DECEMBKR I, T.891J 
THE Tl^ePICJtL AfSIWi®9l.TymST, 
559 
were used as fuel by the railway, is, like many 
others, too valuable as a cabinet wood, whea 
well grown, to be made into fuel. Its merits 
are that it ooppicea so well and throws 
up so maay shoots, which, every three or four 
years, are available for fuel. There is a 
species 01 kekuna (not that with the beautiful 
silvery leaves) which from the quantity of resin 
by which the timber is permeated, makes spsoially 
good fuel, the resin miking it objeotionaole for 
timber purposes. Of the exotic plants, blue gum 
makes very fair fuel and coppices freely, but beyond 
all compare for fuel purposes are the oausuarinas. 
We have had no experience however, of their 
coppicing properties. The information furnished 
regarding fuel in Mr. Broua's report is as follows ; — 
During the year 87.386| cubic yards were delivered 
to the Railway, against 78,285^ oubio yards delivered 
in 1889, thus showing an inoreaie of 9,100| cubic yards. 
This is accounted for by the exteueioa of the Seaside 
line to Alutgiima. 
The proportion of Crown wood has during this year 
beeu inuoh greater than in 1889, the amount takeu 
from Crown forests being 30, 979g cubic yards as against 
19,964J cubic yards in 1889, while the qaantity of pri- 
vate wood has somewhat diminished, Veing 56,407 cubic 
yards as against 58,321 cubic yards during the preced- 
ing year. 
The exoenditure oa tins firewood has amounted to 
R118,914'3S, or RL'37 per cubic yard, and the revenue 
to B131,070 50, leavinc; a surplua of R12,156-12. If this 
purplus is 10 ba (ousidered to represent the royalty on 
the 30,979| rubic yards of Crown wood, this loyalty 
wo Id be of 39j cents per cubic yard, which is certainly 
not a very heavy profit. 
FiRUies are then given which reduced the royalty to 
a little over 34| cents per cubic yard. 
The surplus is more than swallowed up by expen- 
diture on firewood plantations in the Central Province 
and by expenditure on [surveys, &c., of forests set 
apart solely for the pmpose of giving an assured and 
steady supply of firewood to the Railway. Before 
long the Railway Department will be able to draw 
all its supplies of firewood from Crown forests, and 
the private forests will be able to satisfy the demands 
of the general market in Colombo. 
A fum of R,500 was placed at the disposal of the 
Superintendent, Railway Fuel Supply, to make an 
experimental coppice in the forests near the 43.^ 
milepost. About fifteen acres of forest were cleared 
and the stools cut flush with the ground. The stool 
shoots are reported to be springing up freely except 
in one spot, where the lantana is giving some trouble. 
The cost of copxDicing and of transport amounted to 
R499'72. The yield has been somewhat meagre, only 
701 cubic yards, the forest being of a poor quality. 
The portion taken over by the Rail way Department 
by the end of the year, viz. 474 cubic yards, almost 
entirely second and third class firewood, yielded 
a revenue of R620'49, or ' R.1'30 9-10 per cubic 
yard. At the same rate of classification the 701 cubic 
yards will ffive a revenue of R917't)0, i e., a net revenue 
of R417-88, crofR27-86 per acre. 
Should the pjstem of coppic-i prove to be succestful 
iu these forests, it will uo doubt be the best to adopt so 
as to obtain at small cost a continuous bupply of fire- 
wood lor the Railway, 
Fuel Svpph/ to otlter Departments. — In Colombo, 3,071 
cubic yards o. firewood were sold to the Prison Depir.- 
ment, the Haibi'ur Works, Govercmtnt Factory, 
Govi^ruraern Pn. t r, and iM.is'er Attend-int. In Uva, 
1,932 cubic >aid.< of firewood ami 31 buth-Js of charcoal 
\M 10 enl.l for R3,106. 
