FOREST OPERATIONS IN THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY. 33 



at Belgam, Bellari, Bangalore, and Jackatalla, have in a special 

 manner taxed our resources. 



4. Military and Naval. — The requirements of the different 

 arsenals have been numerous and miscellaneous, but, except in 

 the case of the gun-carriage manufactory, not individually very 

 large. The various items mentioned* will give some idea of 

 army and navy demands. 



5. Railways. — The establishment of railways causes an im- 

 mense demand for timber, and thus, as I remarked last year, 

 entirely changes the features of the districts through which they 

 pass. Each sleeper measures three cubic feet ; and as one mile 

 of single rails requires 1760 sleepers, and these will not, on an 

 average, last above eight years at the most, we have an annual 

 demand of at least 220 sleepers per mile, or 22,000 for every hun- 

 dred miles. The total length of lines within the presidency, 

 either sanctioned or contemplated, is, I believe, about 1150 

 miles ; so that, if the above estimate as to duration be correct, 

 at least 253,000 sleepers (say 35,000 trees) will be required 

 annually. A portion of these will no doubt be procured from 

 England, Ceylon, Burmah, the Andaman Islands, and Australia ; 

 but there will still be a regular and heavy drain on the forests of 

 this presidency. To meet this prospective demand, it seems most 

 desirable that immediate steps should be taken to raise large num- 

 bers of hard-wood trees suitable for sleepers, especially as sleepers 

 of indigenous woods may be estimated at one-half the cost of those 

 obtained from England. I have already suggested that railway 

 companies, irrigation companies, sugar-factory proprietors, and 

 others, who. consume large quantities of fuel, charcoal, and tim- 

 ber, should plant to some extent for their own use in station com- 

 pounds, along railway embankments, on the banks of channels, &c. 



6. South-West Line, 400 Miles. — The supply along the South- 

 West Line has been better managed than at first, when a multi- 

 tude of contractors appeared who engaged to contract for wood 

 which was not their own. In August 1858 the Salem establish- 

 ment was sanctioned, and Mr Blenkinsop appointed. The resi- 



* Gun-carriages, boats, gun-stocks, scaling-ladders, saddletrees, plugs for 

 Minie-rifle balls, ropes for arsenals, &c. 



b 2 



