462 



Notes on ihe Influence 



[No. 30, 



gesteil by tlie inquiries of the Honorable the Court of Directors, has 

 not led me to attribute any very great influence to forests in the pro- 

 duction of rain, but iny remarks of course apply chiefly to the pecu- 

 liar ph3 sical features of these two provinces of Travancore and Co- 

 chin, so remarkable from their great mountain barriers running pa- 

 rallel to the sea coast for 200 miles, intercepting the course of the 

 monsoon, and no where above 40 miles distant, and the intermediate 

 space towards the sea covered with innumerable high rictges and 

 spurs from the main chain. 



It will be observed from the letter of the Dewan of Cochin, that 

 like myself he does not appear to have perfectly understood the 

 meaning of the Court's queries as to how far the clearance of forests 

 affected the moisture or productiveness of the soil. On inquiry 1 

 find that he merely contrasts cultivation under the shade of forest 

 trees, with that on the same lands when cleared of forest. In the 

 one case the growth of grain is rank and does not ripen, while m 

 the other from the freshness and richness of the natural manure 

 from decayed vegetable matter, it is vigorous and productive and in 

 the same way that while the lands covered by forests are almost 

 invariably wet and moist, after being cleared the moisture dis- 

 appears. 



These were results however, which few would question. My 

 doubts were w^hether the Court adverted to the effect of exten- 

 sive clearances on the lands previously under cultivation, to the 

 general effect on the climate, on the fall of rain and on the original 

 sub-stratum or sources of spring water, or whether it was meant to 

 apply to the productiveness of the forest lands when recently cleared, 

 compared with the productiveness of the same lands several years 

 afterwards. 



Of course from land cleared of dense forests the superficial 

 moisture w^ill be more speedily dissipated by evaporation, and when 

 the same lands are brought under cultivation there must also be a 

 corresponding local expenditure of water from the springs or rivers 

 ©r other sources especially in warm climates. 



This will lead probably to a partial and local (apparent) dimi- 

 nution of such sources of supply, but it can rarely I think ma- 

 terially affect a climate. The water that is evaporated, or absorbed 

 by cultivation, w^ill in the one case be ultimately restored to the land 



