INTRODUCTION 13 
Fire conservancy is in India carried to a fine art in 
those deciduous forests where natural regeneration 
is often dependent on its success. First a trace is 
cut along the boundary, and from thence, as good 
opportunity offers, the surrounding forest and grass- 
lands are burnt to insure isolation ; next the inside 
area is divided into blocks by rides varying from a 
few to one hundred or more feet in breadth, and 
these are kept clear of vegetation by burning care- 
fully at night-time ; finally, watchmen are stationed 
at short distances apart, who control the traffic and 
give notice when any fire occurs. These men are 
recruited from the surrounding villages, and not 
infrequently go in danger of their lives from wild 
beasts, often sleeping in perches placed in high trees, 
so as to be out of reach of tigers and elephants. 
Then, all his arrangements complete, the forester 
sits lonely, as in the centre of a gigantic web cover- 
ing an area of several hundred square miles, waiting 
for a summons for help from a distance, or locating 
any column of smoke that may be observed by day 
or fiery glow by night, always on the alert to save 
the State property entrusted to him. When the 
call comes, he has no body of disciplined athletes, 
equipped with all modern appliances, at his orders ; 
he hurriedly collects as many men as may be pres- 
ent, and leads the unwilling troop to battle, their 
only arms the green boughs hastily torn from the 
nearest tree, and their only desire to flee as soon as 
possible from the heat and thirst of the distasteful 
work. Probably it will be found impossible to check 
the flames advancing on a front of miles in length, 
and then counter-firing is resorted to from one of the 
