WORLD'S TIMBER RESOURCES 215 



a commercial point of view, it is clear that the 

 timber question of the country is a big proposi- 

 tion. The most important are Teak, Cedar, 

 Sissoo, Blackwood, Cutch, Sandal Babal, Toon 

 and Red Sanders (Fig. 69). Ironwood and 

 Padouk are two useful timbers, not so well 

 known as they deserve. Several trees have been 

 introduced into India with success ; amongst 

 them may be mentioned Blue Gum, Feather- 

 leaved Black Wattle, Broad-leaf Wattle and New 

 South Wales Silky Oak, and Tallow Wood. 



Forest fires and grazing have hindered the 

 forestry work in British India. " The raiyats 

 or peasants, and country people generally, have 

 always claimed the right to graze their cattle, 

 sheep and goats in forests and waste lands, and 

 the necessity of regulating this practice in the 

 case of browsing animals such as camels, goats, 

 etc., which cause great destruction of shrubs 

 and young trees, has been a great source of 

 trouble. The number of live stock kept by the 

 people is frequently far in excess of the supply 

 of grass afforded by their holdings or the avail- 

 able waste lands, hence they have to fall back on 

 the forests for food to keep them alive. As a 

 rule, in the working of the reserves, while areas 

 are strictly closed to grazing, either for the pro- 

 tection of young timber or for other reasons, 

 at fixed times reasonable provision is made for 



