400 



Notes on the Ltjlaence 



[Ko. 36, 



Notes oil the Iiitluence exercised b)' Trees on Cliutate. 



Ill 1847 the Court of Directors sent a despatch to the Su- 

 preme Government, requesting the attention of the authori- 

 ties to the effect of trees on the climate and productiveness of 

 a country or district. On receiving this communication the 

 IMadras Government directed a circular to their revenue offi- 

 cers requesting them to forward any of the required infor- 

 mation in their power, and several valuable reports have 

 accordingly been received in reply. Three of these having 

 been placed at the disposal of the Literary Society, for pub- 

 lication in their Journal, the first inserted is a paper by As- 

 sistant Surgeon Balfour, Avhose attention having been directed 

 to this subject for many years past, his own observations will 

 be found interspersed with the remarks of different authors, 

 the whole forming a summary of all that is known regarding 

 this very important subject. Our thanks are due to Mr. 

 Balfour for the valuable precis he has given and for the many 

 well authenticated facts he has furnished, and although there 

 is necessarily much in these notes that is speculative, and re- 

 quiring further investigation, yet, with this paper before them, 

 future inquirers will be able to prosecute their labours with all 

 the exactness that a scientific inquiry of such vast importance 

 to India, demands. That the subject will now be fully investi- 

 gated there can be no doubt, for besides an interesting letter re- 

 ceived from Surgeon Smith, a very important one has also been 

 received from General CuUen, Avhose well known scientific cha- 

 racter is sufficiently appreciated to ensure the attentive perusal 

 of any remarks that proceed from his pen. General Cullen's 

 observations and the report by Surgeon C. J. Smith of the 

 Mysore Commission, likewise appear in this number of the 

 Journal. Ed:>. 



