4 
Indian Forest Records. 
[Vol. VII 
PART I. 
SECTION I.—Past history of Afforestation. 
5. The question of utilising the waste lands in Agra, Etawah and 
adjoining districts and the establishment of fuel and fodder reserves 
was the subject of a report in 1879 by Dr. Brandis, then Inspector 
General of Forests to the Government of India. 
The Fisher Forest Planta¬ 
tion, 1884. 
In this report attention was drawn to the large tracts of ravine 
country lying on both sides of the Jumna 
^ (Reports?by Dr. Biandis, r i ver an( j the extent of wastes to be found 
in several districts of the Doab. 
The measures recommended in this report for the encouragement 
of forest growth on these lands were (1) The exclusion of fire, (2) Re¬ 
striction of grazing, (3) The protection from all cutting of wood and 
(4) Filling up of blank areas by planting and sowing. The report 
recommended the acquisition of suitably situated and sufficiently large 
blocks of waste land which should not be too far from the markets of 
the produce. However the report led to nothing, and no action was 
taken at that time. 
6. The question was revived in 1884, when Mr. J. F. Fisher, 
Collector of Etawah, started the “ Fisher Forest.” 
The Fisher Forest forms a compact area of 2,852 acres, the nearest 
point of which is about 1| miles South-West 
of the Etawah (East Indian Railway) station 
along the Gwalior road. It was started in 
1884 by Mr. J. F. Fisher, Collector of Etawah, who called together 
the zamindars who owned the tract of ravine land to the west of the 
town of Etawah, and these owners agreed to hand over their land for 
the creation of a fuel and fodder reserve for the protection of the ground 
from erosion and further deterioration. The owners of the land were 
to provide the necessary funds, and in return the profits were to be 
divided pro rata according to the money furnished and the land held 
in each case. The management of the reserve was entrusted to the 
Collector, who placed the area under working in the same year. Graz¬ 
ing was prohibited, the soil broken with the country plough, and the 
seed of babul (Acacia arabica) shisham (Dalbergia Sissu), and Neem 
(Melia indica) sown. In order to dam up the rain water and locally 
raise the spring level, bandhs (embankments) were thrown across the 
ravines in Suitable places. It appears from the scanty information 
available that the small expenditure incurred was more than recouped 
by the sale of grass and subsequently by grazing dues and light 
fellings. The scheme worked well for a time, and there was eventually 
[ m ] 
