in 

 Europe. There is, however, a great difference in the produce. 

 While, at present, the European forests yield far more timber 

 per unit of area than the Indian forests, the latter yield much 

 greater quantities of valuable other so-called " minor produce." * 



4. The Annual Increment of the Forests. 



It is impossible to give any estimate of the increment of the 

 corporation and private forests. And even as regards the State 



* For further details see Troup's pamphlet " The Work of the Forest 

 Department in India." 



