FOREST POLICIES OF FOREIGN NATIONS. 283 



more permanent structures, and are therefore ac- 

 ceptable in all Indian markets. 



With the irregular distribution of forests, the 

 peculiarities of Indian affairs, and the unsurveyed 

 wild, and difficult conditions of the forests them- 

 selves, it is but natural that the work thus far has 

 been chiefly one of organization, survey, and pro- 

 tection, and to a far less degree an attempt at im- 

 provement by judicious cutting and reforestation. 



Over 23,000 square miles have been surveyed 

 for forest purposes since 1874, at a cost of over 

 ^1,500,000. 



Work of establishing and maintaining boundary 

 lines, which is often a very difficult and costly 

 matter in the dense tropical jungles, involved 

 during one year, 1894, an expense of oveir ;^40,ooo, 

 and there are at present over 93,000 miles of such 

 boundary lines maintained. Besides this survey, 

 work proper, there is a large force constantly at 

 work to ascertain the amount and condition of 

 timber supplies and to prepare suitable plans for 

 their exploitation and improvement, so that over 

 20 per cent of the entire forest area, or about 

 20,000 square miles, is by this time managed with 

 definite working plans as to amount of timber to 

 be cut, the areas to be thinned, reforested, etc. 



The work of protection is chiefly one of pre- 

 venting and fighting fires. This protection, with 

 present means, cannot be carried on over the entire 

 forest areas, of which large tracts are not even 



