38o 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [December t, i8%8 
good fi ewjud in 20 years, and replant the areas in 
blocks No-. 44 and 45 a* they are exhausted, cue 
regard io be had for preserving grazing ground for 
sh i-p and the rearing of shrubs most sustaining to 
cattle. 
(g). The Municipality by water-power or otherwise 
to uli up the timber to the rails irom the lower levels 
of the blocks. 
(ftj. The Municipality to erect such machinery as is 
used iu Europe for the purpose of sawing up and 
splitting the firewood, and prevent the heavy waste 
of timber and labour by the present hand process. 
(i). The Municipality to establish good well-covered 
fuel depots abutting the railway at the junction with 
the Ghoom ridge new road or railwaj , with the Dar- 
jeeliug-Himalayan main line (48J milts), also at the 
foot of the Kog Jhora road and in the bazaar (Bird's 
godownis proposed). 
6. The price to be charged by the proposed contractor 
for dry split firewood at the depots is not to exceed 
R30 per 100 maunds. 
7. I am prepared to carry through the above pro- 
posals, and will find a substantial and reliable con- 
tractor to do so if the Municipality can and will 
influence the Government to the extent proposed. 
8. In judging of this matter, it should be kept 
belore us that the exceptionally low and unremune- 
rative rates at which Assam coal has been delivered 
in the district for the last two years failed to cause 
an increase in the consumption of that fuel, and I am 
of opinion that until a through connected line is 
constructed between the Northern Bengal State Rail- 
way and the Brahmaputra, that we canDot hope for a 
permanent supply of such fuel at sufficiently low 
rates to bring about increased consumption and less 
demand for wood fuel. 
9. I have not alluded to the advantage to the station 
of the now large barren areas north of Ghoom ridge 
again being converted into forests, and of the new 
road or railway extension giviDg easy access to the 
virgin forests nearest to the station. 
Our remarks on the above are as follows : — 
Para. 2. — The arrangements referred to have made 
no appreciable difference so far in the est of fowls, 
&c, in the local market to the general consumer. 
The cobt rises year by year, and is likely to continue 
to do so as the number of Europeans in the station and 
at Jalapahar increases, notwithstanding the alleged 
improved import arrangements. 
Para. 3. — The inspection of the recorded retail prices 
current compiled weekly in the Deputy Commissioner's 
office, will show that the price of firewood in the 
station of Darjeeling has only varied as follows in 
the last 14 years : — 
Seer per 
Rupee. 
.. 200 = 
.. 1(50 = 
.. 200 = 
.. 160 = 
Per 100 
Maunds. 
Rs. 20 
„ 25 
„ 20 
„ 25 
120 
33-3 
June 1874 
December 1875 
June 1876 
June 1877 
June 1885 \ 
June 1888 > '" 
Not exactly " more than double," as stated in the 
letter. This "retail" rate is, however, for small 
purchasers of a maund or less from retail merohants 
in the bazaar; the Forest Department depot rates 
have been as follows for lots down to 12J maunds 
since 1887, which was the first year in which the 
Department brought firewood into Darjeeling bazaar 
for bale : — 
1877 R25 per 100 maunds. 
1885 „30 „ „ 
1887 „15 „ cord. 
The cord (sale by measurement of firewood stacked) 
was adopted iu the interests of pui chasers, so that 
the subordinates of the Department should gain no 
advantitge. as to stock in band by wetting the wood 
previous to sale to make it weigh more. The cord 
of fresh cut wood was found to weigh about 60 maunds 
on the average. The rate per 100 maunds was raised 
to E30 iu 1885 by order of Government, to allow private 
dealers a chance, as they complained that they could 
not compete with the Departmental sales at R25 ; since 
then the Department keeps a ri serve stock on hand, 
from which it is optional for purchasers to buy, or 
they can go to the general dealers: the result so far 
is that departmental sales have not falle-n off. Private 
d< alers now deliver on road, most convenient to pur- 
chasers' houses in carts at R30 per 100 maunds. 
"Production and reproduction" in the Darjeeling 
forests has cost the Department as follows, as 1 gather 
from the printed reports : — 
Artificial 
Artifical 
reproduction 
reproduction 
R 
R 
Brought forward, 28,594 
1874-75 
... 5,230 
1881-82, 
... 4,145 
... 3,668 
1875-76 
... 4,976 
1882-83, 
1876-77 
... 8,577 
1883-84, 
... 2,856 
1877-78 
... 1,102 
1884-85, 
... 3,446 
1878-79 
... 4,096 
1885-86, 
... 2,064 
1879-80 
... 2,789 
1886-87, 
... 1,950 
1880-81 
... 1,824 
1887-88, 
... 2,425 
Carried forward, iiS.594 
Total, 
... 49,148 
Or an avei ge of R3..")ll ] er annum, the average 
surplus of working these forests having been B 5,382 
for the same period, without allowing for share of 
general direction charges. The Department can 
hardly, under the circumstances, be fairly charged 
with '* neglect" in this matter. 
Para. 4. — The "unfortunate increases in the cost" 
are due primarily to the further distance fuel and 
timber has now to be carried, and to the increased cost 
of labour since the introduction of the Local 
Labour Act. 
Para. 5. — The charges hitherto brought against the 
Department l>y the wiiler of the letter have been th»t 
it declines to allow the Darjeeling-Himalayan Rail- 
way to cut what trees it requires where it likes. He 
now accuses the Department of exhausting the forests. 
Had the writer of the letter had his own way, there 
would not be a tree fit to produce timber in the forests 
by this time within about 15 miles of the line of railway ; 
he has, however, lost every case he has sent up to 
Government (and they are many) containing charges 
of obstruction and what not against the Department, 
notwithstanding that he dubs it (in Railway parlance?) 
a " foreign feeble intermediate " one. 
[Which on the part of Mr. Prestage is simple im- 
pertinence, the Indian Forest Department being a most 
able and useful institution. — Ed. T. A.\ 
The Remedies. — Unci. I should think the writer would 
hardly wish Government to trust to the advice of 
the Department after the opinion he has given of 
its works above, which he here again accuses of 
having " exhausted " its forests. 
Tlie mode of proceeding. — (a). It would hardly need 
much sagacity to guess who the " contractor forth- 
coming" would be. These blocks 44 and 45 having 
been worked out by the Department as far as its 
" feeble " technical knowledge and management con- 
siders safe, the "contractor forthcoming" (who has 
presumably been interviewed by the writer of the 
letter) evidently makes a very sanguine estimate in 
expecting to get a " full supply " to the Station for 
the next six years out of the area. 
(b) . There is something delightfully " childlike and 
bland " in this proposal. The Municipality sold 
Government land almost cleared of timber, and the 
writer of the letter wishes forest carefully conserved 
and almost fully stocked at the same rate from 
Government. 
(c) . Any one would think after the remarks preced- 
ing, that the "contractor'' (with the help of course 
of the writer's experience) would be above hiking 
advice from members of the " foreign feeble interme- 
diate " Department. 
(</). This has a decided touch of the " chiidlike, 
&c," as at (5\ 
(e). The " proposed contractor " w"uld probably 
profit by this very considerably. It is doubtful if any 
one else would benefit. 
