46 SECOND REPORT ON FOREST OPERATIONS 



pense ; and, unless the logs are split, the inner wood is not car- 

 bonised. Skilled Europeans prefer branches four to eight inches 

 in diameter, which size they consider most convenient for char- 

 coal burning ; if smaller, the wood is liable to be overburnt, and 

 if larger, it is not properly carbonised. In the forests of the 

 Western Ghats, the average price of charcoal, brought several 

 miles to the furnace, is three annas a basket of 50 lbs. 



33. Forest Conflagrations. — These are of frequent occurrence. 

 The unextinguished file of a camp of Brinjarris, the sparks from 

 the torches or cheroots of travellers, the spontaneous ignition 

 from friction of bamboos, but much more frequently the wilful 

 burning of grass by the hill tribes (as heather is burnt in Scot- 

 land), in order that the ashes of the herbage may nourish the 

 roots of young grass, and thus improve the forage of their cattle — 

 are among the causes of this devastation which extends annually 

 over large tracts. The largest trees skirting the forest suffer 

 more or less from these fires, the saplings are scorched and muti- 

 lated, and the smaller seedlings perish. If the same spot is again 

 visited by conflagration in the following year, the largest trees 

 which escaped the first time are often consumed. 



34. Elephants.— On several occasions my attention has been 

 directed to the unceremonious way in which the mahouts of ele- 

 phants, belonging to devasthanums, lop the branches of trees on 

 trunk roads, as if they were entitled to gratuitous forage. This 

 practice should be stopped by the officer in charge of the roads. 



35. Forest Assistants. — These are four in number. (1.) Lieu- 

 tenant Beddome succeeded Major D. Hamilton two years ago in 

 the charge of the Anamalai range. His report of the operations 

 in that reserved forest will be found at page 53. He is a botanist 

 of great industry and promise, and has made some important addi- 

 tions to our knowledge of the flora of Southern India. (2.) Mr S. 

 Miiller has been in charge of the North Canara forests since the 

 death of Mr Poulton. He is a good Canarese scholar, is well 

 acquainted with his district, and the forests under his charge 

 have been brought into good order. (3.) Mr L. Blenkinsop was 

 appointed to Salem this year, chiefly in connection with urgent 

 railway requirements. It is intended that he should have charge 

 of the sandalwood in the north of the collectorate, and any plant- 



