FORESTRY BUREAU. 



173 



"What a triumph," says the Scotsman, "it would bo for science were the Central 

 Asian problem to be solved, not by the sword, but by the planting of trees, whoso 

 beneficent influence should change the iierco predatory hillsmen into quiet agricult- 

 urists, and cause the desert again to rejoice and blossom as the rose." The forestry 

 department of India has been a great commercial success. Before 1848 the forest 

 revenue was very trilling. In l881-'82, the income of the department was over 

 £874,000; the expenditure, £557,000; leaving a net revenue derived from the syste- 

 matic management of the woods of £317.000. The surveying of the Indian forests 

 is now being steadily accomplshed. As showing the rate at which it is proceeding 

 it may be mentioned that last year (1883) 301 square miles were plane-tabled, on a 

 scale of 4 inches to the mile, and 85 square miles triangulated. The result of these 

 labors was seen on the walls of the Indian court of the exhibition in a series of 

 splendid maps, which, as the forests in the different provinces come into full work- 

 ing order, will be indispensable iu connection with their efficient management. 

 In Great Britain there are only 40 species of indigenous trees, while in India they 

 number over 2,000. An important tree in the Northern Indian forests is the deo- 

 dar (Cedrus deodara), which, under favorable conditions, attains a height of over 

 200 feet, and is lamed for the durability of its timber. In the climate of India many 

 woods aro apt to decay and to be destroyed by insects a few years after having 

 been cut. Deodar is one of the few durable woods in India, and beams of it have 

 been known to last several hundreds of years. There are also extensive forests of 

 sal (Shorca robusta), and sissoo (Dalbergia sissoo), the timbers of which are also very 

 durable. Sissoo, which takes on a fine polish, is largely used in furniture-making and 

 carriage-building. Acacia catechu, from which the catechu of commerce is obtained, 

 is also a wide-spread forest tree. This valuable tanning material (catechu) is ex- 

 tracted by simmering chips of the heartwood in water and boiling down the red fluid 

 into a hard, shining black mass. Ficus elastica is another important tree. In 1881-82 

 the export of India rubber amounted to 10,080 cwt., valued at £10->,843; and in 

 Assam, especially, large plantations of this valuable tree are being formed. But of 

 all the Indian forest trees the well-known teak is perhaps tho most important. The 

 home of this tree is the moist regions of tropical India, and in the Transgangetic pe- 

 ninsula, in Burmah and in Siara. Indian teak is more prized than any other timber, 

 as it is not only exceedingly durable, but it wofks well, takes a hue polish, and does 

 not split or warp. Some magnificent logs of teak from Burmah were shown, and its 

 adaptability for furniture-making and art-carving purposes were abundantly illus- 

 trated — some of the native carved work in teak being of a most artistic and delicate 

 nature. Its price is very high at present, from £15 to £16 the load of 50 cubic feet 

 in London. During tho last three years the mean annual yield of tho Government 

 forests in British Burmah was 24,000 tons of teak, and the imports into Rangoon and 

 Moulmein from beyond the frontier was 145, 0U0. But as the forests beyond the front- 

 ier are worked without any regard to the future, it is impossible that they can con- 

 tinue to yield in same quantities as hitherto. On the other hand, the yield of the 

 Government forests may be expected to increase— the aim being to plant and protect 

 teak so that the Government forests will by and by yield as niijeh as is imported into 

 Rangoon and Moulmein from beyond the frontier. In the working of the Indian forests 

 the principles followed are the same as those upon which the state forests of France and 

 Prussia are worked, the chief aim being steadily to improve the condition and never 

 to cut more than the annual production, by natural or artificial means, will justify. 

 " Forest management," says Dr. Brandts, late inspector-general of Indian forests, 

 " which aims at these objects, requires the following measures as essential conditions 

 of success: First, effective protection ; second, a good system to secure the regenera- 

 tion of forests, either naturally by self-sown seedlings or coppice-shoots, or artificially 

 by planting, sowing, and other cultural operations; third, goodlinesof communication 

 to facilitate protection, the working of the forest, and the export of produce; and, 

 fourth, well-considered and methodically-arranged plans of working." One great 

 point gained by this management is, that over large areas it has been possible to put 

 a stop to annual forest fires; and the eradication of forest creepers, which stunted the 

 growth of the trees, has also been successfully attempted. Of the staff of officers 

 employed for forest administration in India, there are fifteen conservators, or chief 

 forest officers, of the forest circles into which the peninsula is divided. Each forest 

 circle is again divided into a number of divisions, each under the charge of a superior 

 officer styled a deputy or assistant conservator, and these divisions are subdivided into 

 ranges varying from 20,000 acres to 30 square miles in size. Ranges, again, are further 

 subdivided into beats, and are under the charge of forestguards. The Indian forestserv- 

 ice is thus divided into these main branches: The controlling or administrative staff 

 (conservators, deputy and assistant conservators), in charge of forest circles and di- 

 visions; the executive staff (forest rangers) in charge of ranges, and the protective 

 staff (forest guards) in charge of beats. Only the controlling or administrative staff 

 is recruited from Great Britian. The officers of the executive and protective staff 

 are all natives of India. Appointments to the controlling stall' aro made in the usual 



