42 



Sitmetioiii—Oa the- western flank of tie great Maura ridge. Aapeote generally- 

 westerly, but on minor spurs some areas face to north and south. Gradients steep, 

 in places precipitoug. Elevation from 6,500 to 8,000 feet ; sheltered from east. 



Soil. — Rich loam well covered with mould j generally deep and suited to deodar, 

 except near summit where underlying rook of blai-k limestone crops out. 



Sfoch — Irregular mixed crop. In tlie upper part, kharsu oak with a few blue 

 pine,, spruce, maples, and rarelv deodnr. Lower down dec dar becoities the chief tree 

 associated with spruce and silver firs. All ages are represented, but most ot the 

 trees are mature or (especially in the higher and less accessible places) over-mature. 

 Tlie density is varying, good on whole ; but numerous small blanks occiur. The repro- 

 duction is fair; many small thickets of deodar with scattered seedlings of spruce and 

 other species. The aggregate area fully stocked with deodar is about 200 acres. 



The- only treatment in the past has been protection from fire. The best trees in 

 the most accessible places were felled some years ago. 



The enumeration, gave — " 



Unsound over-mature deodar 



208 trees. 

 509 „ 

 693 „ 

 372 „ 

 2,608 „ 

 309 ., 



Remarks. — The removal of the over-mature and exploitable trees is urgently re- 

 qnired in the interests of the younger stages of growth. There-stocking of the blanks 

 may be left to nature. 



Stock maps. — Detailed descriptions of forest crops are tedi- 

 ous to write, and, in the case of a large area, bulky when 

 written. Moreover, it is doubtful if any one ever derives 

 much benefit from even the best descriptions that can be 

 compiled for the large areas dealt with. The working-plans 

 oflBcer, with the aid of the map and area statements, forms 

 his working circles and determines the method of treatment 

 more from the picture which an inspection of the various 

 crops has left in his mind than from any written description ; 

 while, as regards oflBcers who, personally unacquainted with 

 the areas to which the plans relate, have to scrutinise the 

 descriptions, their minds are incapable of grasping all the de- 

 tails and of forming a mental picture from such a mass of writ- 

 ing as usually accompanies an Indian working-plan dealing, 

 as it often does, with a large area. It is, therefore, a question 

 whether it would not be better, in some cases, to abolish these 

 written descriptions and to replace them — apart from the 

 broad general description of the forest or of eachtype of forest 

 a& a whole-^y dock maps. 



To prepare such maps it will, in most cases, be sufficient to 

 distinguish each class of forest by a flat wash of distinct colour 

 and to indicate the age by tone, the darker the tone the older 



