RESEARCH. 169 



condition. While the author was Inspector-General of Forests 

 consignments of bamboos were sent to England, from which, 

 as stated above, Messrs. Routledge manufactured paper, some 

 of which was used by the author for letter writing. The possibility 

 of manufacturing paper from Indian bamboos was thus estab- 

 lished, but was not started at that time on commercial lines, 

 because the process of treating the bamboos was not sufficiently 

 developed to make the undertaking financially successful. These 

 difiiculties have now been overcome, and there is no reason why 

 the manufacture of paper from bamboos should not develop into 

 a flourishing industry. 



The condition of forest conservancy in India at the beginning 

 of the twentieth century, as described above, was the result of 

 the labours of a stafi which had seen and learned to appreciate 

 the results of systematic management and of research as practised 

 in continental European countries in the course of more than a 

 century. The forest estate was now ready, and the time had 

 arrived for more independent action. An Institute for organised 

 Forest Research was established in 1906, at the instance of 

 Sir Sainthill Eardley-Wilmot, at that time Inspector-General of 

 Forests, in connection with the Forest College, at Dehra Dun, 

 The Research Institute is in the charge of a President, who is under 

 the administrative control of the Inspector-General of Forests. 

 It is divided into the five main branches of Silviculture, Forest 

 Economic Products, Forest Botany, Zoology and Chemistry, each 

 branch being in the charge of a Research Officer with the required 

 number of Assistants. The research officers are picked members 

 of the general forest staff. There are also Specialists, temporarily 

 appointed, for investigations in subjects of special economic 

 importance, such as cellulose and tannin experts. 



The work of the Silviculturist comprises a study of the require- 

 ments of the more important species of trees, the collection of 

 statistics relating to the rate of increment and volume production 

 of forest crops, the improvement of methods of treatment and 

 management generally, the preparation of working plans on 

 imy)roved lines, and allied subjects. 



The activity of the Forest Economist covers a wide field, such 

 as the properties and uses of timbers, their durability, the anti- 

 septic treatment of timber, its suitability for railway sleepers. 



