244 THE TROPICAL AGRLCULTURIST. [Oct. 1, 1899. 
CEYLON FOREST DEPARTMENT. 
THE CONSERVATOR'S REPORT FOR 1898. 
After, a careful reading of Mr. Broun's 
report for the past year we are struck with 
the moderate tone of his really telling 
criticisms upon the Government interference 
with the Department that took place 
during his absence from the Island last year. 
Opportunity was then taken to obtain a 
report iipon the state of the Department, 
Mr. F. C. Fisher, c.c.S., Acting Conservator, 
being chosen to draw it up. The conclusions 
of this report were, it will be remembered, at 
variance with the Conservator's opinions, 
and Mr. Broun found it necessary to 
reply. As a consequence of his report — 
the necessity of which has not been proved 
— Mr. Fisher was requested to submit pro- 
posals for the re-organisation of the Depart- 
ment. And what was the substance of 
these proposals? It was very much that 
of similar proposals made in the opening 
chapter of Mr. Broun's report for 1896. 
On the latter's return to the Colony, he was 
graciously included by Government in the 
Committee appointed to report on Mr. 
Fisher's proposals. But — and here must have 
Iain a source of the utmost annoya.nce to 
the Conservator who has been so con- 
tinuously badgered — partial effect had al- 
ready been given to these proposals before 
Mr. Broun returned. Yet we find the mere fact 
alone chronicled— nothing more. Perhaps 
silence is stronger than words, and the 
Government will be warned in time not to 
try the patience of their trained officers 
beyond the limits of natural endurance. 
The following changes, which were de- 
scribed less specifically in the Commissioner's 
report (extracts from which appeai'ed in our 
issue of February 23rd), are those that have 
come into eftect with the present year — 
changes which Mr. Broun has accepted and 
therefore, no doubt, intends to make the 
best of : — 
(i.) Separation of the Ge«c'raZfromtliei-';wmctfli! 
Forest Administration, the foriner including the 
management of areas to be reserved as permanent 
forest estates under the direct control of the Con- 
servator, while the latter dealt with forests and 
Waste lands available for the extension of cultiva- 
tion. In the Western and Sabaragamuwa Provin- 
ces and in the Galle and Matara Districts of the 
Southern Province, however, this separation was 
not recommended for the present for any forests 
whether reserved or not, but it may take place 
when the rights of the Crown in and over waste 
lands have been determined after survey. The in- 
clusion of certain valuable forest blocks which have 
for the present been left under the charge of Gov- 
ernment Agents has been left for discussion later. 
(ii.) Division of the forests rnier General Ad- 
ministration into the following six charges or 
"circles" each under an Assistant Conservator, 
viz :— 
(a) Northern Circle, including the valuable for- 
ests in the Northern Province and serving the 
export centres of Jafl'na, Mannar, and Mullaittivu. 
(h) Norih-Eastcrn Circle, comprising the forests 
of the Trincomalee District, West Tamankadnwa, 
and the eastern portion of the North-Central Pro- 
vince, and servinRtheexport centre of Trincomalee. 
(c) EaKi.ern Circle, consisting of the valuable 
forests of the Batticaloa District (excluding the 
Panawa pattu), Tamankadnwa east, and the Nil- 
galla pattu, Province of Uva, and serving the ex- 
port centres of Kalkuda bay, Beitticaloa, and 
/^rugajn bay, 
(cl) South-Eastern Circle, composed of forests of 
the Panawa pattu, Eastern Province, the Hamban- 
tota District, and the southern portion of Uva, 
and serving the ports of Okandaand Hambantota. 
(e) North- Western Circle : valuable forests of the 
North- Western Province and a few in the western 
portion of the North-Central Province, serving the 
port of Puttalam and the mai-ket centres of Ku- 
runegala and Chilaw. 
(/) Hill Bcserces : hill forests of the Nuwara 
Eliya District and Haputale and inMatale north, 
Central Province, serving the planting districts 
and the to^ n of Kandy. 
(iii.) Working of the forests under the Conser- 
vator of Forests on a more systematic and con- 
centrated plan, and of those not required for 
reservation by a system of licenses. 
(iv.) Reduction of the number of officers and of 
expenditure on staff, while providing an improve- 
ment of the prospects of the superior and clerical 
staffs. 
The effect of these changes will be, in Mr, 
Broun's opinion, to injure the finances of 
the Department for a while, because of 
the large area now made available for 
obtaining timber for sale, and the 
low rates at which this timber will now be 
sold. On the other hand, the Department 
will benefit by the P.W.D. being henceforth 
allowed to supply itself in the open market, 
the Forest Conservancy being thus enabled 
to relinquish the practice of keeping dete- 
riorating stock on hand to wait the good 
pleasure of the P.W.D. With regard to the 
area of the circles above specified, these are 
the figures supplied, with the Conservator's 
comments thereon : — 
Square Miles. 
Northern Circle ... ... 1,.587'50 
North-Eastern Circle ... ... 1,858-(X) 
Eastern Circle ... ... 2,200-00 
South-Eastern Circle ... ... 2,297-00 
North-Wcstern Circle ... ... 1,556-75 
Hill Reserves .... ... 513-00 
Total ... 10,012-25 
It is however not to be understood that all this 
area is forest, much less good forest. Consider- 
able areas will have to be excised and placed again 
under the control of Government Agents, and 
they will possibly amount to from one-half to 
two-thirds of the total area. On the other hand, 
there are certain valuable forests which have not 
been included within the circles which it will be 
desirable to place under the control of the Con- 
servator. 
A good deal of demarcation has gone on during 
the past year, the Central, Uva and Sabara- 
gamuwa Provinces alone being untouched. 
The enumeration of the bits of survey- 
ing done reads somewhat jaggedly, and 
after vainly endeavouring to grasp a solid 
estimate and a fairly lucid idea of the work 
accomplished, we come on the following para- 
graph as upon an oasis, and we most heartily 
re-echo the cry for method, method, method, 
which is there very soberly expressed : — 
It is necessary that all the areas placed under 
the Conservator be now worked on a systematic 
plan. The enumeration surveys and measure- 
ments of sample plots which have been hitherto 
made are unfortunately not sufficient for fixing 
a possibility, either by volume or by area, for 
our principal species. It is however imperative 
that the past disconnected way of carrying on 
operations here, there, and everywhere, should be 
changed, and I have assumed for the present that 
most of our important species take about forty 
years to grow from the second girth class (4 ft, Q 
