118 



whicli the forests are situated and the consequent, difficulty of travelling'; but it is also, 

 in a great measure, due to the employment of temporary subordinates, and the late- 

 ness of the season when work was commenced in the first year* 



Name and situation. — The name af the tract dealt with 

 in the report, generally some forest charge, and tbe civil 

 district or territory in which it is situated, together with 

 that of the Forest Division to which it belongs, should 

 be stated ; and it should be explained whether the wooded 

 area comprises one or several separate forests. The vicinity 

 of large towns or markets for the produce, or of rivers, 

 roads, or railways leading to these places, should be very 

 briefly mentioned here. 



Example. — These plans have been prepared for vhat are known as the' " Naini 

 Tal Forests " which comprise twenty separate areas situated in the Eumaan District, 

 in the pattis of Chakrata Pahar and Dhangakot, within the jurisdiction of the Com- 

 missioner of Kumaun. The forests surround and supply Tvith produce the Muni- 

 cipality and Cantonment of Naini Tal, and constitute one of the two Banges of the 

 Naini Tal Forest Division. 



Configniration of the ground. — It should be explained 

 whether the forests are situated in hilly or level ground, or 

 on a plateau ; whether they form part of one or several river 

 basins ; at what height or heights above the sea they are 

 found, and what their relative position is with regard to the 

 surrounding country. 



Example. — The forests arc situated on comparatively low hills, forming a series 

 of superimposed terraces or plateaux with sloping sides. -The tops of the hills are flat ; 

 so that, instead of ascending to a ridge, we ascend to a plateau, and the action of time 

 has not been able to destroy the onginal terrace-formation 'which gives to the hills 

 their obaracteristie appearance. Precipices are, however, uncommon, and tbe slopes are 

 nsually easy enough for a saddled horse' to be led almost everywhere. The hilU rise 

 from 1,000 to seldom more tban 1,700 feet above the deepest valleys. The forests, as 

 might be expected, occupy the upper plateaux and slopes of the bills, cultivation 

 having taken possession of the lower slopes. The m»in ridge occupies a continuous 

 sinuons line, extending from south-west to north-east, forming the water-parting 

 between the Bamgunga stream on the north and the Fahdi ri ver on the south ; but 

 the greater portion of the area lies within the drainage basin of the latter river. 



Underlying rock and soil. — The general character of the 

 geology of the country, the resulting soils and their relation 

 to the composition of the forests, should be explained. The 

 explanation should, howeverj be brief and of a general 

 nature ; as a more detailed description of the soils in each 

 block is, when necessary, separately given. 



Mxample. — ^The entire rock-system belongs to what is known as the Deeean traps, 

 and is coosequently of volcanic origin. The soil resulting from the disintegration of 

 these trap rocks is a red ferrnginous loam, fairly fertile irbere deep. This, however, 

 is not tbe case on the level surfaces of the plateaux where disintegration is slow and 

 Trfaere, in some esses, the nncfaanged rode pretTodes at tbe surface. In other paxts 

 the underlying rock, being everywhere Laminated, oompensates to some extent for 

 shaUowness ; but, 'generally speaking, tbe soil is not favourable to tree growth, as it is 

 too superficial and Iry. On the slopes, honever, which separate the various plateaux 



