July 2, 1888.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
33 
timber and other forest produce on pottah lands, 
the new settlement rules introduced no change, as 
the Government has always asserted its right over 
reserved trees, and the clause in the pottah now 
objected to was prescribed in its present form so far 
back as 1883. The apprehensions expressed in the 
Association's letter were, therefore, groundless, and 
the Chief Commissioner hoped that endeavours 
would be made to remove them as far as possible." 
At the request of Mr. Williamson, of Messrs. Finlay, 
Muir and Co,, a special meeting of the general com- 
mittee was held on the 8th September to consider 
the question of railway communication between 
Bengal and Cachar, the result of which was a letter 
to Government drawing attention to resolution No. 
868 R. C, dated 25th August, the decision contained 
in which the general committee thought most un- 
fortunate, as an amplo supply of labour was required 
at the tea districts, and to secure this desideratum a 
railway was what was needed. After pointing out that 
by the construction of this railway the journey 
between Cachar and Calcutta would be reduced to 
two days, and that its importance was incalculable 
in the matter of the transit of labour and the reduc- 
tion of mortality, the committee showed by figures 
the enormous expansion of the Indian tea trade 
during the last few years, and the important portion 
of the crop produced in the districts of Sylhet and 
Caohar. The committee also drew attention to the 
probable importance of these districts as being on 
the line of possible communication with Upper 
Burmah, so that the railway would serve other 
purposes than those of a purely commercial 
character. The reply of the Government of India 
was to the effect that it was unable to re-oonsider 
the question of a guarantee on the outlay on any 
portion of the proposed scheme or to offer any 
concessions beyond those named in para 12 of 
the resolution of 25th August, which moan the 
graut of the land required for the railway free of 
charge. The question was accordingly referred to 
the Indian Tea Districts' Association of London, 
in order that the scheme might be brought to 
the notice of the people in England likely to be 
able to form a public company for the construc- 
tion of the line on the terms offered by the Govern- 
ment of India. In respect to hailstorms in India, 
the opinion of the District Committees that, even 
if a scheme of insurance were adopted, the difficulty 
of estimating the damage inflicted on tea gardens 
by hail would be great, if not insurmountable, 
was communicated to the Chamber of Commerce 
with a request to be informed as to how the in- 
surance against hailstorms was worked in France, 
Germany, and England, and by what means the 
amount of damage to crops was ascertained. Upon 
a reply being received from the Chamber after a 
reference to England, the general committee ordered 
the issue of their circular of the 12th December 
giving extracts from the prospectus of the country 
Hailstorm Insurance Company, containing certain 
conditions of insurance which appeared applicable 
to the insurance of Indian tea. It is understood that 
tho insurance would extend to damage done by 
hail only and not by wind, water, or othor 
causes, and that the risk would be limited to the 
"flush" actually damaged by hail, and would not 
covor any subsequent depreciation of crop through 
injury done to the bushes, so that it is thought 
tho loss can easily be determined. The inspection 
of tho crop would be performed by tho company's 
local agent. Tho Cachar committee, who have 
considered tho above conditions, are of opinion that 
they are not applicable to tea gardens, but they say 
that it is possible the word "flush" is meant to 
•land for annual crop in which case the proposals 
would bo worth while taking into consideration. 
On the representation of the general committee, 
the steam companies had together arranged to place 
a receiving flat at Lohit Mookh to minimise the 
rick of sending teas across the main river at 
Luckimpur, in country boats. The Chief Com- 
missioner of Assam was also addressed on tho 
subject of opening a road from Lohit Mookh to 
Kalahari, where it would from a junotion with the 
northern trunk road, and become a direct postal 
road to north Luckimpur. The scheme of Mr. Con- 
solo to open a market for Indian tea in Italy fell 
through owing to the little demand for the commo- 
dity in that country. The Indian Tea Supply Com- 
pany was formed (luring the year for the develop- 
ment of the consumption of Indian tea in India. 
R3,000 was subscribed by the Association out of 
the balance of the funds of the late Tea Syndicate 
towards preliminary expenses, and 100 shares were 
taken at a cost of R 1,000 out of the same funds. The 
company commenced working as soon as 10,000 
shares of B10 each had been taken up, and is un- 
derstood to be making satisfactory progress in sale 
of tea in packets. The report also referred to the 
tea sent to the Brussels Exhibition and the grant of 
B2.500 made by the Government of Iodia to cover 
expenses at the Belgian end. The association during 
the year has represented a planted area of 139.489J 
acres, being about the same as the previous year, 
but as the rate of subscription was reduoed at the 
last annual meeting from one anna to half an anna 
per acre, the year's subscriptions have amounted to 
only R4, 400-11-3, while the expenditure has been 
R6. 541-6-0, so that the balance at credit of the 
association on the 29th of February was reduoed to 
R2, 174-9-5.— Times of India. 
♦ ■ 
FOREST CONSERVANCY IN OEYLON.* 
REPORT OF THE CONSERVATOR OF FORESTS 
FOR 1887. 
The necessity for the conservation of the forests of 
Ceylon was first brought into prominent notice in 1873 
by Doctor (now Sir Joseph) Hooker, who, on the report 
of Doctor Thwaites, then Director of the Botanic Gar- 
dens, Peradeniya, addressed the Secretary of State for 
the Colonies on the subject of the destruction of the 
forests in Ceylon, and the evil effects resulting there- 
from upon climate and upon the natural resources of 
the Colony in future generations. 
The Government of Ceylon had been alive to these 
evils, and to a certain extent had endeavoured to pro- 
vide against them, but as forest conservation on a suf- 
ficient scale demands a considerable expenditure at the 
outset until the revenue derived renders a Forest De- 
partment self-supporting, it did not feel itself in a 
position to graut the necessary supplies for the purpose. 
Notwithstanding this, efforts were made by the Govern- 
ment in other directions to mitigate the evils attending 
indiscriminate sales of land. In 1882, Mr. Vincent, of 
the Indian Forest Service, was, on the application of 
the Ceylon Government, deputed by the Government 
of India to report on the forests of Ceylon. His valu- 
able report was published as a Sessional Paper, No. 43 
of 1882. 
As the result of this report, and of a desire on the 
part of the Government to carry out forest conser- 
vation on a satisfactory basis, an Ordinance was pissed in 
the session of 1885, intituled " The Forest Ordinance." 
The object of this Ordinance and of the rules made 
undi r it is, iu the first placo, to select suitable areas of 
forest lands and to constitute them State reeerveil for- 
ests; to buy off or to commute by the grant of land 
any rights which the population in tho vicinity may 
have acquired in these lauds; to mark off on the ground 
the boundaries in an unmistakable manner : to place 
these areas under effective protection ; to improve them 
by sowing ami planting wherever necessary; and, ge- 
nerally, to introduce system where there had been no 
* Sec Review of this report on pa^e is.— ill), 
