344 India. 
We see then, that though the forests of India are now, 
and will continue for some time to be 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 actual improvement 
steadily increases in amount and perfection. 
In disposing of its timber the Government of India 
employs various methods. In some of the forests dis- 
tricts the people pay merely a small tax and get out of 
the woods what and as much as they need. In other 
cases the logger pays for what he removes, the amount 
he fells being neither limited in quantity nor quality. 
The prevalent systems, however, are the permit system, 
where a permit is issued indicating the amount to be 
cut and the price to be paid for the same, and the con- 
tract system, where the work is more or less under the 
control of government officers and the material remains 
government property until paid for. To a limited 
extent the governments carry on their own timber ex- 
ploitation. 
Working Plans. Only a relatively small part of the 
total forest area, each year, however, increasing, is as 
yet worked under plans. In 1885, only 109 square 
miles, in 1899, 20,000 square miles, and in 1903, nearly 
30,000 square miles, about 13 per cent. of the total, or 
.30 per cent. of the reserved area, were operated under 
working plans. 
Only gradually was the character of these plans 
brought into practical form, and their execution, in 
‘spirit at least, enforced, the Conservators having the 
‘tight to deviate from the plans. 
