FOREST POLICIES OF FOREIGN NATIONS. 285 



Stealing being thereby materially reduced. A 

 reasonable and just permit system of grazing, 

 where again the needs of the neighboring villagers 

 are most carefully considered, not only brings the 

 government a yearly revenue of nearly j^Soo.ooo, 

 but enables the people to graze about 3,ooo,cx30 

 head of animals in the state forests, without doing 

 any material damage to tree growth. 



Though the forests of India are now, and will 

 continue for some time, little more than wild woods, 

 with some protection and a reasonable system of 

 exploitation, in place of a mere robbing or culling 

 system, yet the work of actually improving the 

 forests steadily increases in amount and perfec- 

 tion. 



In the large teak forests of Burma, as well as 

 other provinces, care is taken to help this valu- 

 able timber to propagate itself ; the useless kinds 

 of trees are girdled, huge climbers are cut off, and 

 a steady war is waged against all species detri- 

 mental to teak regeneration. Where the teak has 

 entirely disappeared, even planting is resorted to. 

 Thus in Burma over 3 5, 000 acres have been re- 

 stocked with teak by means of taungyas, or plan- 

 tations, where the native is allowed to burn down 

 a piece of woods, use it for a few years as field 

 (though it is never really cleared) on condition of 

 planting it with teak, being paid a certain sum for 

 every hundred trees in a thrifty condition at the 

 time of giving up his land. 