/w'c' > (/;v'/v /t- il,c I'uUie — In JalTna, 2,285 tons of 
drs lir. w, oiw re mM to the public for RU482. I 
It ir tint trio CTuVfi nine it A'j;rnf, Nurthevu Province, 
toiverd.s the end of ilio year took excejitioii to this 
iiri til', d o' disposing (if lirewood fr.im the Cro'.v it forest-', 
and tbHt siiic" tlicu hi: li.ia closoi the firewood dopo^ 
I i :Hpi'''.',d tl !■ litowood depot and the fjrests from 
which ilui Itiuwood has been brought to market, and 
hiivo btiii u uljio tj (ce ^hy the riai:mmeiit in Lxoe 
should be disturbed. The rsmovBl of top pieces and 
dry timber lyiner about the forests, under proper Runcr- 
vision, is very beuefinial to the forests, while, if pui-. 
chijsers are let in under permit,'!, thpre is ever" ch'mee 
of their he'piniT thf.mselvea to whatever roTiei handv; 
In Uva, 439 cubic yards of firewood and l.4io bnshels 
of charcoal were so'A for Rl,449. Mr. Mnns ia still the 
only ofBoer of the Denarttuent who has attpmnted to 
make charcoal accordina: to more ndvancd irp'bods 
and the outturn is -^till somewho.t lieht' and overburnt 
The system of purchasers being allowed to removs 
tirnbsr or firewood from the forest, is manifestly 
objectionable. The returns from minor forest pro_ 
duoe, especially gallnuts in Uva is increasing. Ppeg 
are charged for animals allowed to grazf, and in Cey. 
Ion as in India, great care is requisite to sroure abun- 
dant grazing grounds for the owners of cattle, while 
duly protecting the woperty of the public in 
forestfi. Here as in India the native cultivators, 
when permitted, collect green leaves from the forest 
as manure. Of course the forest =!oil is impoverished 
in proportion to the quantity of vegetable mitter 
removed; and in India the system of rab culture 
has led to much discussion and eontrorersv, Under 
the heading " Free Grants of Forest Produce," Mr. 
Broun writes 
The free grant of timber and other pro^ncp for 
worlts of public utilitv ii, wbere funds f ir crr-ying 
them nut are scarcp, highlv contrn^ndoblp. but there 
is no reason why exD^nsive tirolier nbonkl b» piven 
away when others less in demand would do juptfls 
well. An instance of this sort isi given by the 
Assistant Oonservator. Central Province, who s'ates 
that 16 satinwood (und 8 milla treet were ^rantpd, 
without his knowledge, for the construction of an 
amha'am at Elaher<i. Nor is it advi=ahlo to /yrant 
permits for indiscriminate cut'inf? wh°in the timhpr 
is afterwards allovvpd to rot on the ground. I have 
before mentioned the ca'se of free pertnil-a b<=in<r 
given to_ the Public Worts Department for the 
construction of res^hnu'e huildinjrg. It sepm« v«rv 
strsnge that the Publi<i Works D-partment should 
not have bef n able to afford to pay fnr this ti-nlier, when 
the Provincial Bnaineer roanaeed to hrinp all the K'ay 
from distant places like Tanamilwila, Telula. &c., 
Cananore tiles,which cost about R75 landed in Colombo 
or about RlOO brought to final destination, when 
shingles capable of lasting for twenty years or so 
could have been obtained at a much cheaper rate 
on the spot. The Assistant Conservator, North- 
Central Province, renorts that Ulugala Rate- 
mahatmaya has over R5,000 worth of timber stored 
on his premises. His authority is anparentlv a verbal 
permission received from His Excellency Sir A. Gordon 
to fell as much satinwood and halmilla'as he requires. 
It appears to be time to moderate the ardour of the 
Ratemahatmaya. 
We should think so. The friction between officers 
of the P. W. D. and Forest Departments, now so 
severe, will, we suppose, abate with the mellowing 
influences of time. It seems clear that if the 
Forest Department is to be held responsible for 
the good condition of (he Govrrnment Forests 
and the conservation of their pro-^ucts aU ."uppl'ps 
of timber, fuel, Ac. should be fnrnishid through 
its officers and depots. It is satisfactory <o learn 
than in 1890 
For the first time since the organisation of the De- 
partment, the revenue credited in the Tre.asury has 
exceeded the expenditure. The net surplus to the 
Department amounts to R88,527-83, while during 1889 
the deficit amounted to R63,205-42 and in 1888 to 
Rl6,977-20. 
Out of R'.10,044 to'al recoipts, fuel for the railway 
yielded ElBl.fiVO, .'in ainount wb'"c'> i^s Hkoiv to 
increase materially, year by year, as the railway 
system extends, unless mo-l^rn <!'.iPT"o hclp'i tho 
world in resppct to a chenn and good artificial 
fuel. After giving figures, Mr. Broun states that 
