OP THE BIJNOUR FOREST. 415 
thus render unhealthy, many of the larger trees ; and I was corrobo- 
rated in this view by Dr. Brandis when I subsequently met him in the 
forests of the Doons near this. But as Hooker has truly remarked, 
" whether as a retainer of miasma, shelter for wild beasts both car- 
nivorous or herbivorous alike dangerous to man, or from their liability 
to ignite and spread destruction far and wide, the grass jungles are most 
serious obstacles to civilization," and they must be kept down somehow, 
and to these reasons we have to add the still more pressing utilitarian 
one that the young herbage must be allowed to come up as pasture, 
especially when we consider that the amount raised from pasture dues 
probably bears a very large proportion to the forest-rates proper. This 
is indicated by the fact that a few years since (about 1846) in the Kumaon 
Bhabur, the latter exceeded the former by only a few hundred rupees 
(9,756 to 8 ; 973). It is only perhaps in isolated and special situations, 
as in the neighbouring small Doons, where the growth of sal, &c, is 
really of immense value, that it will pay to exclude the agriculturist 
and herdsmen altogether, and thus lessen the probability of fires, as well 
as prevent even the chance of indiscriminate cutting, so making sacri- 
fice of a present minor advantage for the sake of future gain. At the 
same time it appears not impossible that means might be adopted to 
render these forest fires le3S destructive to saplings and trees than they 
now are. 
Another and more practicable improvement which suggests itself is 
this. If it will in the end be a saving to keep a few men on the Eastern 
segment of the forest where alone (to the east of Peelee Rao) there is any 
conservancy establishment, might not similar conservation, — with of 
course a corresponding restriction of the lease, — be extended to some 
other places, where if the quantity of sal is much smaller, the establish- 
ment required would also be less extensive ? And this not with the futile 
hope of even the third generation hence — (the tree in all probability 
nowhere attains any very great size in less than several scores of years,) 
cutting in these extra-Siwalik strips noble sdls, monarchs of the forest, 
such as possibly the last generation removed from the outer skirts of 
these hills, and the present is cutting within them, but merely for guard- 
ing the saplings till at twelve or fifteen years they be fit to furnish good 
poles and spars. One is the more inclined to believe it worth risking 
the small expense a few men for this purpose would entail, from being 
aware that some years since many thousands of rupees of sal ballis were 
in one season cut by a sharp contractor from similar strips in this very 
forest, and from having seen hundreds on hundreds of sal ballis brought 
into a neighbouring station near which all sal cutting is " strictly pro- 
hibited." 
A larger and fully more difficult question remains for discussion. 
Even if the present system of managing this forest, so as " to clear it a3 
speedily and profitably as possible," has hitherto been the best possible,. 
