168 FORESTRY IN BRITISH EAST INDIA. 



and it seems that the realisation of this prediction is not far off, 

 provided that the conservation and rational management of the 

 Indian State forest is maintained. The value of the produce 

 given free is not included in the above table. 



14. Research. 



It has been shown above that the activities of the Forest 

 Department were, until the commencement of the present 

 century, chiefly directed to the selection, settlement and demar- 

 cation of an enormous forest estate, as well as to its organisation 

 and systematic management. Moreover, protection and exploita- 

 tion occupied much of the time of the very moderate staff. The 

 latter increased only slowly and not in proportion to the increase 

 of the work. Nevertheless, a very considerable amount of 

 scientific work was done during the first 40 years after the 

 estabhshment of the Department in 1864, partly at the instance 

 of the Government, but chiefly as the result of individual effort 

 on the part of enthusiastic members of the staff. 



Naturally, botanical questions were the first to occupy foresters. 

 The flora of the forests was studied in most parts of India. In 

 this connection may be mentioned Brandis' " Flora of North-west 

 and Central India " ; Kurz' " Forest Flora of Burma " ; 

 Gamble's " Indian Timbers " ; Beddome's " Forest Flora of 

 Madras " ; Brandis' " Indian Trees," a monumental work 

 commenced many years ago, though not published until 1906 ; 

 Gamble's " Indian Bamboos," and others. By the establishment 

 of the Working Plan Branch in 1884, the foundation was laid for 

 the collection of statistics on matters referring to the silviculture, 

 management and yield of the forests. Numerous investigations 

 were recorded in many reports and other publications. 



Another branch which occupied the staff from the early days 

 of the Department was the introduction to the market of timbers 

 which were as yet not appreciated by the people and commerce of 

 the country. To illustrate this point it may be mentioned that 

 as early as 1876 thousands of sleepers of a variety of species were 

 cut and placed into several railway lines to test their durability. 

 Experiments were made about the same time to creosote so-called 

 inferior species which at that time were not successful, because 

 the creosote obtained from England would not keep in good 



