PREFACE. ix 



the main rivers, and the large herbaceous plants of Oompositce, Acan- 

 thacece, Labiatce, and other Orders, could have been included, which 

 come up on clearings in the forests (Schlagpflanzen), or form dense under- 

 wood ia moist forests. This, however, must be reserved for a separate 

 publication. 



Again, the great similarity between the forest vegetation of the north- 

 west Himalaya and of Europe suggested a brief notice of the more 

 important European forest-trees. The fact is now becoming recog- 

 nised that a knowledge of forests and forest management in Europe is 

 useful to foresters in India. A considerable number of the younger 

 forest officers have received their professional education in the public and 

 private forests of France, Germany, and Britain; others have devoted 

 their furlough to the study of forest management in those countries : and 

 the connection between European and Indian foresters thus established 

 win prove a great advantage to the development of forestry in India. 

 Under these circumstances it was desirable that Indian foresters should 

 have a brief account of European trees side by side with their congeners 

 and allies of the Himalaya. Special reference has in this respect been 

 made to the arborescent vegetation of the Mediterranean region, which is 

 visited by many Indian officers on their way to and from England. 



It was also necessary to include the more important trees and shrubs 

 cultivated in ISTorth-West India, and to aUude to those which, though 

 not yet introduced or extensively cultivated, merit special attention, and 

 which may perhaps be introduced with advantage. With the view of 

 making the book more useful to persons engaged in Indian arboriculture, 

 reference has been made to useful trees of other countries aUied to those 

 described in these pages. 



These remarks will explain that this book must not be regarded as a 

 local Flora, similar to the Colonial Floras which are emanating from Kew ; 

 for on the one hand it includes only the more important trees and shrubs, 

 and on the other its scope has for practical purposes been extended far 

 beyond its territorial limits. It has been written, not for botanists, but 

 for practical men, especially for those who have the care of the public 

 forests in the different provinces of India. It may, however, be said, that 

 this object might have been attaiued by a smaller volume, giving only a 

 popular description of the larger trees, and unencumbered with remarks 

 regarding the identification of species and the priority of systematic names. 

 Such objections will be supported by those who hold that the sole legiti- 

 mate duty of forestry in India is to provide fuel and timber, and that the 

 forester has no concern with bark, lac, gums, resins, caoutchouc, wax, oil, 

 dyes, fruits, and other marketable products of trees and shrubs. Such 

 views will continue to be maintained until it comes to be acknowledged 

 that the principal aim and object of forest management in India is the 



